I have been reading a thread in the wood section on making mahogany smooth. One of the posters attached an article that says to mix the sawdust with varnish, apply the paste and work it into the grain, let it dry, then sand smooth. I am working with sapele, which looks similar to mahogany, and I want to finish it with either the Sam Maloof poly/oil , or arm-r-seal poly/oil finishes. My question is this; if I use the paste made of sawdust and varnish, will a poly/oil finish work or will the varnish cause me a headache?
Thanks
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Any pore filler, including sawdust with varnish, commercial silex pore filler, or other concoctions acts as enough sealer that you only want a film finish. Oils or oil/varnish mixes would stay on top and form soft, in some cases almost gummy films. Filled pores go with formal finishes and shellac, lacquer, or varnish would be more appropriate. If you want an oil finish, then leave the pores unfilled for the natural oil finish look that is in the wood, not on it.
Thanks for the advice, I have never made an attempt at pore filling before and wasn't sure how it all worked. I'm gonna stick to the poly/oil finish and skip the pore filler idea.
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