Replies

1. 
   Pondfish | Apr 15, 2007 03:30pm | #1

   Whether or not to fill is a matter of taste.  Mahogany looks great filled, but is plenty nice unfilled.  I'd weight my decision based on the style of the piece.

   If you are using an oil finish, you can fill the pores with an oil/sawdust slurry.  Let your first application of oil dry, then apply a second coat and wet sand it.  You'll make a slurry of sawdust, dried oil and wet oil.  Wipe off the piece crosswise to the grain to leave the pores filled, and let dry.  You may need to repeat this step.

   Good luck!

   Recommending the use of "Hide Signatures" option under "My Preferences" since 2005
2. 
   SteveSchoene | Apr 15, 2007 03:44pm | #2

   This is purely an aesthetic issue.  Personally, I think it depends largely on the style of the piece and in what kind of decor it will reside.  Formal and high style traditional calls for full filled; casual or country calls for open pores.  But there isn't really a Rule--its a matter of taste, yours or a client.   

   As to material for filling, I favor oil based pore filler.  Behlen Pore O Pac is the one I have used most, but others have also received positive comments.  You should plan to tint it to give the effect you desire, whether my minimizing the pores with a close match to the "base" color, or to heighten contrast by choosing a shade either lighter or darker than the base.  Japan colors or artists oil paint to tint the filler.  To avoid having the filler act as a stain over the entire surface, a wash coat of the shellac before filling is recommended. 

   Consider using a light application of BLO to enhance the color of the sapele.  It will dry quite a bit faster than the tung oil (assuming you mean real 100% or pure tung oil) and will only darken the wood a tiny bit more than tung. 

    

    

   
   

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   Edited 4/15/2007 8:46 am ET by SteveSchoene

3. 
   forestgirl | Apr 15, 2007 04:36pm | #3

   Wetsanding as pondfish describes will give you a wonderful finish.  Not the mirror-like piano-finish of a true filled grain, but nice!  Not too many pieces, relatively speaking, that command that totally flat look.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   

4. 
   user-83153 | Apr 15, 2007 05:03pm | #4

   PMM,

     I also recommend Pondfish's method for filling the pores if you want the fill to blend in. I would use a mixture of BLO, mineral spirits and varnish in equal parts for the wet sanding though. The varnish will help to hold the sawdust in the pores and I don't want to wait a month for pure tung oil to cure.

             Rob

1. 
   pmmatty | Apr 15, 2007 07:09pm | #5

   Thanks everybody for the advice.  Looks like I wet sand with a little varnish to fill those nasty pores.  PMM