[Lanny Budd]

I am very new to woodworking and could use some help with finishing this ebony wood veneer I am thinking about buy from Oakwood Veneer http://www.oakwoodveneer.com/ebony-veneer-italian-dark-tone.html . I am currently building three speakers for my home theater system and these speaker would look fantastic with this veneer. I have never worked with veneer or any other type of nice wood before. My wood finishing experience is limited to junior high work shop.

My question is how should I finish this veneer in order to achieve an flawless furniture like finish?

The trimming and applying to the substrait seems to be straight forward and there are literally a million videos on the internet that show how to apply the veneer but nothing about finishing ebony veneer. Can someone please give a detailed step by step procedure for finishing this type of ebony veneer and/or a good book which can outline the procedure for finishing ebony veneer?

Most procedures for achieving that furniture like finish requires filling in the pours and sanding but I am afraid that if I use these method I might affect the ebony.

Ideally, I would like prep and apply a polyurethane but would love some advice.

FYI, the dimensions of the speakers 16"x6"x10" (H x W x D) and made from 0.75" MDF.

 

[Steve Neul]

The grain fillers won't hurt the ebony. Think of it like thin wood putty. When you use the grain filler I would use one that was the color of the dark grain of the wood. It can also be tinted to match if you can't find any dark enough. Sherwin Williams sells a good grain filler however it only comes in natural color which they can tint for you. I use Mohawk Finishing Products grain filler. They have one that is black if the dark walnut isn't dark enough. If you have some scraps of the veneer I would recommend testing the finish on the scraps first.

Mix the grain filler to about the consistency of drywall mud. Brush it on with the grain and let it sit until it thickens. Then with squeegee like you use to clean the windshield on your car squeegee the grain filler off. It leaves the filler in the grain and removes the excess on the surface. If you have let it dry a little too long you can use a rag slightly damp with the solvent suited for the filler rubbing it in a circular motion. You don't have to get 100% of the excess off but try to get as much off as possible. Once dry the remaining filler left on the surface can be sanded off with a sanding block. Then the wood can be stained and finished as normal.

To achieve a "flawless" finish I would recommend purchasing the equipment to spray the finish. It can be done by hand but requires a ton of elbow grease. Regardless of talent or equipment to brush a finish flawless requires you apply the finish a little thicker and hand rub the brush marks out. Wiping the finish is better but requires twice as many coats as the finish is thinner.

 

[cabinetman]

Ebony is a hard dense wood, and I don't use a filler on it. You could sand to 220x and just use a sealer, or thin the topcoat as a sealer. Spraying a finish works very well, or you could use a wiping varnish.

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