11-18-2012, 10:35 PM
Led Head,
If you apply the shellac with 220 or 320 wet/dry paper instead of a brush, lightly sanding it in, this sawdust/shellac slurry becomes a grain filler (similar to the 'french polish' tecnique).
After this dries hard, a light sanding with 320 will leave the slurry filling in the grain with the wood's own sawdust, which will then usually take a color coat smoothly.
I usually do this with Mahogany, Padauk, Oak, or other wood with large open grain with decent results, though sometimes it may take a coat or two to get the deepest filled in flush.
If you apply the shellac with 220 or 320 wet/dry paper instead of a brush, lightly sanding it in, this sawdust/shellac slurry becomes a grain filler (similar to the 'french polish' tecnique).
After this dries hard, a light sanding with 320 will leave the slurry filling in the grain with the wood's own sawdust, which will then usually take a color coat smoothly.
I usually do this with Mahogany, Padauk, Oak, or other wood with large open grain with decent results, though sometimes it may take a coat or two to get the deepest filled in flush.