Preparation of wooden parts

[Paul GodfreyParticipant @paulgodfrey14946]

[Paul GodfreyParticipant @paulgodfrey14946]

Unlike my Dutch Courage, my new Sir Lancelot has plenty of sheets of wood for things like the decks, bulwark supports & cappings, wheelhouse, lockers etc etc – which I was fully aware of before buying the kit.

Of course, these parts need to be sanded smooth before assembly, but my question is, should they be sealed with sanding sealer (or something else?) before or after assembly (for those areas that should NOT look like wood)? I can imagine that sealing & sanding some of the cut-out parts before assembly will allow a better finish to be achieved (for example, the bulkead panels that fit either side of the front gun support between the main & forecastle decks, and the bulwark supports).

The only parts requiring sealing on the Dutch Courage are the dowels used for the mast & bollards, so all very straightforward.

Thanks guys.

 

Paul

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Paul,

 

Is there no advice on this in the kit? If not then it does rather depend on th joints you want to make. Applying sealer before assembly will make it easier to get a good finish as you need to rub down after it has been applied and has dried. But then you won’t be able to use wood glue for assembly. This does not necessarily matter as cyano or other glue types will do the job perfectly well. I am not familiar with the details of the kit but from your description I would be inclined to seal and rub down everything before assembly. Then, once you’ve put it all together it will be easier to get a good paint finish.

 

Colin

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Now I’m completely different as I prefer to build the model before painting but I do use a sealer / undercoat or a thinned coat of varnish to seal the timber.

Don’t be upset if your lovely sanded surface becomes rough after the sealing coat as the painting process raises the grain, all you have to do is lightly rub down again but take care to follow the grain.

Paul

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Yers I prefer to seal`n`sand before assembly. I dont think that it makes too much difference if bits of wood are sealed viz their gluability with pva…as long as the glueing surfaces are not painted, or thats my experience. Not for structural bits of course. Ashley

 

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

In the old days…………..I used to cover the bare wood with tissue paper doped on

 

Bob

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Bob, ah indeed, in the old days I was just a dope.  ASHLEY 

[JC Uknz 1Participant @jcuknz1]

I remember a fellow model maker, who earnt his fortune working with wood, telling me that acryllic paints raised the grain while oil based paints didn’t.  Is that the water content versus oil? He’s passed on so I can’t ask him.

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

In my experience, after many years working with wood, all paints raise the grain although oil based do so to a lesser extent.

As all timber is dried, either in stick or by kiln, any applied coating will introduce moisture into the wood and so raise the grain.

 

Paul

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