Hi
Can anyone help and explain the correct (or something that works) in filling wood grain. I have read that using plaster of Paris is one way. making a paste and rubbing into the grain. But I am not sure if I should use water or liquid polish. I am using Black liquid polish for my picture frames but would like the finish to be a little bit better.
Happy new year
from the mad Englishman
Alan
Edited 1/1/2003 9:54:43 AM ET by Al
Replies
Al,
If you mean filling the open pores of wood grain prior to finishing, there's a product I've used for this a few times - Famowood Wood Filler.
Al - here's a link to an article that explains the pore filling process well - http://www.wwforum.com/faqs_articles/fillers.html
Make sure you use pore filler, not wood patch (filler).
Paul
F'burg, VA
Plaster of paris is a traditional grain filler. I've been using it for years. It's generally used after the background colour is achieved by staining and/or dying (or left natural) followed by a barrier coat of thinned polish to prevent further altering the base colour. It can be used to create a 'limed' oak (US pickled oak) look for instance, although for this there are now all sorts of proprietary formulations in a can, and emulsion (water based) paints can be used to for similar effects.
Put about a cup full of fine plaster of paris into a pail and tint it with dry powder water soluble paint(s) (or any other suitable pigment such as universal tinting colours [UTC's]) to get a suitable colour, either to blend or to contrast. Get another small bucket of clean water and a cotton rag.
Dip the tip of the rag into the water, pick up some plaster and rub the stuff across the grain to force it into the open pores-- keep dipping and rubbing in. Do a small area at a time, say about 200- 250 mm square, then use a piece of hessian (US burlap) to burnish off the excess across the grain. Add to your armory a fine grey Scotchbite(sp?) pad for gently burnishing with the grain too and you pretty much have all the kit for grain filling using this method.
However, bear in mind that any method of filling grain is difficult around intricate mouldings and works best on larger flat surfaces. Most people don't try to fill the grain of mouldings this way-- and I notice that your question pertains to picture frames. Slainte.
Sgian,
Thanks for the pointer regarding plaster of Paris. I'll be sure to try it.
jdg
Baton Rouge, La.
jdg, I'm rather reluctant to mention this as it's rather too close to advertising for comfort, but the next issue of Woodwork, the magazine out of California has an article that describes the plaster of paris grain filling method in some detail which might help you experiment. The magazine should be on the shelves within about 1- 3 weeks. I have to own up to being the author of the article.
I looked for an email address (contact means of some sort anyway) in your profile by clicking on your handle, but there was nothing listed. I'd prefer to send you this information privately. Hopefully I won't get castigated too badly for my transgression of the forums no advertising policy. Slainte.
Some stuff I've made.
Edited 1/9/2003 10:19:23 AM ET by Sgian Dubh
It's supposed to be possible to send e-mail through the forum, so you can e-mail someone without knowing his address. In the upper right corner of the little profile window you get when you click on someone's name is a menu with a 'Send E-Mail' selection.
Click on that and you get another screen with a subject line and a text box. The text box is too large to fit in the window. If you need to see what you're typing, you should resize the window before you enter any text, because resizing the window will destroy anything you have already typed.
There is some question about the reliability of this method, which is why you sometimes see postings in the Taunton forums saying, I sent you e-mail about this, did you get it? But it does allow the recipient to maintain a degree of anonymity.
Edited to add that I just sent you a message as I describe here.
Edited 1/9/2003 1:42:18 PM ET by Uncle Dunc
Thanks Unc. I've never used that system, and I'd forgotten all about it to be honest.
I know your message won't get to me via the route you used as an example. I never provide a valid email address that I actually use to forums, unless it's a 'dead letter box' I have set aside that I seldom check. Maybe I'll go and check that dead letter box to see if that's what I supplied here. Slainte.
Some stuff I've made.
Sgian,
I appreciate your input and comments in the forum as well as your response to my inquiry regarding plaster of paris as a wood pore filler. I subscribe to the referenced magazine and will look for the article with great anticipation. With all you've contributed, I hope the forum police will overlook your "advertising" transgression.
Thanks
jdg
Baton Rouge, La.
jdg,
For even more from our friend, the "Dark Knife" (adequate US translation, Sgian?), look for the upcoming Furniture and Cabinetmaking out of the U.K., in which I believe a bed of his design will be featured. I also appreciate that he has hung in here through the "changes", even as things sometimes got quite boring. Any castigator would be roundly castigated.
Cheers,
Greg
Has anyone tried liming oak by filling the pores with plaster of paris? -- if so, what did you use for a finish?I couldn't find anything that preserved the white color of the plaster enough. This was on a floor, so shellac is out.IanDG
Ian, apart from the proprietary(sp?) concoctions for getting the limed oak look-- essentially the same as far as I can tell to the US termed 'pickled' oak, the most common method I've heard of and seen is to use unslaked lime. The recipe passed on to me is 2 lbs. of unslaked lump lime slaked in 3 Imperial quarts of water and let it cool off. Stir with a stick until it's like paint in consistency and rub it in across the grain. Rub off across the grain with clean rag before it sets too hard.
After that, the recommendation is a coat of white shellac polish to seal, which is zinc white powder added to super blonde shellac. De-waxed shellac would be a good idea. This helps fill any pores. Follow up with the varnish of your choice I'd guess would be what you'd finish a floor with. Slainte.Some stuff I've made.
Sgian, I see no reason whatsoever for someone to "castigate" you for bringing our attention to your upcoming article. Now, if you find a way to run flashing banner ads in the "Classified" section, that's another matter, LOL!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
If you go beyond just filling pores and leave a layer of plaster of paris on the wood, I believe that is the technique of gesso which is a base for gilding and painting.
And for clarification purposes, please explain -- your signature indicates the "mad Englishman". First off I thought all Englishmen were mad and secondly what differentiates you from the others?
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