Replies

1. 
   philip | Sep 18, 2005 08:09am | #1

   I remember that post I think you are referring to-I also asked the same question, but received a "sideways" type answer, so experimented myself.
   Yes you can use Danish oil under the precat nitro, and yes you can sand it in- but the trouble is in how long it (Danish)takes to dry-7 days or so.
   I prefer to use the method I have always used:- scrape and then sand with about 240 to 320 grit wet or dry paper using mineral turps-fills mahogany well-wipe with cloth-wait till dry maybe 1/2 hour or use hot air gun if in a hurry then spray heavy coat of Zinsser seal coat(dewaxed). When dry light level with scraper and light sand, then spray the nitro-shouldn't take more than 3 coats to get it right for rubbing out . Anyway, I just rub it down, and if I see anything I don't like one more coat does it-and then the rule is "do not wake up tomorrow and say 'I will do one more coat'-because that's when you screw it up, by trying to fix something that ain't broke".

   Philip Marcou
1. 
   pianoal | Sep 18, 2005 08:06pm | #2

   Thanks for the reply. I will probably forgo the danish oil. Since I already have a couple of gallons of sanding sealer I will probably use that as a sealer. I am,however, interested in your method for filling the pores. Could you be more specific as to how you do this and what products you use. Thanks again

1. 
   philip | Sep 19, 2005 05:48am | #5

   Piano, I have not found any of those sanding sealers that are to be in conjunction with precat lacquers to be good-I have had patchiness etc. I just prefer to flood the surface with mineral turps and sand , using silicon carbide wet or dry paper. I have only done this on Iroko and another African timber that is similar to African Mahogany. The Mahogany makes a slurry quickly, which fills the grain. Grit can be from 220 to 400 or so-depends how smooth the grain is.I wipe it off with a cloth and a quick rub with steel wool to make sure there is no dust on the surface-make sure it is dry before ussing the steel wool.Play some hot air over it and you soon see the difference between dry or not.Then I like that Zinser shellac seal because it brings out the figure and makes a good surface for spraying the precat nitro i.e there is very little build-up necesary.
   Philip Marcou

1. 
   pianoal | Sep 20, 2005 07:00pm | #6

   The lacquer I am using is not precat its just plain old fashion clear gloss nitro from mohawk. The sanding sealer is the sealer they recommend and works well.I would like to try your method of grain filling. What exactly do you mean by min turps? mineral spirits and turpentine? How to mix? It sounds like less work and better results than paste filler.

1. 
   philip | Sep 20, 2005 11:39pm | #7

   Piano,
   It is mineral turpentine-smells almost like kerosene-a petroleum product I suppose. Not the type that artists use . I don't know what you have there in the States.Give it a try-again I'm not sure how it would work with other timbers.I find it good in particular when using Mpapama-a mahogany like timber from Zimbabwe-you can see it if you go to my web site http://www.collectablefurniture.co.nz.Philip Marcou

2. 
   pianoal | Sep 24, 2005 07:41pm | #8

   Nice web site. Mineral turps apparently is a petroleum based solvent. Mineral spirits would probably work as well. I've already started with paste filler. Can't afford to experiment on this job but appreciate your input. The figure of this veneer is so nice I was just looking for a way to make it stand out. Perhaps the wood itself will do it for me.

2. 
   Kevin | Sep 18, 2005 11:45pm | #3

   From what I've read and heard... the point of using danish oil to help develop the grain/figure is that it fills the pores at a deeper level than the typical sealer/finish material and that this helps refract light... which is supposed to help show off the grain. In principle that makes a great deal of sense. But, from my limited experience doing it, I must say that I haven't been overly impressed. Which is to say that I didn't notice what I would describe as an overly noticeable difference. But... that may be because I didn't use enough danish oil.

   My understanding (or misunderstanding, as the case may well be...) is that one is supposed to apply multiple coats of the danish oil so that it more fully fills the pores - applying a full wet coat and then waiting until it's been absorbed to apply more and then repeating that pattern for several (I don't remember how many) coats. Perhaps I didn't use enough. I'm certainly open to that possibility if someone else here has used more and felt that doing so was productive. As I recall... I've only used a couple coats and didn't wait real long inbetween coats.

   While there are a wide variety of quite translucent finish materials that can be applied to the wood, the argument seems to be that they don't penetrate deep enough to produce the same effect that the danish oil is supposed to produce.

   That said... In my experience, using a very light dye is a vastly more effective way to develop and highlight figured wood.

   Back to what may well be my misunderstanding of why and how danish oil is used for this purpose... If my understanding is correct then it seems to me that using another grain-filling method which fills the grain with non-translucent material would be counterproductive because it would prevent the light from playing off the wood grain in the way that using danish oil is supposed to.

2. 
   jazzdogg | Sep 19, 2005 02:45am | #4

   Hi Al,

   I finished the mahogany body of a 5-string electric bass by applying several coats of Liberon finishing oil, followed by french polish; the Liberon popped the grain, and the french polish added to the surface luster.

   I applied the Liberon by wet-sanding; the resulting oil/sawdust slurry completely filled the pores (220-grit, 320, 400, 600 - each a day apart).

   I waited a few weeks before french polishing with Qualasole.

   I achieved the look I was after, the entire finish is very easy to repair.

   Good luck,

   -Jazzdogg-

   "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." Gil Bailie