Debate: Sanding between every coat of polyurethane OR just the last coat - which actually saves time without wrecking the finish?

I tried doing a full sand between each coat on my last desk build and it took forever but looked glassy smooth, then on my monitor shelf I skipped sanding between coats and just did one final sand before the last coat and it came out almost identical with half the work, so which method do you guys think is actually worth the extra effort for a budget build?

2 comments

2 Comments

davis.emma17d ago

A cat hating her own reflection is the exact reason I skip sanding on anything below eye level now.

the_nina17d ago

Sanding between every coat took forever but looked glassy smooth" is literally my life story. I once spent three whole evenings on a nightstand that ended up looking like a mirror, but then I realized my cat could see her own reflection in it and she hated it, so she scratched it all up anyway. For a budget build I'd say just skip the intermediate sanding, hit it with 220 grit once before the last coat, and save your sanity unless you're making something that needs to double as a jewelry display.