Popping grain/figure without deepening the color
#30
(12-18-2017, 12:47 PM)KingwoodFan1989 Wrote: Are there any blotch control products you'd recommend? I watched a video about Charles Neil's blotch control...seems to work well, although it also seems, in my opinion, to diminish the popping of the grain a little bit. I'll try sanding to higher grits on my next test piece and see what the results are. I have some shellac, although it's not de-waxed like Sealcoat. However, since it's only a test piece, I'm sure it'll work fine. If I like the results, I'll get some Sealcoat so I can topcoat it with Polycrylic. I'll also, like I said before, try an oil-based poly (I have Minwax, not General Finishes) on another part of the test piece and compare.

I already mentioned sanding to a finer grit and using a wash coat of shellac.  That's all you need.  Forget Polycrylic.  If you want to use a WB product get something like GF's HP Poly, Enduro Clear Poly, or TC's EM-6000.  

It might be good to set this discussion aside until you have some new results.  Talking about it ain't gonna make it happen.  

John
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#31
(12-16-2017, 01:08 AM)KingwoodFan1989 Wrote: I may be asking the impossible here, but I've got some Pommelle Maple veneer I'm using on a project...the grain looks FANTASTIC, but I want to keep the Maple basically white. Minwax Polycrylic works fantastic for that, but it doesn't quite highlight the grain as much as I want. If I turn the wood at certain angles it really shows up a lot, but I've seen some videos on popping the grain and I love the contrast they get between the figure and the rest of the wood. The problem is, it seems like there's always some sort of stain, dye, or penetrating oil used that not only pops the grain, but also changes the color of the wood. I'll test some BLO on another scrap piece of the veneer (it's already been glued to a scrap of BB ply) tomorrow and see if it contrasts well with Jatoba (my main wood), but ideally I'd like to keep the Maple white while still highlighting the figure. Is this possible? Is there such a thing as a "clear" stain that can soak in and bring that figure out without changing the color, or is there always going to be some compromise?

Thanks!

Waterlox, has a fairly clear oil  finish. XL89

https://waterlox.com/images/products/Bul...094566.pdf
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#32
(12-18-2017, 03:42 PM)jteneyck Wrote: I already mentioned sanding to a finer grit and using a wash coat of shellac.  That's all you need.  Forget Polycrylic.  If you want to use a WB product get something like GF's HP Poly, Enduro Clear Poly, or TC's EM-6000.  

It might be good to set this discussion aside until you have some new results.  Talking about it ain't gonna make it happen.  

John

Yes, that's what I'm going to try next along with a coat of Oil Based Poly. I've actually had great experiences with Polycrylic, so I'll stick with that as my topcoat. The test veneer I re-flattened is mostly dry, but it still needs a day or two. I'll probably post again here in about 3 days. Thanks for all the suggestions!
Near future projects:

-Curly Maple display case
-Jatoba and Quilted Maple dresser
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#33
I've been experimenting with different finishes over last few weeks.  I've settled on a technique for bringing out the natural beauty of wood, but I am still searching for a perfect top coat.  I want the top coat to look like wood, not plastic, but I want it to be indestructible.  

I made this table in 2004.  It has a mahogany frame, quilted maple surfaces, and cocobolo accents.  For the finish I used tung oil with wet sanding down to 600 grit.  Next I applied several coats of shellac using the French polish method.  The photos are unaltered, they are original with an iPhone X with the flash on.  The tung oil / shellac method is my favorite.    

For the top coat I used Deft lacquer, semi-gloss, from a rattle can.  I love the Deft product.   I typically buff out the sheen with steel wool and vigorous rubbing with a cotton rag to get the natural look of wood.  Deft is very water proof for cold or room temperature water, but it does not like certain common solvents, and Deft does not enjoy a hot steamy paper plate from a microwave.  Deft also does not like vinyl, if left sitting on a Deft surface for several weeks the vinyl will stick to the surface.


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#34
Charles Neil’s blotch Control works very well but you can still get excellent pop from figured maple with it. I used it on my kitchen cabinets where one raised panel was very curly and it popped beautifully. On my test boards, the CN treated boards were without a doubt more uniform. I would use it on any blotch prone woods that I strived to keep as uniform as I possibly could. It’s also reasonably cheap.

If I wanted to achieve what you’re after, I’d use two coats of seal coat shellac and then follow with a WB GF finish like HP poly or Enduro clear. The shellac will pop your grain. The WB GF will help keep it light in color.

Take this for what it’s worth as seal coat and a GF poly is how I know finish many project. Albeit, I may add some TT dye susprnded and sprayed in DNA given the project.


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#35
OK, that grain/finish combination is just spectacular!


(12-25-2017, 10:21 AM)Danny in Houston Wrote: I've been experimenting with different finishes over last few weeks.  I've settled on a technique for bringing out the natural beauty of wood, but I am still searching for a perfect top coat.  I want the top coat to look like wood, not plastic, but I want it to be indestructible.  

I made this table in 2004.  It has a mahogany frame, quilted maple surfaces, and cocobolo accents.  For the finish I used tung oil with wet sanding down to 600 grit.  Next I applied several coats of shellac using the French polish method.  The photos are unaltered, they are original with an iPhone X with the flash on.  The tung oil / shellac method is my favorite.    

For the top coat I used Deft lacquer, semi-gloss, from a rattle can.  I love the Deft product.   I typically buff out the sheen with steel wool and vigorous rubbing with a cotton rag to get the natural look of wood.  Deft is very water proof for cold or room temperature water, but it does not like certain common solvents, and Deft does not enjoy a hot steamy paper plate from a microwave.  Deft also does not like vinyl, if left sitting on a Deft surface for several weeks the vinyl will stick to the surface.
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#36
(07-14-2021, 04:18 AM)pigmentgreen7 Wrote: The primary ingredients used for manufacturing DELETED are Phthalocyanine blue and aluminum trichloride. Further, the process of the pigment manufacturing process is always carried out in a closed chamber or area due to the emission of numerous harmful gases.
DELETED

SPAMMER, BAM
[Image: usa-flag-waving-united-states-of-america...if-clr.gif]
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#37
(12-18-2017, 12:26 PM)fredhargis Wrote: John, have you ever used P&L 38? I ask because it's a very light oil based varnish (soya oil/alkyd resin) that I use becaue of its light color....just wondering how t's compares (in color) to the Arm R Seal.

IIRC, P&L #38 has been discontinued.  Or I might be thinking of McCloskey Heirloom that was re-branded as Cabot 8000 series.

The other alkyd varnish that I was aware of was Sherwin-Williams Fast Dry Varnish (without Polyurethane in its name) that has now been rebranded as Minwax Performance Series Fast-Dry Varnish.  But the literature says it provides an amber tone.

With all the mergers and acquisitions, "you can't tell the players without a score card."
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#38
The best natural looking finishes I’ve obtained on otherwise splotchy wood has been a 1-lb cut of home-made Shellac from flakes followed by many coats of General Finishes Arm-R-Seal Satin

Curly maple, figured black cherry, crotch black walnut, heart pine, ribbon grained Sapele—none were a problem.
Gary

Please don’t quote the trolls.
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