# Porous wood and CA glue



## Kloss (Nov 22, 2016)

Just had a question about how you guys deal with porous wood, like oak for example, and CA glue finish.
So far I just went with the CA, but it takes a lot of coats to reach a smooth finish. 
Do you use anything to fill the pores before finishing with CA?


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## jttheclockman (Nov 22, 2016)

Nothing saying you can't. Many ways to apply a CA finish. I find about 3 coats of thin to seal the wood and then 5 to 6 coats of med CA works great to get a glass like feel. Just about on any wood. Oak I sand down to 600 grit before I start with CA. Just my way of doing things. Others will have more ways.


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## Edgar (Nov 22, 2016)

I sand to 600 grit for most tight-grained wood, but I generally sand porous woods up to 2400-3600. I just use thin CA for my CA finishes, but I don't like a glassy look & feel. I find that 5-8 coats of thin gives a nice shine but still has a somewhat natural look & feel to the wood.

Like John said, there are many ways to skin the cat and you'll see lots of different ideas around here. Just experiment and see what you like best.


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## SteveG (Nov 22, 2016)

One technique used for CA finish on open grain woods is to apply one or two coats of thin CA as a sealer (these dry very fast, almost immediately when applied). Then, using medium or thick, apply using 150  or 220 grit sandpaper as a sander/applicator. The idea is to sand up a slurry while applying the CA. The slurry will fill the open pores with same color wood sawdust. Two important things to understand with this technique:

1. The type of CA used must dry a little slower, which allows for the slurry to occur and fill in pores before the CA sets up. 

2. After this step, the turning will look like a big mess...it is! After this layer has hardened, you go back and sand it down to the wood. You do need to give this slurry coat time to cure, otherwise, if you sand it back too soon, what remains in the pores will continue to cure, and sink down slightly at each pore. That defeats the purpose. What you have at this point is all the pores filled, and you are ready to proceed with your normal steps of CA finish.  

What you have done with this process is fill all the pores in a single step (following the initial seal coat). This allows you to quickly move forward with the finishing process leading to a smooth surface finish.


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## Kloss (Nov 23, 2016)

Thanks guys.
I think probably I need to be more precise about my issue. It is about the pen cases I turn for my pens and being obviously bigger than the pens (so there is a lot of end grain) few coats of thick/medium CA are not sufficient to fill completely the pores; I already tried. I mean, it worked, but I needed a lot of coats. Sanding with CA probably it is the way to go, but I can't because I stain/die/paint my cases. So I should first sand with CA and then paint the case. But paint usually doesn't like the CA underneath.
I know oak is not the best for this, but I can get it as much as I want for free and I consider myself lucky.


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## leehljp (Nov 23, 2016)

I usually give a one or two coats of thin just to get them deep into the grain and then a moderate coat of medium or thick (usually thick). At this point, I sand or turn back to the wood surface and start from there for finishing.


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## edstreet (Nov 23, 2016)

The real question is why are you using a coat method and not using a fill method with CA.  ...


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## keithbyrd (Nov 23, 2016)

edstreet said:


> The real question is why are you using a coat method and not using a fill method with CA.  ...





Ed, can you explain the difference?


Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app


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## edstreet (Nov 23, 2016)

One covers large areas and one a very thin minute amount.


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## jttheclockman (Nov 23, 2016)

Kloss said:


> Thanks guys.
> I think probably I need to be more precise about my issue. It is about the pen cases I turn for my pens and being obviously bigger than the pens (so there is a lot of end grain) few coats of thick/medium CA are not sufficient to fill completely the pores; I already tried. I mean, it worked, but I needed a lot of coats. Sanding with CA probably it is the way to go, but I can't because I stain/die/paint my cases. So I should first sand with CA and then paint the case. But paint usually doesn't like the CA underneath.
> I know oak is not the best for this, but I can get it as much as I want for free and I consider myself lucky.




You ask a tough finishing question that takes some trial and error and your own opinion when done. The best way to fill large areas of grain is to use a premixed filler weather oil or water based depends on your time schedule with oil base taking longer to dry. People ask do I fill before I top coat or after and again this is your call from trials. Sometimes people want to celebrate the grain by using darker colored fillers or they want the natural look and use those fillers. Again your call. My procedure would be to fill prior staining and use a waterbase filler. Once you apply the filler wait for it to haze over then sand back to bare wood using 220 grit or higher paper. Anything lower will only sand the filler out again. Then seal with a coat of dewaxed shellac (sand lightly again with a higher grit paper like 400) and then stain or paint and then top coat with a poly, lacquer or even CA. You also can try staining before using the dewaxed shellac. That will give you even a different look. 


As with all finishing projects experiment with the same wood you are planning on using and take notes with what method you are using. With oak it has some deep grains and takes more than a few layers of CA. If you want to just use CA then fill the grain with med CA but as you found out already it will not take stain. This method is good if you want to leave natural color. Good luck. One last suggestion is stain the project and or paint and then fill with med CA. No need for thin because you already sealed the wood with the stain or paint. So you see there are options and something for you to try but it has to come down to your likes or dislikes. No one here can tell you exactly how to do it.


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## Kloss (Nov 23, 2016)

John, What do you use as a filler?
I used alcohol based dyes and stains, so probably would be better using sanding sealer instead of shellac?


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## jttheclockman (Nov 23, 2016)

Kloss said:


> John, What do you use as a filler?
> I used alcohol based dyes and stains, so probably would be better using sanding sealer instead of shellac?



I use the Minwax line of fillers. I do not buy large containers because they dry out before used. 


http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/1000/3d/3d086cad-4db9-474b-94cf-5864186a6a97_1000.jpg



Minwax 3.75 oz. Golden Oak Wood Putty-13611 - The Home Depot


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