Replies

1. 
   EdwardW4 | Oct 20, 2003 10:03pm | #1

   Yes, stain will raise the grain, this is particularly noticeable with oak. There are a few things you can do the reduce this. After sanding, wipe down the surface with water. This will raise the grain, sand again to remove this. Oil base stains will raise the grain less than water base stains. Also, the open grain of red oak maybe part of your problem. Try a sanding filler, that might help.

   Other, smarter people may have more and better suggestions.

   
   

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   Edited 10/20/2003 3:04:52 PM ET by Ed W

2. 
   Davo304 | Oct 21, 2003 08:08am | #2

   Brian,

   I'm not a finishing expert, but here is what works for me:

   Sand piece real smooth, raise grain with light coat of water, let dry, then sand again. Use tack cloth to remove dust, then stain the piece. After stain has dried, lightly buff with 0000 steel wool. Then use tack cloth again before applying polyurethane.

   When applying the poly, thin it out a bit. Don't use it full strength right out of the can. Poly is too thick out of the can and this will lead to bumps. Also, put the poly on and don't "play" with it too much. The more you fool with it, the more bumps you will get. If using a brush, lay it on thinly, then run your brush in one long flowing stroke with the grain from end to end to even it out. Then, leave it alone.

   After poly has dried, try lightly buffing the piece again with 0000 steel wool. After buffing ever so lightly to remove dust nibs, run a tack cloth back over the piece and poly on a second coat. Continue polying and buffing with steel wool until you have achieved desired number of coats.

    Hope this helps.

   Davo

3. 
   Elcoholic | Oct 21, 2003 10:47pm | #3

   Assuming you're using oil based stain on red oak ...

   Wipe or brush on the 1st coat of stain.  After it dries overnight wet-sand a second coat of stain with 320 or 400 and work up a slurry to fill the grain.  This process highlights the figure without over darkening the piece.  When the slurry starts to set, wipe off the extra with burlap running across the grain.  After another day to dry even out any excess with the 4/0 steel wool.  Spraying is the best way to go for the top coat, but if you're carefull and don't overwork it, you can get a thinned seal coat laid down without lifting the filler.

   John O'Connell - JKO Handcrafted Woodworking

   Life is tough.  It's tougher if you're stupid - John Wayne

4. 
   rrwood | Oct 22, 2003 03:38am | #4

   Brian,

   Just a thought...you said you feel little bumps after the poly has dried.   Could this be small air bubbles from brushing the poly too fast and not raised grain??

   rrwood

1. 
   Brian123 | Oct 22, 2003 02:42pm | #5

   I don't usually shake the poly before I use it so that I don't get air bubles and when I apply it I know there are some air bubbles in it. But after I apply it I always run the brush smoothly over then entire surface a second time to get rid of them and even it out. When I look real close they don't look like air bubbles. They're so random and few that I think somehow dust is making it's way on to it. But then it does look like they're under the poly.