Finishing Swamp Ash

[SlowCheetah]

Alright, I've read a lot of conflicting things about this, so I'm looking for a straight answer to a rare question: I want to dye my swamp ash body, and I do NOT want to grain fill. I actually WANT the deep grain to come through the finish. Do I still seal the body? Are there specific dyes/finishes that will/won't work? I have no spray equipment, FYI. I realize this is an often asked question, but I can't find any threads about finishing without grain filling. Thanks!

 

[stratamania]

Hi welcome to the forum.

I suppose you mean you want to see the grain ?

Ash is a very open pored wood which is why it's grain filled normally. Without doing so any finish applied will soak in and in. But  grain filling doesn't stop the grain being visible.

Here's an ash body I did without spraying equipment that's got a lot of photos and commentary which might be useful.

The other thing I should mention is that it's a lot of work and will take time and patience.

http://unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=23725.0;nowap

 

[Great Ape]

If you're talking about the texture and the open grain and pores in the wood, then go ahead and dye first, and then seal. I love the open grain of ash myself, and almost never grain-fill if I'm going to use dye...good luck!

 

[Cagey]

Alright, I've read a lot of conflicting things about this, so I'm looking for a straight answer to a rare question: I want to dye my swamp ash body, and I do NOT want to grain fill. I actually WANT the deep grain to come through the finish. Do I still seal the body? Are there specific dyes/finishes that will/won't work? I have no spray equipment, FYI. I realize this is an often asked question, but I can't find any threads about finishing without grain filling. Thanks!

Ash is easy to stain. Takes it nice and even, so you don't have to seal it for that.

It is a pretty open-grained wood, though, so if you don't fill the grain before you finish it you'll find it tends to pick up a lotta grunge over time that will be difficult to clean off.

 

[Great Ape]

Alright, I've read a lot of conflicting things about this, so I'm looking for a straight answer to a rare question: I want to dye my swamp ash body, and I do NOT want to grain fill. I actually WANT the deep grain to come through the finish. Do I still seal the body? Are there specific dyes/finishes that will/won't work? I have no spray equipment, FYI. I realize this is an often asked question, but I can't find any threads about finishing without grain filling. Thanks!

Ash is easy to stain. Takes it nice and even, so you don't have to seal it for that.

It is a pretty open-grained wood, though, so if you don't fill the grain before you finish it you'll find it tends to pick up a lotta grunge over time that will be difficult to clean off.

Sanding sealer(2 coats) after dying plus whatever is used as a finish coat guards against that pretty well, no? I've never had a problem with 'grunge', long as I don't have to listen to it... :doh:

 

[Cagey]

It keeps it from soaking into the wood, but the nooks and crannies still tend to fill with dead skin cells, dried sweat, dirt, drool, body oil, hooker dust, etc. It won't just wipe off like a smooth finish allows.

Of course, none of that stuff ever held SRV back, while I don't think I'd have touched one of his guitars without gloves on. I'm not a germophobe, but there's a limit  :icon_biggrin:

 

[SlowCheetah]

Thanks for the replies, I definitely meant I don't want to grain fill. So is sealer necessary if I'm putting poly over top? What is its purpose? My body came sanded to 220 (I think) and it feels pretty smooth; will the grain still come through the poly pretty well? I'm serious, I want to FEEL the grain grooves  :toothy10:

 

[Cagey]

The purpose of sealer is right in the name: it seals. It keeps the wood from absorbing finish. Sometimes, it's also a "barrier" coat that prevents interaction between coating materials. It can prevent things from mixing/blurring, which may be the case if you've done a "burst" type dye job. It can also function as a bit of filler (sanding sealer) so you get a finer surface for your finish coats. You can often live without it, but then you may end up using more finish coat material which is typically more expensive than sealer.

You mentioned earlier that you won't be spraying, which implies you're going to brush on a finish? If so, that method typically creates a thicker coating, which means you'll get some grain fill out of the deal whether you like it or not. To reduce that effect, you might try thinning the poly with a some mineral spirits and wiping it on rather than brushing it. You'll still get a good finish, it'll just be a much thinner film.

 

[SlowCheetah]

Thanks Cagey, very clear response. I think that tells me all I need to know.