Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/oak

Advertisement

Expert: - 11/21/2011


Question
QUESTION: first used wire brush to open pores.
then used 1 coat general finish dark brown.
proceeded with general finish gel topcoat urethane
last wiped liming wax into the oak with terry cloth and wiped it with 0000 grade steel wool

Thanks again

ANSWER: Hi Ed, you're filling the pores with that finish schedule....a waterborne Dye stain and a thinned, single wash coat of a sealer is all you should use.. The wire brush won't do anything really, unless used on wet wood, and even then it will scratch the wood more than having any effect on the pores....the Gel urethane, especially is filling the pores.....you want to use thin, thin coats with no binders or thick pigment carriers....dyes and a wash coat of thinned dewaxed shellac as I suggested up front......

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: all i can find is dewaxed shellac flakes? Do these have to be mixed?

Thanks,

Edward

Answer
Shellac flakes do have to be mixed....but you can look for this product:

http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=246

Most good hardware store should have access to this...and you want to thin it even more to use as a wash coat. Also verify the pitch of the grain...one way will force things into the grain...and the other will slide over the grain...you should be able to feel it with a bare hand....and apply and wipe the stain and sealer with the grain....force the pignment or glaze into the grain the other way and wipe it that way......

Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.