Abstract: A method and mechanism for applying a liquid coating to both sides of a traveling web including guiding the traveling web along a substantially vertical path through a coating station applying coating continuously across the width of the web hydraulically and in one form the web traveling vertically upward and the excess coating falling downwardly and being directed away from the web, applying a uniform smoothing and distributing pressure to the surface of the coating by pressing first and second opposed thin flexible smoothing blades having a smooth inner surface with sufficient pressure so that the blades bend at an arc and the arc is tangent to the surface of the web.