Wood preparation

Woodworks furniture, doors and windows are made from hardwood or pine. It sometimes shows knots ,it often has the exposed end-grain of plywood showing,especially on door edges,and the timber itself is somewhat coarser than more expensive woods. But careful preparation will give it a uniformly smooth,durable finish.

If the woodwork has any knots,these have to be treated to prevent resin from’bleeding’ through the paintwork.Paint them with a thin coat of the shellac-based knotting,and leave it to dry.

 

Next raise the nap.Make a paste from 28g(1oz)of the cellulose filler and the same volume of the pva adhesive,mixing with water to the consistency of cream. Apply it to the wood as thinly as possible with a scraper,working both with and across the grain.Work a small area at a time,as the filler hardens rapidly. When this has dried,rub down the surface with grade 0 glasspaper.

 

This treatment ensures that the surface of the wood is completely smooth. Whitewood tends to swell when moistened and so it is wise to raise any uneven fibres deliberately and sand them down before priming.The filler will also cover any small dents in the wood and close any tiny hair cracks that otherwise would not be obvious until they had been painted over. If any deep cracks are still visible,fill these with a stiff mixture of the cellulose filler and water ,following the instructions on the packet, give it at least an hour to dry-from a pale grey colour,it will turn white-before sanding down very lightly with grade 0 glasspaper.

 

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