Domino edge-joint discoloration after finish applied
user-6780886
| Posted in Finishing on
I have a brand new domino joiner. While it was not necessary for me use it to strengthen a glue-up two pieces of Sapele for a large plaque I am building to be mounted to a wall, I wanted to learn its usage, so I used several spaced out dominoes to assist in the joinery. Subsequently, I scraped off the squeeze out and sanded the entire board down. After applying water based dye stain, I was completely perplexed by the “ghosts” that showed up in an exact outline of where each domino was placed. Three total coats of the dye AND two coats of oil-based poly later, the ghosts are still there (I sanded in-between each coat). I have NO IDEA what’s going on here. Can anyone help me??
Replies
Can you post a photo? How close to surface are the dominoes?
Hi Ben! I'm at work and really not good at posting stuff AND not sure a photo will pick it up. I'll try tonight to take a photo that will show the "ghosts". If I can just send it from my phone, where would I send it? (IE: Me figuring out how to get it attached to this post is a really big "ask" of me! :)) THANK YOU!
Ok Ben: I posted two photos of the "ghosts" on my Instagram account "bryanstain5". There are two photos. One shows raking glare light with two domino ghosts appearing. The other is with different light. They are visible along the entire joint. Can't wait so see what you (guys?) think. Thanks!!
OH: The sapele is 3/4" thick and I used 8x40 dominoes in the center of the joint.
That IG account is private... so I can't view them. On a desktop it should be simple to upload a photo below. I haven't tried on my phone yet.
So, let's break this down. The only thing different about the joint, where the dominos are is that there is more glue. Wood is wood, and dominios that size, in stock that size... shouldn't be a problem.
So here is my theory, which for the record, Mike doesn't buy. You might have had too much glue in the domino slots, and when you drove the domino in, that glue got driven in and migrated to the sides of the mortises, being end grain.
We're stumped otherwise. All of us in the office are dyeing to see pictures.
Hi Ben: I just emailed the photos to your attention on the general editorial email for Taunton. Hope it gets to you guys. FYI: I did put glue on the dominoes before I put them into the mortises, but I thought that's what I'm supposed to do with a floating tennon!? Can't wait to hear what you guys think....I am dyeing (love it!) to hear! In the meantime, if you want to get into my IG instead, just make a request and I'll invite you in! THANKS!!
I did a Sapele table-top lamination 3 weeks ago using Dominoes. Filled the mortises with tons of glue, finished with a few coats of Danish oil and 5 of poly and there is absolutely no ghosting anywhere. In my opinion, Ben's theory is possible but unlikely. Where I think you went wrong is in staining and applying the poly in an attempt to remove the flaws. I probably would have tried sanding-in several coats of oil to *maybe* cover it up. Once you applied the poly there is no fixing it without stripping the poly. As to what's the actual problem, who knows. Unless you truly have each and every tenon showing-through, I wouldn't worry about the Domino.
Ghosting usually happens when the wood fibers are expanded from water in the glue at domino or dowel location. If you sand the surface before the the water dries and wood fibers shrink back you will be left with an area that is lower than your surface, causing ghosting. Solution, after gluing let the top set for a few days before sanding.
I'm on board with #8 above. Years ago I glued up a maple top with floating tenons and when I removed the clamps I found the joint proud at the tenon locations. Of course I planed and sanded them flush. I now have a table with little divots at each tenon location.
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled