Replies

1. 
   RSRose | Nov 09, 2002 01:19am | #1

   Todd,

   Yes you SHOULD fill the joints. That's the purpose of filler. It fills and levels all pores, cracks, (tiny) joint imperfections so that the finishing film can be continuous and free of transmitted surface imperfections.

   If the joint imperfections are more than tiny, one trick to use is to mix sanding dust from the same wood with the filler and to force that mixture into the joint imperfections before spreading the filler slurry (without the dust) over the rest of the piece. Tint the sanding dust to match the piece if you have used stain on it. It usually looks good to have the filler/dust just slightly darker than the rest of the piece.

   R

1. 
   RW | Nov 09, 2002 03:02am | #2

   Why is it everytime I think I have a good answer Rich gets there first? You and I are too much on the same wavelength, hoss. BTW, Lilly Oval varnish brush that Jewitt sells. Have it, tried it? And No, I'm not even going to comment on the filler.

1. 
   RSRose | Nov 09, 2002 03:20am | #3

   RW,

   Sorry man. I'll wait 'til you answer the next one!

   Nope haven't tried that brush. Hell, anyone can put down a coat with a GOOD brush. Takes a real expert to use the ragged broom that guys like us use! See, the varnish has to know that you know what to do. That varnish just don't DARE misbehave!

   Dilute the final coat enough, it'll go down level if you use a fistful of plane shavings to apply it!

   Rich

1. 
   RW | Nov 09, 2002 06:03am | #4

   That reminds me of my sales rep at SW. His advice to me on how to remove oil paint: Fill the bath with acetone, soak yourself and scrub, have a cigar to relax and cover the odor. I think we ought to apologize for hijacking a perfectly reasonable thread. Or I will, I guess I started it. Tell you what, I'll talk about water based fillers, you hit the oil, then we'll be even.

   I have used Behlens water based grain filler on a number of projects, and some of them have been Mahogany. A guy at Garret Wade turned me on to them. They work good with some rather important considerations. The stuff dries fast. Not just kind of, but real fast. On an average sized coffee table top, I probably do it in 4-5 sections. If I cover any more, I wont get the excess off in time. After squeegee-ing it around, burlap will take what's still wet, but you'll still have a film over everything, which screws up your world if you've already stained. Not as big an issue of you haven't, since you can scuff sand it down. I usually keep a bucket of water handy and rinse the burlap in that, since it gums up quickly. Wring the burlap out to almost dry and proceed cross grain. You might still have to scuff sand. I usually break a good sweat on anything of size. It might shrink a little, but on Mahog this you probably won't notice in the smaller pores compared to oak, which would more likely put you in the two coat stage for a smooth top. The nice part is, even though its water based, it takes an oil stain if you do it within the same day (but not right away) - so let it dry for 4-5 hours, sand lightly, tack, stain. This is beneficial since the pore filler rarely matches your stain color. In the pores, it absorbs it well enough I can't discern a color difference, but the tell tale sign of insufficient burlap use is haze after you stain. You might not see it on the wood bare but after color goes on, it's evident. I have a little mahog table here that has one apron with a noticeable haze blotch on it which I didn't even pick up on until I finished it. Light has to hit it just right. I don't want to fix it and it's a good reminder to me every time I use filler of what to look for. I go to wally world for burlap since it's cheap and I'm just going to ruin it. Incidentally, they sell felt craft sheets for next to nothing and when you're rubbing out, 1 sheet makes about three separate runs around the cork block for the pumice and rottenstone stages. Assuming here that if you're filling, you're rubbing out later.