How to Build Cornhole Boards: Final Sanding and Polishing

[@kyleaustin4034]

Just made some Georgia boards for a customer hear in Mississippi. Thanks for the video. This is just the help I needed!

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Glad I could help!

[@kyleaustin4034]

It's a bad look for Mississippi when I misspell here.

[@ChattanoogaDan]

I use 00 steel wool to finish poly. It "cuts off" the imperfections rather than sanding then buff the finish with a waded up brown bag.

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Very cool. I'm going to give that a try. Thanks!

[@wisbacks]

Thanks for sharing this! I finished my poly applications yesterday and while it seems nice and smooth I thought they could use just a little more slickness. I'm going to finish them tomorrow with some 400 grit sandpaper. That should do it! Go Dawgs!

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Glad it was helpful! Woof woof!

[@DawgsChamp88]

Gorgeous boards! Go Dawgs! My friend built us some cornhole boards years ago and they've been sitting in the garage for a long time and we know we need to finish them. I have debated on painting on them or buying some skins. I'd rather paint something than buy something. Less cost and would mean more with a personal touch on it. I want one Georgia and one Ford. Found some red and blue cornhole bean bag sets at Aldi years ago and I said that's perfect. And they were the perfect price too. I haven't seen them since. Thanks again for your awesome videos. I think I will stay with painting them and finish our boards.

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Awesome! Goooo Dawgs! Woof woof woof!

[@dkrol997]

Thank you for the info, iv worked with poly but always go for a super gloss smooth surface and some things were saying 5-10 coats for cornhole? So your video is very helpful thank you

[@RASWoodProductions]

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and experience. Your video assured me that I was doing what someone else would do as well. Your boards look great.

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

You are very welcome

[@kmwrites7456]

did you put on 2 coats of poly without sanding in-between before sanding for the 3rd coat?

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Unless I forget (which I'm prone to do!), I try to always sand in between each coat.

[@kmwrites7456]

@@AppleValleyFarmGA thanks a lot for the reply.

[@ryank9910]

Nice video

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Thanks

[@opiatesmile]

Did you sand at all in between your first3 coats?

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Great question. And yes, we did. We run over everything very lightly with 320 grit. 220 if we're in a pinch. Kraft paper, as a last resort.

[@opiatesmile]

@@AppleValleyFarmGA Did you sand after the first coat? I keep hearing if you use a decal that you should use a second coat before doing any sanding so you don't mess up the decal. Any thoughts on that?

[@siierra8]

If I don’t have a buffer, is there something I can use instead?

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Yes. Lots and lots of elbow grease.😁👍

[@siierra8]

@@AppleValleyFarmGA Great, thank you. And what would I use? Just a buffing pad by hand. Sorry for all the questions. It’s my first project of this kind.

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

@@siierra8 That’s fine. Frankly, I just use an old soft t-shirt. No graphics or iron ons…just plain old shirt. I keep bags of old shirts handy for all manner of things.😁

[@AmyDavis2023]

What do you use as a clear coat on the boards? I bought a cornhole board and painted a design on it but not sure what to use for a clear coat on it.

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

These days I use Varathane Water-Based poly, with a Satin finish. Dries fast, looks great, wears well.

[@ariannaleigh7159]

@@AppleValleyFarmGA I recently painted cornhole boards and I’m trying to find a top coat for the boards to protect the paint from cracking so should I use the one you mentioned in this comment? and if so should I use interior or exterior version ?

[@Rembo318]

@@ariannaleigh7159 i know its probably a little late to for an answer lol, but there is no “exterior” model/type of waterbased poly, which is what he mentioned in the comment. A good rule of thumb to go by when it comes to wood finishes/top coats in general is this: waterbased products = Interior Use. Oil based products = Exterior or interior, but definately for outdoor projects. I mean…you “can” use any finish you want for wherever you want, but dont expect an outdoor project finished with a waterbased topcoat to last very long if it stays outside lol

[@thegolfer2963]

Where did you get that polisher

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Walmart. Nothing but the best. ;)

[@TheBigBoss2k5]

what finish did you use? like matte, satin, semi gloss or gloss?

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

We used to use a Gloss finish, but we learned that it is much less forgiving when it comes to imperfections in the final look. So these days, we use a semi-gloss on all our boards.

[@TheBigBoss2k5]

@@AppleValleyFarmGA thanks 👍

[@michaelvogel6163]

What number grit sand paper did you use thru the process?

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

We start with 150 before we apply our graphics and poly, then 220 and ultimately end up lightly going over everything with a 400 grit.

[@JackieKarch]

Go Dawgs!

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Yeah!

[@irmafuentes1839]

Did you used the water based or oil based sealer?

