Replies

1. 
   Woodman880 | Sep 09, 2007 07:21am | #1

   I've done some research and discovered the answer to my question. What I need to do is apply wood filler. Anybody had any experience with wood filler on oak??

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Sep 09, 2007 11:59am | #2

   To get oak really smooth you do have to use pore filler giving you what is called a fully filled finish.  Oaks pores are quite large and take lots of filling.  Consequently, you should expect to have to make two applications of pore filler, about a week apart so that the first will have finished any shrinking before the second is applied.  Then wait another week before applying the top coat.  You really want the pore filler to be well cured before applying a top coat.  Otherwise mysterious light grey pores can appear under the top coat, possibly waiting for several months to appear.

   I typically thin oil based pore filler to the thickness of very heavy cream and tint it with artist's oil paint. I brush it on heavily with a chip brush.   As it begins to set up (it hazes over) I scrape off excess across the grain with something like an old credit card or plastic putty knife.  I finish the cross-grain wiping with a coarse fabric like burlap.  You have to get all the pore filler off the surface while at the same time leaving it in the pores.  (If you leave any on the surface, it can muddy the look.  You can lightly sand excess off the surface after it is well dried but that is a PITA since sandpaper fills almost immediately when sanding oil based pore filler.)  Work relatively small areas so it doesn't get away from you. 

   Personally, the task of filling oak to accept a film finish is enough bother that I tend to prefer finishing oak with an "in-the-wood" oil finish using an oil/varnish mix.  I think of oak as a less formal wood than cherry, walnut, or mahogany so that the less formal finish is often appropriate. 

2. 
   Ray | Sep 09, 2007 04:40pm | #3

   I've had excellent results on small projects with my grandfather's method of filling oak.  Ordinary plaster of paris.  Mixed to the consistency of heavy cream, painted on, then sanded off when dry.  It leaves tiny, white flecs all over the surface.  The surface is satin smooth, and the plaster takes the stain just like the wood.

3. 
   Ckenney | Sep 10, 2007 04:28am | #4

   OK, not to sound facetious, but, if you want a smooth, glass-like finish, why are you using oak? You have to go through alot trying to defeat the wood's natural character.

   I'm not a big fan of the plastic look that commercial furniture house strive for. (Or their mania for staining all the character out of the wood. A friend had some cherry cabinets built, and they might as well have used poplar for all the "cherry" stain that they used. If you look real hard with a bright light, you might see a grain pattern. But, I digress.)

   Part of the appeal of oak (as well as its crafstmanmission look) is the grain. And you can get smooth enough without robbing it of its tacile nature by using 3-4 coats of oil/varnish/wiping varnish (pick your brand) with a light 320 sanding in between coats.

   Just an opinion, YTMV (your taste may vary).

   
   

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   Edited 9/9/2007 9:29 pm ET by Ckenney

1. 
   Woodman880 | Sep 10, 2007 04:54am | #5

   I’m using oak because I’m not in the mood to borrow a truck and drive 60 miles. Except for pine, oak is all I can buy locally.

4. 
   BruceT999 | Sep 10, 2007 11:16pm | #6

   Check out grain filler from Mohawk; been on the market for many years. I used it for restoring an antique oak table and some antique slot machine cabinets. I don't recall having to wait a week to apply topcoat though.
   http://www.mohawk-finishing.com/catalog_browse.asp?ictNbr=105

   BruceT