I’m building a blanket chest from quarter sawn white oak. It will be ammonia fumed, rubbed with boiled linseed oil and then finished with garnet shellac. I plan on applying several thin coats of shellac and rubbing out to a satin finish.
I’m concerned about the open grain in white oak. With what can I fill it? Will the fuming give me special problems if I fill the grain? (Will you be able to see the filler?) Do I fill before or after fuming? (I think after, but want to be sure.)
Has anyone done anything like this? Any info would be appreciated. Thanks and work safely.
Replies
You don't need to use a grain filler if you will apply multiple coats of shellac or varnish and sand each back. I am just finishing some kitchen counter tops in white oak with no gain filler. The finish is quite level and no trace of grain showing through. I used 4 coats of Zinsser Seal Coat (premixed 2# blond de-waxed shellac, gently sanding each one level, and then for protection against heat and kitchen chemicals, three coats of good varnish, also level-sanding.
Be SURE you let that last coat of shellac stand and cure for a week or so before rubing. It dries quickly, but curing takes much longer -- as it does with most finishes. I have tried to rub shellac prematurely -- and it just rubs off in patches.
J
Edited 2/21/2008 4:49 pm ET by Joe Sullivan
The fuming should be done before any pore filling. Using shellac to fill pores, but on dyed (or in this case fumed) wood it will take a bit longer because you have to take care that you never cut through the shellac into the colored level. Even fuming doesn't go very deep, and if you cut through it's pretty much a challenge to touch up the light spot. The shellac would be almost clear and would only add a little color in the pores.
Using a pore filler also works. Again it must be done after fuming and be tinted to give the desired color in the pores. Shellac would then be applied over the filler to give the desired top coat.
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