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

We use the water based poly, maily because of the drying time.

[@irmafuentes1839]

@@AppleValleyFarmGA thank you!

[@leafinitup1]

Go Dawgs! Why didn’t you just coat the entire board with Poly… Over the painted surfaces too?

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

We did. After the paint dries, the poly is a great sealant.

[@katieberman3391]

My dad put the two poly coats on and it bubbled. I tried sanding the side before starting and the color isn’t clear anymore. Is there anything I can do?

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Hey Katie. Tell me a little more detail about what you mean by "it bubbled". Is there a large bubble, or a number of timy bubles? And when you say you sanded the side, do you mean the surface of the board?

[@katieberman3391]

@@AppleValleyFarmGA tiny bubbles. Yes the surface of the board.

[@SonsofWadd]

I applied poly one time very heavily so I wouldn't have to apply so many coats. The finish became very cloudy and bubbly. That's my guess as to what happened.

[@santanamelgoza9421]

What kind of paint or whatever did you use ?

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

We use a flat, interior latex paint for all our cornhole board work.

[@markcatalano3770]

Nice boards 2 quick questions, 1. How many coats of poly? What brand polisher douse it’s nice and compact?

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Thank you! 3 coats of poly. And we just used something like a Turtle Wax.

[@markcatalano3770]

What brand of buffer are you using, it looks so compact and easy to use? Your boards look absolutely fantastic.

[@donpalm7012]

I just bought a set of unfinished boards and someone told me to wet sand the final sanding. Whats your opinion on that

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

That's a great idea, actually. That's called "raising the grain", and it's an essential step for most fine woodworking. If you decide to do this, I would sand the board to a 150 or 220, dry. Then blow the surface clean, then spray it with a spray bottle or plain water. Give it a few minutes to raise the grain, then sand it back with the 220. You can do this 2 or 3 times, each pass creating a smoother surface. Then let it dry, sand back with the 220 and apply your poly or whatever protective finish you prefer. You can skip raising the grain, but it makes a huge difference in the final feel. Great question!

[@donpalm7012]

@@AppleValleyFarmGA I applied my first coat this morning and I noticed there wasnt much of a difference. Is that to be expected after just the first coat?

[@chrismarcusky1]

GO DAWGS!!!

[@michaellanderos323]

Does it have to be an automatic buffer or can a hand buffer work the same efficiently

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Either is fine.

[@chrisg6351]

I got scared I put 5 coats of poly and sanded my wife airbrush butterfly board with 320 girt and it came out ruff and faded 😮 I wipe it down and still looked bad I put my next tote on it and it came out looking nice it my first time making something like this and using poly

[@jasonburch2061]

What grit sand paper were you using ?

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

At the time of this video, we were using 220. But since, we've decided to start using 320 for an even better result. Light, light touches! :)

[@samrehl4660]

How long do you let the poly dry for before sanding it?

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

It depends on the weather (temp, humidity, etc). But in general, the water-based poly is ready to go in a few hours...although I try to let it sit overnight, just to be safe.

[@jesuslopez-eq8mw]

How many coat do you put on before sanding

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

It depends, but normally, we sand between each coat, for a total of 3.

[@Double__Dee]

I put that nu finish polish on my boards and now they seem to slick. Is there anything i can do to them to make the slickness go down? Bc my bags are just flying off the board

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

It does make them slick, indeed! :) It will wear over time, just like a car. But I'm guessing (and this is just my guess) that you could lightly run some 220 grit over it and take that wax off. I haven't tried this, but I would think it would work. I'd be cautious about using any kind of solvent because it might harm the board itself. Sorry it turned out to be too slick.

[@Double__Dee]

Apple Valley Farm appreciate the help!

[@donpalm7012]

How many coats do I need to not feel a sticker

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

We like to do at least 3 coats. The first one is really more of a "primer" of sorts, then the next coats start building up layers of poly that create a glassy smooth surface.

[@LeskoBrandon2x]

Georgia, Apple valley farms…. Ellijay?

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

No...Jefferson, GA. But Ellijay isn't far. Our little community is called Apple Valley. :)

[@gailharvey4635]

Do you use Nu Finish?

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

You are correct! Yes. Well, we used to. We used to apply it to every set, but now, because it can be SO slick, we only do it by request.

[@jesuslopez-eq8mw]

Has anyone experienced cracking polycrylic

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Not us.

[@gokartcrazygo9938]

wet sand it.

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

The thought of putting water on a board that I've hand-painted terrifies me! LOL. But yes, that would definitely do it. But it's probably overkill...dry sanding it at 400, or even a light 220, usually does the trick for us.

[@TheMadJester159]

No