Replies

1. 
   Spalted | Sep 13, 2007 07:27pm | #1

   By "Deal" I think you mean White Pine. The late wood is a little harder than the early wood but not by much...

   I've had good luck by sanding small fields with an oversixe block sander. It woorks well for small areas like a isde table or a coffee table. I slide a sanding belt over a sized piece of hard wood and go at it.

1. 
   mufti | Sep 14, 2007 08:40am | #2

               Sorry, I have not made myself clear. I have got it flat, but is there any good way of hardening the surface before finishing? I am considering using a product made for dry rot treatment.

1. 
   derekcohen | Sep 14, 2007 08:46am | #3

   Mufti

   I have built a few small items, mostly boxes, out of Paulownia, which is as soft/light as Balsa. These were finished with Danish Oil since, as you identified, the surface needs strengthening. I found that this worked well enough.

   Regards from Perth

   Derek

2. 
   Spalted | Sep 14, 2007 07:28pm | #4

   Try a "wood conditioner"
   I think minwax makes one that would be redilly available

1. 
   forestgirl | Sep 15, 2007 05:37pm | #6

   "wood conditioner" is not much more than thinned shellac, and is for decreasing the liklihood of blotching when staining the wood.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

1. 
   mufti | Sep 15, 2007 10:46pm | #8

              The stuff I am trying is Bonda Wood Hardener made by Bondaglass-Voss. It seems to be working but I will know more in 24 hours. Not shellac but Diphenylmethdisocyanate and Isomers. Well you knew that anyway.

   I last used this stuff on a window sill and it outlasted the frame.

    

2. 
   forestgirl | Sep 16, 2007 01:16am | #9

   Wood hardener is quite different from wood conditioner, sure hope it works for ya!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 

3. 
   Gretchen | Sep 16, 2007 03:18pm | #10

   I don't think anything can make wood "harder". It can put a coat/layer on it that makes it more abrasion resistant/"stronger"--just like adding a piece of veneer or such would just add a layer of "something".Gretchen

4. 
   saschafer | Sep 16, 2007 07:01pm | #11

   "I don't think anything can make wood 'harder'."

   You can make wood harder and more stable by impregnating it with resins. It's done all the time. Mostly, though, it's an industrial scale process that requires high pressure and high temperature, not an at-home, do-it-yourself kind of thing. The hardeners that work the best are the ones that penetrate the most deeply. (I don't personally have a broad enough experience to recommend one brand over another.)

   -Steve

    

5. 
   Gretchen | Sep 17, 2007 05:18am | #13

   OK, fine. It CAN be done. YOu can't go to HOme Depot and get a "wood hardener".  Of course,ANYthing is possible. I don't think this is what is being discussed HERE for a desk. GEEZ.Gretchen

6. 
   BillBrennen | Sep 18, 2007 09:44am | #14

   I have had good results "hardening" soft porous wood with thin epoxy resin painted onto warmed wood to the point of refusal. WEST System 105 resin/206 slow hardener (thinner than the other hardeners) is what works best. If the piece is to be finished natural, then use 105/207 instead.Bill

7. 
   Spalted | Sep 17, 2007 12:18am | #12

   Your right, I may have misstyped. The hardener that i've seen used is a lot like the cyanocrylate (crazy) glue. It soaks into pine pretty readily.

2. 
   Gretchen | Sep 15, 2007 03:55pm | #5

   Please don't put plastic on it. Just finish it and tell the user to get a desk "blotter" to use on top.  Is it an old piece?

   Gretchen
1. 
   mufti | Sep 15, 2007 10:37pm | #7

              I take your point, but with this product I have used it many times, with thinned coats and after burnishing it gives a non-plasticy and enduring finish. Not at all like Wests which I have just not got on with in outdoor situations.

   No, this is a cheap modern bit of furniture but my sister-in-law thinks I can make it look better! Using a protecter is the best option.

    

   Edited 9/15/2007 3:48 pm ET by mufti

3. 
   highfigh | Sep 27, 2007 05:38am | #15

   Is it absolutely necessary to use that top? Would it be possible to laminate a thin layer of another kind over the soft species and make it more durable?

   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
1. 
   mufti | Sep 29, 2007 10:08pm | #16

                 I apologise for the delay in replying, we have been on holiday.

   I refitted the top today, the wood hardener worked perfectly and even gave a high gloss finish which I took back a bit with 1500 grade wet and dry, then a tad of wax to give a nice smell to fool folk.