2 coats of poly later…
I put 2 coats of poly on the hall tree last night. I put the first coat on at about 9:30 and it took about an hour to get everything covered. I got the top shelf, sides, front, and bottom seat and shelves. I have not put any on the back yet. The directions on the can of poly said I could put another coat on after 2 hours so I put a second coat on at 12:30. The second coat went much faster now that I had a system worked out. I am going to sand the whole thing down tonight and apply a third coat to all the visible areas. I am not going to put a third on the bottom of the seat and shelves. I plan on putting four coats on the seat and top shelf because they should see the most use. I am also going to be putting 2 coats on the back and bottom just to play it safe. I have read that you should coat an entire project with the same amount to prevent moisture from getting in unevenly but I really don’t feel like putting 4 coats everywhere and don’t think that I need that much protection in Southern California.