Sanding Sealer

[Gean]

I've noticed that Michael uses a dilute sanding sealer THEN stains. Does this dilute sealer stiffen up the "fuzzies" but still allows the stain to penetrate the wood later? I all for anything that speeds up the finishing process but didn't want to spend the money on sanding sealer and alcohol if I was wrong about the results.

Thanks,

Gean

[cnsranch]

More than anything, sanding sealer will help the stain penetrate more evenly, eliminating blotchy areas - especially on softer woods like pine.

SS is really cheap, and easy to apply.

[Kenm810]

Hmmmm --I thought wood conditioner helped the stain penetrate more evenly, eliminating blotchy areas,
and the sanding sealer aided in getting a finer sanded surface, or do the both help with staining.

[cnsranch]

...and the sanding sealer aided in getting a finer sanded surface...

I've only used SS on a carving to even out the stain - seems to me that if you sanded it after applying SS, you would have areas now without SS, and a resulting blotchy area.

SS, or any liquid, really, will raise the grain in any wood - if you applied SS to a table top, you could hit it with fine Steel Wool to rid the raised grain, but it seems that with carvings, you'd never get the surfaces knocked down equally.

Does that make sense?

[Kenm810]

I've been using SS to intensionally lift the wood grain, Let it harden then sand it again
a few times to smooth the surface to get the results I like. :wink:
Different strokes for different folks I guess, in the end it's what ever work the best for you http://forum.carvewright.com/images/icons/icon14.gif

[cestout]

I can usually only afford pine and I try to never paint over wood grain, so I use wood conditioner to prevent blotchies and zebra, oil stain ( a soft blast of compressed air gets pools out of pockets) then a coat of urathane. After mopping I add a second coat of urathane.
Clint

[JDPratt]

This post is not intended to debunk what others are doing but...

Sanding sealer is normally used when trying to "settle down" the fuzz from sanding. It should be used when applying a clear finish to the wood, such as Laquer, shellac, or Poly. (read the label, some sanding sealers do not react well with some Poly finishes.

Wood conditioner on the other hand, is used to treat the wood prior to a colored stain. It effectively tightenes the grain of softer, open pored woods (like pine)to allow the stain to go on more uniformly.

If you wish to raise the grain of wood for the purpose of more even sanding, wipe the wood with a barely damp rag of distilled water (you will definitely get some argument over this one). Tap water in some parts of the country have impurities that could affect your finish. Raising the grain and repeatedly sanding can make it difficult for stains to penetrate into the pores or the wood. When using a stain, I rarely go beyond 220 grit prior to staining.

All this said, it can also make a difference whether you are using stains or dyes when coloring your wood. Stains tend to sit on the surface of the wood or in the pores. Dye, actually penetrates the fibers of the wood and tend to give a more uniform and lasting color to the project.

[Rick P]

JD nailed it !!!