cellulose sanding sealer.

[CHJ]

I like to use Carnauba on open pored wood such as Oak and sometimes Ash before finishing with MC. I like the look of it, I think it's because the carnauba acts as a filler for the grain, much like using shellac friction polish and this is what gives it the softer look to me.

But who knows what's on most of my items as I use the same polishing mop for both so I guess it's a blend of constantly varying proportions.

But always applied over a skin of sanding sealer

 

[RobinBHM]

Ive always understood that sanding sealer is what the industry gives to a basecoat that has stearate added to make the coating easy to sand back.

It could be made in any type of finish, if it is a solvent based product like a pre cat, then it will be very quick drying. The first coat always has to be rubbed back as the first coat seals all those bits of grain, loose dust etc that make it feel rough to the touch. A foam pad with 320 grit is used to de-nib and this is easier to do with a sanding sealer with stearate as it cuts easily and clogs the paper less.

both solvent and waterbased finishes can be used as coat on coat without a sanding sealer, but the denibbing is more work.

 

[Peter Sefton]

I have a small Ash dovetailed box I made when at college, I remember we often used cellulose sanding sealer for our smaller test jobs. Bob my polisher hates the stuff when he sees it in my polish cupboard.

We don't tend to use it anymore on any of our finished work but we do use it for coating up laminating jigs to stop the veneer sticking (or parcel tape)

The other place I have used it for years is if I have a painted MDF job, I find it great to brush onto the moulded edges. Two or three coats cut back in-between really strengthens the moulded edges whist keeping them crisp, great to then paint over with oil paint. I have found using the edge grain MDF fillers just looses all the mouldings definition.

And the smell reminds me of Pear Drops!

Cheers Peter

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Yes, I use it on mdf and jigs. Pear drops?? Nah, that's acetone, not cellulose.

 

[CHJ]

The other place I have used it for years is if I have a painted MDF job, I find it great to brush onto the moulded edges. Two or three coats cut back in-between really strengthens the moulded edges whist keeping them crisp, great to then paint over with oil paint....

Well you are basically using it to do a similar job to that it was intended to do, only in an extreme role. I find PVA also good for the MDF consolidation and sealing.

From a reliable source:-

Sanding sealer is to even out the surface, seal the pores of the wood and bind the loose fibres of the wood together to provide a solid foundation.
It has an agent (a lubricant mostly) to make smoothing it back easier, but the idea is to just smooth it, not sand through it.

So basically Sanding Sealer is to provide a contiguous sealing skin to the wood, burnished to a smooth surface if necessary prior to the application of any final protection, which has always been the premise I've worked under be it Cellulose, Acrylic or good old Shellac.

 

[Peter Sefton]

Sounds like it does what it says on the can Chas, not that I ever read the can myself.

Cheers Peter