When it comes to woodworking, applying the finish isn't the end of the job. If you want the piece to have a beautiful finish, it's all about what you do after the finish has been applied and it has dried. Brush marks and dust particles can create flaws in the finish of the piece, but hand rubbing a wood finish can improve the look of your finish, making it look and feel much smoother. You'll be able to create a satin or gloss sheen on your woodworking with this technique. If you have never tried hand rubbing a wood finish, here are some helpful tips to get you started.

Tip #1: Get the Right Finish Thickness
Before you begin rubbing that finish, you need to focus on getting the right finish thickness. The finish thickness you choose will depend on the sanding you plan to do between the coats of finish, as well as the type of finish you are using. However, if you are going to try hand rubbing the finish, then you'll probably need to go with five to six coats of finish for the best results.

Tip #2: Wait Before Rubbing the Finish
Many people try to start hand rubbing the wood finish as soon as the finish dries on their piece of woodworking. However, it's important to wait before you begin rubbing the finish. It's important that the finish has enough time to harden. You should wait for a minimum of a week, but it's even better if you can wait an entire month. Waiting for the longer period of time will help you to get a more uniform sheen when using this technique.

Tip #3: Use Progressively Finer Abrasives
Now that you're ready to begin rubbing out the finish, you will need to use progressively finer abrasives as you go through the process. Each abrasive is going to create some small scratches and the scratch sizes will determine the amount of light that is reflected by the finish. This means that you are able to get a gloss or satin finish, depending on when you decide to stop hand rubbing the wood finish.

Whether you want a gloss or satin finish, you'll need to start with 100-grit silicon carbide sandpaper and soapy water. The paper and soapy water should be used to begin wet-sanding. Using the soapy water will create a film, which keeps your paper from clogging up as you use it. Put the paper on a rubber sanding block, which helps you ensure that you have a flat surface when sanding.

Tip #4: Don't Cut the Finish
It's very important to ensure that you never cut through the piece's finish. Take time to check the progress on a regular basis to avoid this problem. Keep going until you have a uniform, dull sheen on the piece without cutting through the finish.

Tip #5: Use Pumice for a Satin Sheen
If you want a satin sheen for your piece, you'll want to use powdered pumice. Again, you'll want to use some soapy water with the pumice. Make sure that you use a nice felt clock, which will help you to evenly rub the pumice all over the surface of the piece. Once it has been evenly rubbed, you'll need to wipe it off. Ensure that the sheen is consistent. If you want a high gloss finish, you can go on to use rotten stone, which gives you a shinier surface, because it makes even smaller scratches on the surface. All of these supplies should be easy to find at woodworking stores.

I'm Steve Ferguson. For more great woodworking tips, please visit my website: BuildWoodworkingProjects.com.