Keyser Soze
Senior Member
- Messages
- 206
Tonar's advice is rock solid. I'm a true believer when it comes to the power of shellac - I've gotten to the point where I will only spray nitro after sealing with it.
On a more esoteric note, I probably would not call those flaws fisheye. To me fisheye are bigger and well, look like the eye of a fish - often with a central bulge in the middle of a ring type depression. They tend to grow wider with subsequent coats and positively scream 'foreign substance being picked up by the solvent/vehicle. They are Satan.
I'd call those flaws pinholes, and they are only a minor devil. My theory is that they are more related to physical defects in the surface (unfilled fine grain pores) combined with some performance characteristics of the finishing agent. Sometimes incomplete surface wetting and or impeded flow out (maybe from too high viscosity??) combined with fast skin formation means that the surface film doesn't actually make it all the way over (or even into) some of the pores - making it's own defects and these little hollows just seem to self perpetuate and resist most normal corrective approaches. In my experience these buggers start small but also stay small. What you thought was the pores drinking up finish was actually the pores refusing to accept a drop.
If there aren't too many, or they are not egregious, my approach is to open up the hole (if necessary) slightly by hand reaming with a small drill bit, then placing a drop of nitro (using a toothpick or exacto blade) into the hole. Allow the drop to cure then shave it level with a wood chisel. With a little luck you won't end up with an air bubble and you can proceed on with your project.
On a more esoteric note, I probably would not call those flaws fisheye. To me fisheye are bigger and well, look like the eye of a fish - often with a central bulge in the middle of a ring type depression. They tend to grow wider with subsequent coats and positively scream 'foreign substance being picked up by the solvent/vehicle. They are Satan.
I'd call those flaws pinholes, and they are only a minor devil. My theory is that they are more related to physical defects in the surface (unfilled fine grain pores) combined with some performance characteristics of the finishing agent. Sometimes incomplete surface wetting and or impeded flow out (maybe from too high viscosity??) combined with fast skin formation means that the surface film doesn't actually make it all the way over (or even into) some of the pores - making it's own defects and these little hollows just seem to self perpetuate and resist most normal corrective approaches. In my experience these buggers start small but also stay small. What you thought was the pores drinking up finish was actually the pores refusing to accept a drop.
If there aren't too many, or they are not egregious, my approach is to open up the hole (if necessary) slightly by hand reaming with a small drill bit, then placing a drop of nitro (using a toothpick or exacto blade) into the hole. Allow the drop to cure then shave it level with a wood chisel. With a little luck you won't end up with an air bubble and you can proceed on with your project.
