# Flaking sealant on wood table



## teragramrk (Feb 11, 2017)

Last spring my boyfriend's mother gave me her kitchen table with 4 matching chairs and a bench.  We decided to sand, stain, and reseal them all.  As of the Christmas holiday, the table and the bench are done (the easy pieces) and have been in daily use.  I just noticed the Minwax polyurethane sealant is starting to flake at the corner of the table.  It looks like something scratched there, though I can't for the life of me figure out what (maybe my cat, but a cat nail shouldn't rip through the coat of a table, right?).  My question is how do I fix the flaked sealant without taking the whole thing apart and putting on another coat?  I put on about 7 coats the first time, but realized after the first three that I hadn't mixed the sealant properly and the coats weren't thick enough (hence the additional coats).  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## Gary (Feb 11, 2017)

Sounds like the Minwax may not be compatible with the original finish or the surface may not have been sanded well enough or there may have been a contaminate on the surface before finishing. Could also be the Minwax not being mixed well enough is contributing to the problem, or a combination of those issues.  The bad news is if the finish isn't bonding, adding additional coats won't help.


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## teragramrk (Feb 11, 2017)

I've tested it elsewhere by running my fingernail across the finish.  So far it's only in that spot where it doesn't seem to have bonded well.  Am I fooling myself into thinking the rest of the table is ok?


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## Gary (Feb 11, 2017)

You may have just missed that spot when sanding? If it were mine I would wait & see if it gets any worse.


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## teragramrk (Feb 11, 2017)

I could keep picking at the flakes, and they'd get bigger.  Is there a way to seal it?  My boyfriend read that going over it with clear nail polish, sanding it with a really fine grit, putting furniture wax on, and sanding again with steel wool is a remedy.  Does that sound plausible?


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## Gary (Feb 12, 2017)

No to the wax if you plan to apply another finish coat. All wax and other contaminates need to be removed as they will inhibit proper adhesion. The proper way to prep is to wipe the surface down with a wax removing cleaner, wet sand and dry. 
_Wax should only be applied after all the finish as been applied and has had time to fully cure. Cure times should be listed on the product label. _
If there are any shinny spots re sand until the whole piece has a dull finish. The dull finish gives the new finish something to adhere to. Wipe it down again with the cleaner, dry completely, then apply finish. If you apply additional finish you should wet sand between coats, wipe down with cleaner, wipe dry. Using a tack cloth is a good idea also.  If it wasn't done that way in the beginning, that may be where the problem is coming from. Unfortunately, if the base coat is flaking off, additional coats won't correct the problem.


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## slownsteady (Feb 12, 2017)

What you choose to do will depend on your tolerance for a 'perfect' finish or not. You can sand that spot to the edges of the bad finish, stain as needed and just spot coat with poly. It may look okay or it may be unacceptable. If it falls someplace in between, then you make the decision whether to start again or live with it.


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