skim coat

plural skim coats

1. A thin layer of plaster, glue, plastic, or other substance applied over a surface in order to cover imperfections and make it smoother.

   A skim coat touches up small voids.

   2004, Exterior Siding, Trim, and Finishes, →ISBN, page 140

   2 more examples

   You can skim-coat the piece with spackling comound, following the length of its grain and dragging the knife over the surface at a slight angle so that you fill in only the grain. Then sand again, and apply a second skim coat, if needed.

   1990, Mindy Drucker, Pierre Finkelstein, Recipes for Surfaces, →ISBN, page 56

   The final step before block sanding the skim coat is to draw a line along the length of the body line that divides the panel in half.

   2012, Larry Lyles, Project Charger: The Step-By-Step Restoration of a Popular Vintage Car, →ISBN