Question for refinishers

Re: Question for refinishers

Dick Coers

Fish-eye usually has little to do with wood pores. It's usually a surface tension issue and is more like a crater. Fish-eye eliminator has it's own issues too. The eliminator can add more silicone to change the surface tension issue and will then contaminate your spray gun. Really dry base coats, over dewaxed shellac is one of the techniques to limit the cratering. Lots of washing with acetone or naphtha before finishing might also help. Wet the wood down, then wipe off with lots of clean clothes or fresh paper towels. If you don't change the wipe down rag often, you just move the surface contaminant around.

Thanks Dick

Keith Newton

Thats about what I was thinking or hoping would work. I've been using lacquer thinner to wash with though, I don't suppose that matters does it?

Even after washing and wiping, then light sanding with 400, I can still see something shinny down in some of the pores. This is Genuine Mahogany, so pretty small pores.

Re: Thanks Dick

Don Stephan

Something shiny down in the pores likely is the previous finish. To remove. you can plane or sand down to the level of the bottom of those pores, or perhaps scrub an appropriate stripper with a soft brass bristle brush to lift the finish out of the pores.

Re: Question for refinishers

Sgian Dubh

As Dick mentioned, after you've cleaned up as thoroughly as possible using such chemicals as already mentioned, e.g., naphtha, lacquer thinner (gun wash) etc, applying a coat of dewaxed shellac is generally an effective way of sealing a suspect ground or base from your preferred film forming finish. Shellac is remarkably tolerant of less than perfect or suspicious bases, and provides a good base coat for subsequent finishes. Dewaxed shellac is generally the best choice in this circumstance because all other film finishes will adhere to it, even water borne finishes. Having said that, I have successfully applied pre-cat lacquer over regular shellac, which does contain a certain amount of wax. Slainte.

Thanks Richard

Keith Newton

I think I have enough SWP Pre-cat Lacquer left from the kitchen island that I recently finished. It uses a vinyl sealer, so I'll follow the dewaxed shellac with a coat of it. Since it dries so fast, I'm thinking about bring a sample board along with each step before shooting the finish on the actual piece.

Small Word of Caution

Mark Mandell - Gone Round In New Jersey

You want to be cautious with stripper on some woods as, depending on the formula, it can leave "cloudy" stain areas on the wood. If stripper is used, I'd try it on a scrape of the same species to make sure so you don't wind up having to go the bleach / stain route.

Re: Thanks Richard

Thomas Starbuck Stockton

Keith

Vinyl sealer can usually take the place of shellac, just make sure the first coat is pretty light.

Tom

BTDT ... Seal Coat is your friend

Tim Greif - West of Chicago

A number of years ago, I refinished a desk that my mother had used for years. She was a lotion user. Where her forearms would rest on the desk, the lotion had penetrated the wood as the original finish had mostly worn away. In finishing the piece, I found that area of the desk would simply not dry, always remaining somewhat tacky. I was able to seal the area up with SealCoat (dewaxed shellac) and achieve a successful finish that would dry properly. Still have the desk and that area of the desk has no issues.