Originally posted by twoofakind
<br />This was my first lacquer finish, and I debated filing the grain, but the guy said he liked the wood to still fell and look like wood so I left it "open" grain. I will fill my next open grain wood to make a slick finish. Do you guy's use sanding sealer under all of your lacquer finishes? Does it make all woods smoother? I am still a little new to different finishes. Before this I only used friction polish.
Andy
At one time(before DEft came out with a "sanding sealer") They used to state with Deft lacquer there was no need to use a separate sealer. The lacquer itself was the sealer.
If you have ever applied and finished drywall mud you may have heard the saying "you can't sand out a hole"
The same thig goes with finishing pens.
You cannot sand out a depression(POres and open grain).You can fill them to the level of the surrounding area.This is where multiple coats come in,at least for me.I put light coats on and MM them off. eventually the surface is uniform.If it is extremely open grained such as oak I may leave the dust of the finer grits on to help fill in large "pores" or opoen grain such as OAK.Thick CA is also a good filler depending on the wood.
Originally posted by redfishsc
<br />Really, eagle, you don't technically need sanding sealer to fill in gaps. There is this mystery about sealer that you have to use it as the base coat for lacquer or the lacquer won't adhere----- this isn't true (nor is it what you were likely stating). The only reason to use sanding sealer is b/c it sands easier. All it is, well, is lacquer with mineral soap added to it.
If you spend the time researching and finding precatalyzed lacquers you will not need a sanding sealer at all, they sand quite nicely on their own, are much more durable, and higher in solids. Just hard to find. Call around to hardwood distributors and paint stores like Sherwin Williams, somebody is bound to sell it near you.
redfish-
I guess I am showing my age and ignorance.
When finishing some flatwork I purchased Flexners book on finishes and also read what Russ and others had to say on the subject.
On intersting point I picked up from Flexner and have seen repeated was that a "sealer" is the <b>initial coat </b>of the final finish.It serves a couple of purposes. It seals the wood(whoodathunk?[
]) and it also "stiffens" the fibers to make them easier to sand. MOst of this is sanded off filling depressions and "raising the level of the pores.
I tried the Deft aerosol sanding sealer but it had a chalky residue that was difficult to remove in some of the woods(got stuck in the pores and I was going to "dental pick" each one out.)
I am using the Unoxol sealer in conjunction with their water based lacquer and the dust literally fliees off the blank with my compressor between grits.
Getting back to my point.
If I use CA to stabilize a blank atthe final stages of turning I am probobaly starting my intial step in sealing.Regardless of what finish I use, be it lacquer, WB lacquer, or CA the first few coats are normally sanded off leaving eve3ntually a clear smooth as a babys" but surface before the "build coats" go on and eventually the the final coat.This is determeined by the "depth of finish" I am after.
