How to Build Cornhole Boards: Final Sanding and Polishing

As part of our Cornhole Board Walkthru, we find ourselves at the FINAL STEP of Cornhole Board production! Woohoo!
Join us here as we walk through that process, in detail, sanding the clear with some 220 and finally buffing it all out for a super shiny end result and a board that feels like you want it to! ;)
Hope you enjoy. And please subscribe to our channel to keep up with all our new and upcoming videos, events and products.
Have a blessed day!
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That’s it. Til next time…have an awesome day!

[@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.

[@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!

[@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!

[@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

[@ryank9910]

Nice video

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Thanks

[@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

[@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.

[@JackieKarch]

Go Dawgs!

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Yeah!

[@chrismarcusky1]

GO DAWGS!!!

[@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

[@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.

[@LeskoBrandon2x]

Georgia, Apple valley farms…. Ellijay?

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

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

[@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.😁

[@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 👍

[@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?

[@thegolfer2963]

Where did you get that polisher

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Walmart. Nothing but the best. ;)

[@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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@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?

[@michaellanderos323]

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

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Either is fine.

[@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.

[@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!

[@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]

Has anyone experienced cracking polycrylic

[@AppleValleyFarmGA]

Not us.

[@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! :)

[@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.

[@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