Sanding walnut after planking

[Charlie pal]

Hello all.....hope all are well.....Thinking of applying a matte finish or liquitex after sanding my second walnut planking. Two questions.....Will a thorough sanding remove some small glue residue? What grit sandpaper would you recommend to prep planking before coating?

.....Thanks, Charlie

[Chazz]

I find that scraping does a better job removing SMALL glue stains than sanding, removing them if possible without affecting the adjacent areas.  Use a quite small tool for this, not a large scraper such as is used for finishing.

Micromark has a set of 4 of various shapes for $10.95, with thin handles 6" long and  blades 1/4" wide. (Item no 83252).  They do take a deal of sharpening in the beginning but I've found them exceedingly useful for fixing small glue goofs, planking areas just a little too high (like some edges) and so forth.  The small size allows fine, close work and more control.  Check them out.

 

Chazz

[Charlie pal]

Thanks, Chazz, ....Will look into those scrapers from microwave, sounds like they can save a lot of work and preserve the area you are working on. Definitely worth a shot.

...Thanks again....Charlie

[Jaager]

A quality SS steel single edge razor blade does a far job of fine scraping.  An attempt at producing a burr could be tried if you have a small carbide rod.

 

[Eugenio Treviño]

Hi Charlie Pal.

 

I used sand paper # 150 to sand the whole hull, a cutter for scrapping glue stains and dull polyurethane varnish on my walnut second planking.

 

Here are the picks. The last one is the final result after the varnish dried.

 

Best regards.

 

 

[Bob Cleek]

Most people find using a much finer sanding grit than 150 for final finishing work, usually at least 320, and do not attempt to finish coat open pored wood species like walnut without first using a filler. That produces a perfectly smooth "furniture grade" finish, if that is what one is shooting for.

 

[peterbrowne]

I have used Feast Watson Sanding Sealer for previous projects with great success after finishing sanding with the finest available paper. 

You should be able to find similar.

 

https://www.feastwatson.com.au/products/indoor-products/prep/sanding-sealer/

 

 

You could use even Micro-Mesh sanding cloths to get a very fine or mirror finish without any grain texture depending on what you are after, then finish with a suitable lacquer.

 

https://tarhouseguitar.com/products/micro-mesh®-polishing-sandpaper

 

Edited December 18, 2020 by peterbrowne

[Dr PR]

I agree with Bob. 150 grit leaves a lot of scratches in the wood, especially if you rub really hard. These scratches may be hard to remove with 300-400 grit, but you will eventually get a much nicer surface. I then use #0000 steel wool to get a nice satin finish.

 

Be sure to wipe the surface with a clean cotton rag (or brush it with a stiff soft brush) after using steel wool or sandpaper. Sanding can leave grit on the wood and steel wool will leave tiny steel fibers. You should remove these before applying the next coat of paint or sealer.

 

If you want to seal a porous wood, especially a dark wood like walnut, save the dust from sanding. Then mix it with a clear paint (whatever type you are using) to make a sanding sealer. You might want to dilute the paint 1:1 with thinner to get a thin sealer. Apply a light coat and let it dry. Then rub it with #0000 steel wool to remove the paint from the surface and leave the paint/dust in the pores. Repeat applications of the sealer until you get the surface you want. A final light rub down with #0000 steel wool will give a satin finish.

 

Caution: commercial sanding sealers usually have talc powder in them. It dries white, and will make pores in dark wood stand out like a sore thumb. However, if you are going to paint the sealed wood with an opaque color the commercial sealers are easier to use than mixing your own.

[Charlie pal]

17 hours ago, peterbrowne said:

I have used Feast Watson Sanding Sealer for previous projects with great success after finishing sanding with the finest available paper. 

You should be able to find similar.

 

https://www.feastwatson.com.au/products/indoor-products/prep/sanding-sealer/

 

 

You could use even Micro-Mesh sanding cloths to get a very fine or mirror finish without any grain texture depending on what you are after, then finish with a suitable lacquer.

 

https://tarhouseguitar.com/products/micro-mesh®-polishing-sandpaper

 

Peter....checked out the website on feast watson and would like to try it, but could not get any ordering information on website.

[mgdawson]

On 12/19/2020 at 11:24 AM, Charlie pal said:

Peter....checked out the website on feast watson and would like to try it, but could not get any ordering information on website.

Charlie, where are you ? In Aus ? Bunnings carry it.

 

mark

[peterbrowne]

Feast Watson is made by Dulux (Australia) paints.  Quite possibly only available in Australia.  Here it is sold in Bunnings hardware stores. 

 

You should be able to find similar if outside Australia. 

 

I have used this particular product on Sapele (same family as Mahogany - Meliaceae), as you can see in my photo with no loss of colour.  The prop is composed of 8 layers of 1mm Sapele 'Mahogany' and has a nice smooth satin finish.

 

Edited December 20, 2020 by peterbrowne

[Roberts Orca]

If you really want to bring out the beauty of your walnut,  I love using tung oil. I sand the surface down to 400. You can use a paper towel to wipe on a coat. It's going to sink deep into the wood. Let it dry overnight.  Then with some #400 wet paper, apply a second coat with the paper going in the direction of the grain. Wipe excess off with soft cloth. If you want you can apply additional coats using the 400 paper. The oil will harden in all the pores and leave a mirror finish on the surface.  If it's buffed completely out, you end up with a satin finish. If you leave a little oil on the surface,  it will dry with more sheen. Or you can use a fine natural brush and apply multiple finish coats for a high gloss.