Tray Tables - Finished Finishing

I shot the walnut tables with their third coat this morning (did not get that far last night)  That gave them a few hours to cure out a bit before I applied the polyurethane.

Here I have the maple tables lined up ready for their skim-coat.  I apply the poly with a cloth pad, using a figure-eight pattern, and check my work by bouncing a strong light off the tray tops.  Any skips or swirls will show up as a dull spot on the shiny wet finish.

If it's good, I fold up the table and set it out of the way.  The skim coat is too thin to run.

When The maple tables are done, I set up the walnut tables and coat them.  As each table is completed, I fold it up and stand it facing the wall to prevent air-borne dust from landing in the sticky polyurethane.

Lacquer dries very quickly, the poly will take around 8 hours to "dry".  It's not really a drying out process like the lacquer is where the liquid carrier evaporates out, but a catalyzing process where elements in the polyurethane hook up and combine as the solvent evaporates.  In any case, it will take 8 to 12 hours for the poly to harden enough I can start packaging to the tables for shipment.  If I go too soon the Styrofoam pads between the tables will dissolve a little in the uncured poly and mar the finish.  We don't want that.  In cold weather getting Poly to cure can be a pain, but it's not cold now so it should go well and I can start packaging in the morning.