Polycrylic is fine. You'll need at least 2 coats, sanding between coats. A roller must be followed by a brush (Syntox flat brush) if you're seeking a smooth finish.

1. Roll out the finish with a 1/4" nap 4" roller cover.
2. Immediately tip off with brush to create a smooth finish.

Tipping Off
To minimize brush marks and bubbles, “tip off” each section of your
project at a 45-degree angle and lightly run the bristles over the
entire length of the wood.

Polycrylic also comes in spray cans to make the job much easier for the amateur.

thank you for the information! To make sure I understane, I can apply the poly to the sides of the dresser without laying it horizontal? I would just need to tip it 45 degrees for the "tip off" part? The chest is 5 feet tall, do you recommend applying the poly from top to bottom/vice versa or across the width, side to side?

just tip the brush, not the dresser. Thin coats will not run.

Might I ask why you painted it with matte, and want to seal it with something? Why didn't you use a S/G or low luster finish designed for such projects? SW ProClassic comes to mind.

Seems like a lot of extra work. As for spray cans of finish, ensure the topcoat is sufficiently dry before using. And do a 'test patch'. Aerosol finishes can bubble undercoats, it would be shame to have it mess up your paintjob.

no i wasnt planning on using a spray at all. The matte was a mistake. I didnt make the purchase, and neglected to check the can..just assumed it was the semigloss i had requested, my bad :(

so i succeeded in totally messing it up. I'm an experience, careful painter. I've refinished a few pieces of furtniture over the years,but was never able to get a perfect polyurethane finish, so I veered away from furniture refinishing over time.

The matte paint looked great, except for the flat finish mistake. I had a heck of the time with the polycrylic. I waited 8 days before applying the poly. After 2 coats, the chest still had shiny and dull areas all over. The polycrylic seemed to dry instantly as I applied it,, very frustrating. I wasnt sure if Floetrol was compatible with the poly so I didnt add any.....should I have?

so my next step was to apply a sanding/deglosser, hoping to dull the poly so I could repaint it. This cause the paint to peel off partially on one of the doors. I sanded that down as smooth as I could hoping the new paint would cover it (didnt). Then I tried repainting with a new can of semi=gloss, but it looks as bad maybe worse than before, because it's shinier.... all the shiny and dull areas are still visible.

can I run my next plan by you? i strip the whole thing with citri=stripper and start over? Reprime it, and then just paint with the semi=gloss latex? The Behr paint says is a primer and paint all in one.....do I still need a primer like Zinsser (sp?), or would priming it mess it up?

no, I wont give up! I appreciate your comments and replies.

You don't need to strip it nor do you need to prime it. Wait until the poly is dry, sand it dull and repaint over it.

Today's paints and clear coats are fast drying. Your technique needs to speed up if you wish to get a nice finish.

oh thats good to hear brushworks! I wasnt looking forward to my plan at all. I did add Floetrol (sp) to the paint, but I'll try to paint speedier thsi time. I also realized the overhead fan was on so maybe that was contributing to it dry too fast? was the li quid sander/deglosser a bad idea? I need to sand by hand?

If you find yourself in this position again, rather than do all of this extra work, purchase a can of the appropriate finish (after realizing your mistake) and simply paint over with the right finish. There would be no negative consequences with doing a topcoat of s/g or gloss over your matte finish.

And for further reference, floetrol is a bad idea with light finishes. It yellow's terrible and voids many paint mfg's warranty coverage. Instead, look for XIM Latex-X-Tender. It's industry supported, crystal clear, and doesn't affect warranty coverage.

And, for further future reference, chemical (liquid) deglossers are something I would have steered you away from in the store. As you found out, it can act as a stripper and would have been wholly unnecessary in your situation. As the topcoat hadn't cured for more than 30 days, simply painting over would have been perfectly acceptable w/out sanding or deglossing.

I hope your next project is a bit easier!

I wish I wouldve thought to paint over the matte with a semi gloss (duh!) b/cus it looked quite nice at that point before I wrecked it...

.... I'm painting the dresser a royal blue (its trying to be an accent piece in daughter's bedroom) so hopefully the floetrol wont affect the color...that's something I hadnt read about and I'm glad to have the information. Waiting for it to stop raining here, but I'll get back with how this project end up...hopefully I'll have a great lookin pic to share :) Thanks again for the helpful information.

A few years ago, I bought what I thought was satin finish paint to paint a dresser. When it dried I realized it was matte. It seems to be holding up fine, although repainting it is on my list of "someday when I have the time" projects. I've learned a bit since then, and now will only use Cabinet Coat for furniture, cabinetry and trim work. I love that paint.

here's a finished pic... i bought new brass knobs and spray painted the hinges. Before it was a light green stain with wooden knobs. I thought it was wood or wood veneers, but I realized when trying to sand off the polycrylic mistake that it was a sprayed on finish of something over particle board. I sanded some of it off in chunks :( So I then filled those with wood filler and sanded some more to get it smooth again. I ended up using Behr semigloss. and no topcoat. I'm happy with the final results, although after 2 weeks its still a bit tacky to the touch. I'm never going to paint a piece of furniture with latex again.. I have a piece that I've been waiting on over a year to refinish. Its solid oak, with a white washed stain. I'm currently thinking of using General Finishes milk paint (I've never used this product) but undecided for the top..maybe GF java stain which Ive used before. Afraid to start on this next project. Thanks again to everyone for your advice and comments.

Looks great! Shouldn't be tacky, but latex can take 30 days for 'full cure', where it's as hard as it'll get.

Air movement is key to it curing properly.