Polyurethane bubbles on pine have me stuck | Furniture Finishers

Jessica Bennett · 2026-03-04T23:21:16.322287+00:00

I'm finishing a pine table and small bubbles form in the polyurethane every time. I sand well and use a clean brush, but it still happens. Does pine wood need a special sealer to stop this?

the_claire5mo ago

Actually, thin coats are the whole trick.

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milaj956mo ago

What if you don't need a sealer at all?

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corawest6mo ago

My last pine project had more bubbles than a kid's bath time, and I was convinced I'd invented a new kind of textured finish. Pine is just gassy like that, it lets out air and sap when you put on thick coats. What finally worked for me was wiping on super thin layers of poly with a rag instead of brushing, and yeah, a shellac-based sealer first can calm the wood down. Sanding between coats is key too, but go easy or you'll cut through to the wood again.

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oliver8556mo ago

Oh, I once convinced myself those bubbles were a design choice, my own "distressed" look until it dried like orange peel. Had to scrape it all off and start fresh, which taught me to test on scrap wood first. Your thin wipe-on coats are a game changer, even if I still get impatient and rush the drying time. Pine finishing is basically a lesson in humility for me.

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