I have completed my first trestle style table made from African Mahogany. I chose not to fill the pores, the base and legs look great… In the top, however, the pores are extremely visible and am contemplating filling them. I have rubbed 12 coats of Waterlox onto the table top.
Do I need to sand the top down bare, put on a seal coat and then fill the pores or can I fill over the 12 coats of waterlox and then apply additional coats of waterlox to seal in the filler.
Thanks.
Replies
Fill
You can fill over finish but 12 coats should have more then filled the pores -
SA
Grain Filling
If it makes sense - and the work is not too difficult for brushing -
brush on two full coats - sand back well - then begin your wipe on finishing process. The pores will be better filled without using filler.
Try it on the next project - this one probably has enough finish.
SA
The key to filling pores with finish is not how many coats, per se, but sanding between coats (or batches of coats) At this point I would sand the top surface just to the point where you start to cut into the wood, or to the point where the surface is evenly dulled by the paper, whichever comes first. With 12 coats of Waterlox (I assume you used the Original/Sealer) you should have pores close to filled by this point, and you will only need to sand back, and then just add a coat or two to bring back the sheen. But, there is a wide variation in how thickly wiped on coats are applied, as well as how large the pores are. I'd use 320 grit for the sanding back, no coarser.
If you had to go back to use filler, you wouldn't want to sand back the top because you would have to sand almost completely through the first pores because it is the finish in the pores that would keep filler from adhering.
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