How to fix bubbles in spar polyurethane on rustic wood?

We bought this amazing reclaimed hickory for use as shelves in our basement. Dearest husband tried to finish it with spar poly and didn’t stop putting coats on even with this bubbling issue. We cannot get any more of this wood and don’t want it to go to waste, so suggestions of different finishes we should have used aren’t going to help. Is there any way to fix this? Obviously we could completely sand it down, but that will ruin the rustic look we’re going for. The last picture is a scrap piece where we managed to get a good system to prevent the bubbles from forming (just dabbing with a cloth after applying). Don’t ask me why he didn’t start with the scrap piece… submitted by /u/werpicus [link] [comments]

Jun 21, 2025 - 22:42
 0
How to fix bubbles in spar polyurethane on rustic wood?
How to fix bubbles in spar polyurethane on rustic wood?

We bought this amazing reclaimed hickory for use as shelves in our basement. Dearest husband tried to finish it with spar poly and didn’t stop putting coats on even with this bubbling issue. We cannot get any more of this wood and don’t want it to go to waste, so suggestions of different finishes we should have used aren’t going to help. Is there any way to fix this? Obviously we could completely sand it down, but that will ruin the rustic look we’re going for. The last picture is a scrap piece where we managed to get a good system to prevent the bubbles from forming (just dabbing with a cloth after applying). Don’t ask me why he didn’t start with the scrap piece…

submitted by /u/werpicus
[link] [comments]