Paul: Help on Pore Filling
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Hi Paul and everyone,
I need help on pore filling. I have been working mahogany from Peten, Guatemala for some time now and cannot fill the pores correctly. Yesterday I Finished a Mahogany box and this was my finishing schedule, following Flexners advice to put a coat and then sand until the pores are filled:
1.- plane and scrape
2.- Sand to 220 grit
3.- Three coats of 1 lb-cut amber shellac sanding 400 grit in between coats
4.- 2 coats of 1 lb-cut amber shellac NO SANDING in between
5.- 0000 Steel wool
6.- SC Johnson Wax applied with 0000 Steel Wool
7. Buff with brush and ragI thought that the three initial coats with sanding would fill the pores and level the wood surface so I would have a glassy finish but it didn’t.
Not that I dont like how it came out, it came out beautiful… but I want to learn how to fill the pores for future to expand my skills. Is there an easier technique to engage the wood and have better results?
You can Zoom the photo and see the open pores on the surface…
Thank you for your help
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You must be logged in to view attached files.26 April 2014 at 4:29 pm #56435Hi, it sounds like you might be well served using a French Polish procedure if you want to fill all the pores and use shellac. That technique is not in my portfolio so hopefully Paul will weigh in on the question. I’m sure he can cut thru the mis-information and describe the process in simple terms. Now if you wanted to fill pores in walnut with linseed oil, I could be more helpful.
cheers
26 April 2014 at 6:42 pm #56437The key is step #3 in your list. The this is where the pores are filled. Sometimes three coats is enough. Sometimes its two coats. Sometimes its five or more. What you need to do is inspect the surface under raking light after each successive coat. The raking light will reveal any deviation in the surface. You keep adding coats until you achieve the surface that you want. Then you move on from there.
Anonymous27 April 2014 at 5:18 am #56459I have spent the day researching this and the technique that I am intending on experimenting with is to use a two or three pound cut of shellac to fill in the pores and then sand or scrape back down to the wood, repeating a few times if necessary.
I tried making a paste out of boiled linseed oil and pumice, but I was unhappy with the result. I have considered the idea of using hide glue, but that just seems like it might be too silly to try.
Does anyone have experience with experimenting with beeswax to fill open pored grains like the grain in the photo above (or red oak) and covering with shellac?
Hi all, Well it looks like i will have to build up the finish then… Joseph, My only problem with 2 or 3 lb cut shellac is that it dries on me pretty quickly and I cannot make that work. I am working around 1 to 1.5 cut shellac right now and the application is not so traumatic for me…. I love shellac and I am giving it several “second chances” since I have not have any problem with my polyurethane finishing.
Ill get back to this post If I find an easier way to work around the pore filling.
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