I have been advised more by more than one person not to bother filling the grain when doing a Queen Anne chair. I made one from walnut and posted a photo on a previous discussion last week, in this section. After applying tung oil to bring out the grain, I sprayed 4 coats of shellac, and wanted to rub it our with steel wool to give it a hand rubbed look and so it wouldn’t look encased in plastic. The powdered shellac gets in th pores (which are unfilled) and turns them white. I blew out 95% of it with an air compressor, but it’s not 100% gone. I could wipe with alcohol but that would just soften the finish and probably remove any luster I achieved by rubbing. If I apply wax, I’m afraind I’ll just trap the white particles in the pores. When people advise not to fill grain are they saying just leave it sprayed and don’t rub either?
Thanks.
Jay
Replies
JayS,
I've had a professional tell me he might apply as many as 18 coats of shellac to get the finish he wants after rubbing out. After I do the heavy rub, I just apply another(wiping) coat and go up a grit with the rubbing out...and, yes, that is filling the pores. I may continue this process up through finer and finer grits....it is the fun part of shellac.
Just to clarify: Are you saying that you would stop spraying and now pad on additional thin coats of shellac, then rub out again leaving the white powdered shellac in the pores as a way of filling the pores? Do you ever just spray and leave it with no rubbing? I have never cared for that look, but wasn't planning to spend the same time that it would take to French polish.
Jay
JayS,"Just to clarify: Are you saying that you would stop spraying and now pad on additional thin coats of shellac, then rub out again leaving the white powdered shellac in the pores as a way of filling the pores?"I don't have spray equipment...I suggested padding the shellac to imply a thin coat.
When I read your initial post I pictured you were leveling the piece(ie. the questions about pore filling)and a hand rubbed finish is where you were going. I wanted to point out that you could be aggressive and even experiment a bit with shellac...easily fixable. My first application of this technique involved heavy sanding with 400 grit and soapy water ..piece was all white...then successive coats and finer grits achieving the smoothness I wanted...and the rubbed out look I wanted. If it got to polished looking I'd back up a grit or switch to 0000 steel wool.
Lastly, about a month or two later I applied a couple of coats of wax...wow, looks like rich, warm leather
Edited 10/31/2005 6:57 am ET by BG
Jay,
Using a little bit of lubricant, such as petroleum jelly, (or a commercial product like Star's "Wol Wax",) on the steel wool, will capture the abraded bits of shellac and keep them in the wool, before they can get into the pores.
Regards,
Ray
Jay, what shellac are you using? I have been using Zinsser seal dewaxwed and rubbing with steel wool, without that problem you mention.
If I'm going to spray pre catlac I always wipe with mineral turps to remove any loose stuff in the pores, and wipe dry with a dreylon type cloth.(plus 150 lbs of air ofcourse).
JayS,
I use a mixture of mineral oil and paint thinner as a lubricant, when rubbing out. After I'm all done, I use warm soapy water to clean the surface. This has never harmed the shellac, despite its reputation for poor water resistance. This also gets rid of any residue in the pores or sharp details like reeds or carving.
Rob Millard
Rob,
I was rubbing out with 0000 steel wool dry, with no lubricant. I'm sure I can fix the white particles in the pores by either padding on another layer of shellac which will dissolve them or trying your soap and water. Maybe rubbing out dry was a mistake. Getting back to the concept of any rubbing out at all if the pores are not filled: Do you fill pores when doing a Queen Anne chair? Is it ever acceptable to just spray rub out to a satin or low gloss leaving unfilled pores?
Jay
The Queen Anne pieces I have seen all have pores that are filled or nearly filled. I'm not sure that they looked this way when originally delivered, though there certainly are records of techniques used by 18th c. cabinet makers to fill pores. None-the-less, over the subsequent 250 years of use and refinishing the pores have become filled. French polish was not a factor in the Queen Anne period, certainly not in the American colonies, and didn't become wide spread until Federal Furniture styles became popular as we moved into the 19th century.
Filling pores by applying multiple coats of shellac and sanding between coats is a viable method especially if the wood has not been dyed. In that case you can apply a fairly heavy--even three pound cut--first cut and then sand it back heavily so that it only remains as shiny spots in the pores. Subsequent coats, probably lighter cuts for ease of handling, will build the finish and fill the pores remaining unfilled more rapidly. (Note this works for walnut and good mahogany, but you'll never get the massive pores of oak filled this way unless you have the patience of Job.)
Jay,
I have never been happy with rubbing out dry, especially with dark woods.
I have never made a Queen Anne chair, but I like to fill the grain on anything isn't turned or carved. I have even filled the grain on turnings if they don't have sharp transitions. I will say that I tend to over do it with grain filling, but I find open pores distracting.
Rob Millard
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