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Huveso 65

I have not heard of using shellac as a filler, but here are some suggestions.

There are some grain fillers available that can be purchased at your local hardware or home improvement store. Some of these are water based and some are not, both seem to work very well.

If you are unable to find a grain filler, there are some options still available. The first is to use a combination of very fine pumace. Spread a thin coat of boiled linseed oil on the wood and dust the 4F - fine pumace on the wood. Work it into the surface with a soft rag and hold the wood up at a slight angle to a light and see if you have filled all the grain. Continue doing this until you have. The pumace actually creates a fine wood dust that helps fill the depressions. Once you are finished, wipe the wood with a soft, clean, rag with the grain. Allow this to dry overnight and you can start finishing the next day.

Another option is too use simple plaster of paris. Mix a little in a dish until it is a smooth consistancy. You don't have a lot of time for this, so don't hesitate too long. Wipe this mixture into the wood to fill the pores. When you have done that, wipe as much off as you can and set the wood aside to dry. Once the wood is dry, sand it down with 220 or 320 wet or dry sandpaper. If everything is smooth then you can put on a very light coat of boiled linseed oil. This will turn the filler to a neutral color that will hide the filler. Let this dry over night before proceeding.

One little note about these fillers. You can put a dye in them to match surfaces if you like. Using the pumace, you can use a water based dye or mineral based stain to change the color. With the Plaster of paris, I would only use a water based dye.

You can also let either one of these dry and then stain them, if you like. This is another way of neutralizing the color of the filler along with the wood itself.

After the wood is filled and preped, this is the point that you would apply a sanding sealer. The purpose of this product is to seal the wood before the final finish, thus eliminating the possibility of raising more grain or changing the final color of the wood, like what happened to Torben with his wedge.

There are various types of sanding sealer, both water based and oil based, and either one works just as well as the other.

You can also use shellac as a sealer, but here are some things to consider.

Shellac has a shelf life of between 1 to 2 months and 1 to 2 years. That's why you should mix your own from flakes. You can make just the amount you need and don't have to eventually throw away a large amount that you can't use.

If you buy shellac already mixed, make sure it is the de-waxed kind. If you mix your own, use the 2-lb flakes. Mix with alcohol to the consistancy you like and let the mixture set overnight. The next day, you will see the wax settled on the bottom. Pour off the top mixture and use that to seal your wood. You can either use this as a sealer or use multiple thin coats as the final finish.

Hope this helps...

Ray
 
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