Finishing porous woods

[secord]

I am using a water based finish "WTF" on wood pens. I am having problems with porous woods like a piece of walnut that I have. I end up with small pit marks where the pores are not filled with a finish. I am putting on about 6 coats with a sanding with MM after 3 coats. Any suggestions other than using CA would be most welcome. :frown:

 

[Dan Masshardt]

I am using a water based finish “WTF” on wood pens. I am having problems with porous woods like a piece of walnut that I have. I end up with small pit marks where the pores are not filled with a finish. I am putting on about 6 coats with a sanding with MM after 3 coats. Any suggestions other than using CA would be most welcome. :frown:

I don't think I've never had a piece of walnut I'd consider porous. What grit are you sanding to before finishing?

 

[ctubbs]

Pore filling

I am not familiar with your finish, but, when I finish open pore wood, I use the finish, often thinned 50/50, as a sanding fluid with 400 to 600 grit wet/ dry paper. I use light grit on light colored wood and a darker grit on the darker wood. The slurry fills the holes with the same color as the wood in use. DO NOT USE DARK GRIT ON LIGHT WOOD!! DAMHIKT. Allow the sanding finish to completely dry before adding more coats of finish. Most can be dried faster with either friction or applied heat. Be cautious with either and learn on some scrap before working on a one-of-a-kind blank. Best of luck, this works for me, as usual your results may vary.

Charles

 

[secord]

I start with 220 and 600 and then go thru all the MM grits.

 

[kovalcik]

I wet sand with BLO on open grain woods. Usually with 400 grit. Gives a nice smooth surface.

 

[mrcook4570]

Sand (lathe on) with 320 or 400 while drizzling thin CA over the blank. This will quickly fill in any pores or small voids.

 

[secord]

The finish "WTF is (Wood Turners Finish) which seems to work good for me on maple, honey locust, russian olive, padauk, and even deer antler. I will try wet sanding with it for the walnut that I have. Thanks.

 

[walshjp17]

I use the Doctor's Woodshop walnut oil-based finishing systems. I wet sand using the walnut oil and the slurry created by that process helps fill in the pores.