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High-gloss polishing of wooden surfaces

Polishing wood surfaces to a high-gloss finish
This application example describes all the steps required to polish scratches out of a high-gloss kitchen. This guide explains how to polish wooden surfaces to a high-gloss finish, explaining both surface sanding and then final polishing with sheepskin or sponge.

    Description

    High-gloss surfaces are experiencing an unexpected renaissance in the furniture industry. This is predominantly true of the kitchen industry, but high-gloss finishes are currently a firm fixture in the bedroom as well as in bathroom and interior finishing.

    In industry, the perfect working environment and automation mean high-quality, high-gloss paint can be applied without the need for any rework. Tradespeople, however, often find cells, bubbles, sanding marks or irregularities in the paint structure due to the influence of dust in a joinery: These can only be removed by high-gloss polishing, which is very time-intensive. Through careful preparation of the surface to be painted, a clean environment, and paint application in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications, it is possible to prevent the need to repolish the wood.

    Festool offers a complete range of tools, sanding and polishing agents for preparation and rework of high-gloss surfaces, as presented in this application example. This means wooden surfaces can be polished to a high-gloss finish in just a few steps.

    Tools/accessories

    The following tools and accessories are recommended in this application example:
    Spraying with finish-cleaner allows the abrasive paper to glide more easily over the high-gloss surfaces. Not only is a better surface finish achieved, but consumption of the abrasive is minimised.

    Alternative tools

    The following tools can also be used instead of the tools and accessories mentioned above – however these will not be covered in this application example:

    Procedure

    • Light sanding

      Depending on the paint manufacturer, different work steps may be required to obtain a perfect surface. The following steps are suitable for most surfaces, to polish paint to a high-gloss finish.

      Surface sanding with Festool ETS 150/3 and Granat paper in combination with the soft pad or, alternatively, the hard pad.
      Affix the Granat P1500 Stickfix sanding disc to the ETS EC 150/3 EQ-Plus.

      Tip: If there are significant irregularities and surface faults in the wood, you can begin surface sanding with the Granat P 800 and P 1200 sanding discs. This makes the process significantly shorter. If there are dust inclusions, these should be removed with a self-adhesive sanding disc or with a spot repair scraper before surface sanding.

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      Surface sanding with Festool ETS and Granat paper

    • Lightly spray the abrasive paper and surface with the finish cleaner.

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      Spray the abrasive paper and surface with the finish cleaner.

    • Set the speed on the ETS 150/3 to level 3–4. Now move the machine over the wood cross-wise without applying pressure and with slow movements. Then wipe the remaining sanding dust from the surface with the grey polishing cloth after sanding. Continue sanding until the wood appears even and without significant differences in the level of gloss.

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      Set the speed to level 3–4. Now move the machine over the wood without applying pressure and with slow movements.

    • Polishing

      Affix sheepskin to the RAP 150-21 rotary polisher.
      Apply an appropriate amount of MPA 5010 polishing agent to the sheepskin.
      With the deactivated RAP 150-21 rotary polisher and the sheepskin, distributed the polish evenly to the wooden surface.
      Start up rotary polisher RAP 150-21 at speed 1 and distribute the polishing agent.
      While the machine is running, set the speed to level 3–4.
      Guide the machine rapidly over the surface, otherwise there is a risk of excessive heating of the surface.
      Wipe the surface several times with the coarse side of the green polishing cloth and inspect. If necessary, repeat the described process. There should be no visible traces of sanding.

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      Affix sheepskin to the rotary polisher.

    • For most applications, the achieved result is very good and usually adequate. If working with very sensitive colours (black and very strong colours), however, it can be necessary to continue polishing in order to achieve the desired degree of gloss.

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      If working with sensitive colours, it can be necessary to continue sanding in order to achieve the desired degree of gloss.

    • Affix the blue, fine, waffle-face sponge to the RAP 150-21 rotary polisher.

      Apply an appropriate amount of MPA 9010 polishing agent to the polishing sponge.

      With the deactivated RAP 150-21 rotary polisher and the fine sponge, distribute the polish evenly over the surface.

      Start up rotary polisher RAP 150-21 at speed 1 and distribute the polishing agent.

      While the machine is running, set the speed to level 3–4.

      Move the machine over the surface with even movements.

      Wipe the surface several times with the finer side of the green polishing cloth and inspect. If necessary, repeat the described process.

      Tip: Wash the microfibre cloth thoroughly under running water after each change of polish.

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      With the deactivated rotary polisher and the fine sponge, distribute the polish evenly over the surface.

    1. Our illustrated guides and work results are documented working steps that we have performed in practice. They are individual examples and do not guarantee or promise that users will obtain the same results. The results will depend on the user's experience and skill, as well as the material being used. Illustrated guides do not replace any Festool operating manuals and/or safety instructions. Liability for ensuring that the information, instructions and applications are free from content defects and defects of title, in particular with regard to the absence of defects, correctness, freedom from third party intellectual property rights and copyrights, completeness and fitness for purpose, is excluded. Claims for damages made by the user, regardless of their legal basis, are excluded. These liability exclusions are not applicable if the damage was intentional or caused by gross negligence, or in cases of statutory liability.

      We cannot accept liability for damage resulting from defects.↑