[Danny]

Hi. I'm new to this board. Currently, I've designed and built a sofa, chair, end tables etc. Now I want to apply a finish that covers the pores of oak. Is there an easy way? I was going to apply a sealer coat and then sand it and then apply a stain and then another sealer coat. After which I would apply polyurethane. What advice do you have. The furniture is very high-end.

 

[mdlbldrmatt135]

Clear Epoxy resin??

 

[JCCLARK]

For woods like oak, most opt to use a grain filler before the finishing.
For my oak tops, I mix a light and dark grain filler to match the
stain I'm going to use. Not the color but rather the shade of brown.
(I have a almost white and a really dark can of grain filler.)
Once the entire top is skim coated and dried at least 24 hrs,
I sand it and then stain it.
Sometimes for a really smooth top I have to fill it twice.
I don't think pileing on the finish to try and level it would
work very well.:icon_cool:

 

[chubby190]

I don't want to step on anyone's toes, considering my lack of experience, but wouldn't a coat of shellac fill in the pores? The old man I used to refinish antiques with did this to all his projects to get a nice smooth mirrored finish.

 

[MentalDental]

Finishing Oak

I don't think shellac will fill the grain sufficiently to provide a piano finish. Shellac finishes like french polish rely on grain filling to provide the ultra-smooth surface.

As already mentioned use a grain filler (more than one coat if necessary) before finishing. Be critical of the smoothness after applying the grain filler and sanding. If you think it might not be smooth--it isn't. Once the grain is well filled the wood will have an almost mirror finish and will feel very smooth. Do not rely on the finish to make the surface smooth: it will only be as good as the underlying surface. Get it right before picking up your brush or spray gun!

 

[edp]

If you want a finish like a piano

use mahogany. That's what most piano finishes are sitting on.

Ed

 

[jimmiet.]

grain filler oak

I would use a grain filler such as bartley, it comes in a netrual color which you could add aniline dye or ?? to get the color you want . you
spread it agianst the grain , let dry then use burlap to rub it out, then sand to a smooth finish. You could use oil,varnish and turpentine finish,
it will fill the grain if sanded while wet the first couple of coats. leave a
good protective finish which alows the petena to develop over time.
the oil will darken the finish some.

 

[Orson Carter]

Hi,

I would think that some sort of grain filler would be necessary on Oak, but a thorough sanding regimen would also help. This pic is of a Jarrah table top. Jarrah, while not as porous as Oak still need some attention to detail. There is no grain filler used here.Just orbital and random orbital sanding at: 80, 100, 120, 150, 180, 240, 400g then oil added,(could be stain) and sanding continued 600, 800, 1200, 1500, 2000 and 4000 grit, then wax (4 coats over 2weeks.)

Regards,


Rob