Pore filling with shellac and ...

[Quickstep192]

I want to pore fill a turning I’ve made of bloodwood. The pores are tiny, but they’re still big enough that finish alone doesn’t appear to fill them.

I’m considering trying wet sanding with shellac, or using shellac and pumice.

Can anyone share the pros and cons of each and maybe some tips and techniques?

[nottypine]

I've pore filled several types of rosewood with shellac.
and fine dust sanded from the end grain of the matching wood scraps. I french polish it in then sand back. It works well though it can take a while.

[Quickstep192]

I tried the pumice method last night.

I put on a wash coat of shellac and let it dry. I sprinkled on some pumice and rubbed with a pad dampened with alcohol. It’s seemed to create a nice slurry, but after a light sanding this morning, the pores don’t look filled. Am I doing something wrong?

[WaddyT]

You may have opened up more pores when sanding back. Often, filling pores with pumice takes more than one pass, even on small pores. The key to success, is much like any pore filling, and that is to pack the slurry into the pores with a stiff pad. Repeat till pores are filled.

[JDaniel]

I think if you look at your turning under magnification you will see exactly what is going on. I would guess, as others have said, that the pores aren't filled yet and the sanding back might be too much. I've used shellac alone on turnings as a pore filler and it works fine, if a somewhat slow process.

[Quickstep192]

Thanks for that insight; I appreciate the help.

This wood (bloodwood) is kind of weird.
The pores are really tiny; so much so that I wonder if the size of the particles that I’m creating are too big to “get in”. On the other hand, the finish doesn’t seem to fill the pores either. The finish seems to pool up just outside the pores as if surface tension is keeping it out.

[LouieAtienza]

I had been pore-filling with epoxy for some time now, and have been happy with the results.

[Talldad]

Pore filling is well done with shellac if you spend sometime sanding the end grain of your bloodwood. You should get a very fine dust which will fit into the pores.

One you have the dust mix it with shellac to make a wet paste. Rub it in with your finger and sand back after an hour with 400 grit.

The downside is getting the end grain sanded its worth it but time consuming.

[nickv6]

Nervous to say it but superglue (water thin variety) is excellent at filling pores. I've rubbed it in with a cloth. Left it an hour then sanded with very fine......
Nick

[LouieAtienza]

Originally Posted by nickv6

Nervous to say it but superglue (water thin variety) is excellent at filling pores. I've rubbed it in with a cloth. Left it an hour then sanded with very fine......
Nick

I've used it in the past... but if you don't have a big shop with lots of ventilation (and I have neither) it sucks and can be dangerous. Also, it's probably not a good idea to use cotton when doing it. A Teflon or equivalent squeegee would probably be better at filling the pores and not pulling fill out.