What's a good sanding sealer alternative?

Re: What's a good sanding sealer alternative?

Brad Vietje

>Hey Ruth,

Let's hope Russ weighs in here ...

As a starter, I'll offer up that there are more than one sort of sanding sealer. Some use a cellulose lacquer sealer, some use a shellac as a sealer, and there are probably a host of others to consider. Some people consider a thinned coat of almost any hard finish a seal coat if the intent is the seal the end grain or fill the pores, then either apply a surface coat, or sand through most of it before applying a top coat.

So the real experts can better help you (that would not be me !), what is the application, and to which sealer are you seaking an alternative ? I'll be interested to read what the finishing experts have to say.

Safe Spinning,

Brad Vietje

Thetford, VT

Re: What's a good sanding sealer alternative?

Fred in NC

>Ruth, it is kind of hard to answer your question since you did not say what you are using now.

I use blonde shellac as a sanding sealer most of the time, usually after sanding to 400. One coat, resand lightly to 400, another coat and continue sanding with 600 and up.

Re: What's a good sanding sealer alternative?

Mark Kauder, Phenix City, AL

>The purpose of a sanding sealer is to keep sandpaper from clogging. As such what ever the base, Lacquer or Shellac, they add a talc or other medium. It is the opinion of some (Russ and Me included) this muddys the look of the grain - slight though it might be.

Bacially, in my opinion, sanding sealers are not necessary for bowl turning. The only time I use a sealer, is in segmented work when I have a light colored open grain wood and a dark wood, and I want to make sure that the dark sanding dust does not fill into the grain of the lighter colored wood. In this case, I just use a thinned clear gloss lacquer.

Mark

Re: What's a good sanding sealer alternative?

ruth So. Cal

>I have been using shellac and I have run out. I was trying not to have to go to the store if I had anything else around that I could use instead. I guess I have always used it before waxing. It sounds like I don't actually need it though, which means I can finish a bowl I am working on tonight.

Thanks all,

r

Re: What's a good sanding sealer alternative?

RonZ

>TTBOMK sanding sealer is meant not to cloud up the surface but to fill in the fine lines pores that are left from sanding up to 400, in other words, level out the surface. I only use sanding sealer if it will be followed by friction polish or melamine [I don't use laquer]. In a pinch, either one works similar to sanding sealer. When you're talking about bowls, I use a finish that will build such as walnut oil, Mylands wood finishing oil or tung oil. Since the coats build one on top of the other, it will act similarly to sanding sealer, hence not necessary.