sand sealer

[Rod smartParticipant @rodsmart62545]

Hi all when do you use sanding sealer? If you are sanding the edge do you use sanding sealer over all of the ply or just the local area?

I am building a first timer for me the Victoria kit with veneer finish and would like to get the best resut that I can.I did see a poor example on display at a show i was at a few weeks ago.

Thanks for reading.

Rod

[Rod smartParticipant @rodsmart62545]

how to use

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Rod. Generally sanding sealer is used to fil the grain dimples in wood. It also hardens the wood to an extent and waterproofs it.

​Some use it to give a final veneer finish, as it gives a soft sheen.

​Where to paint it on depends on what you are trying to achieve. Simply to seal end grain, the just dab it on the ends…if trying to get a good finish all over the deck, well spread it all over.

Ashley.

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

With any final finish always use several thin coats. If you put varnish (including sealer) on too thick you just end up with a treacly effect when what you want is a nice gloss.

We have several varnishing experts on here who can give further advice.

Colin

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

If you apply sanding sealer to an area which you then need to glue, there's a possibility that the glue won't penetrate the wood properly and the joint will fail later. It depends largely on the type of glue. At the risk of boring everyone with the oft-printed advice, you should try it on a scrap piece first.
Dave M

[Martin Field 1Participant @martinfield1]

Taking Dave's advice about gluing into mind first,the fact is sanding sealer can be put on any wood.I'm assuming you have cellulose sanding sealer. It is essentially cellulose dope with french chalk powder, so needs a good stir or shake up. Make sure you have some cellulose thinners handy to clean your brush. Use the best brush you can afford and put it on as smoothly as possible. It will dry very quickly, so then put another coat on. Let that really harden and then rub down with something like 400 grit wet'n'dry or the Blue.white Aluminium Hydroxide paper or Lubrisil, as we used to call it. Keep bashing the dust out and the paper will last longer. Basically you do this combo of actions until you have a lovely smooth finish. Then use good quality spar varnish for a final finish. This will impart a slightly golden tinge to the wood which will make the whole job glow.

Here's one I did earlier in exactly this way:-

That's done this way on birch ply before self-etch primer.

This one is how it works on wood, solid and veneer….Nope, photobucket won't play ball, but it was going to be a picture of a handmade Riva Aquarama Special, which I made in ply and then veneered in steamed pear, with a hand laid planked deck in pear and boxwood. For a customer who owned the real one, so you can tell the method is spot on.

Cheers,

Martin

[Byron Rees…(Ron)Participant @byronrees-ron]

Hi Rod,

I have been using sanding sealer for 'donkeys'. I prefer to buy either Rustins or from a specialist French Polishing firm. Two coats allowed to dry properly and a rub down with very fine paper (Dry) should seal the wood, lift the hairy bits, which you can feel but hardly see and harden them so they can be sanded off. Brushes clean out with cellulose which can also be used for thinning. You can add more if you want.

Any good clear varnish will bond well but apply thinly and give it quite a few coats with a fine rub down between. I now use a foam applicator for this (Available from Axminster tools) but they don't like being cleaned in cellulose!!. So I have changed to Acrylic varnishes which you can thin with water but the foam brushes will put it on thin if you don't overload them. Many coats, patience and a clean with a tack cloth after each rub down will ensure a lovely finish. So basically what the others have said which works well for me and many others.

(PS when building with real wood or veneers make sure no adhesive touches the outside as this can adversely effect or seriously mar the overall finish…..cover with tape or cling film if your'e not sure). Stains do not take over glue and some varnishes will leave paler patches if glue was on the wood at some time, even if it is rubbed down well.

Ron.

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