Afro Boy Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 Hi everyone,I have some walnut veneer on plywood substrate which I purchased. I have noticed that it has "gouges" in some parts. They almost look like tear out that would you get form a bad hand planing job, but may be somewhat natural to this type of veneer. I am at the point of applying a finish but I am not sure how to approach it. Should I try to fill the grain with something first? If so, what? Would an oil, shellac, or poly based finish work best in this situation?The piece is a pair of bedside tables. Thanks for any advice you can provide. Cheers,Af. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wtnhighlander Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 It's hard to tell from the grain in the photo, but I think that veneer may have been radially peeled from the log, rather than flat sliced. The 'gouges' do look like tearout, possibly caused by a dull or improperly set up cutter on the machine. Also, radially peeled veneer grain is 'wilder' because it is cut it a spiral around the log. It seems (to me, at least) that this results in a surface that is more prone to fiber separation & splintering as it dries. There is nothing in the photo to provide a sense of scale, but I'm judging those spots to be pretty small. You might get away with using a paste pore filler prior to finish. The choice of finish should be influenced by the intended use. As bedside tables, will they be subject to any spilled liquids or chemicals? If not, oil or shellac should be fine. If more protection is needed, go with poly. Personally, I don't have the patience to wait for the oil to cure, so I rarely use it. I like to seal & base coat with shellac, then add a final top coat of poly for protection. If you can stand the wait, though, nothing makes walnut look richer than a deep application of oil. Whatever you do, test it on a scrap first! Never experiment on the actual work piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afro Boy Posted February 1, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 Thanks for that. I'll definitely give it all a shot on some scrap pieces first! The longest tear-out is around 1" and they are over most of the piece. I'll take a look into that pore filler and see how it works. Thanks, Af. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 I agree it looks like radial or rotary cut veneer. I would use some filler to get a smoother surface for a bedside table. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPCV_Woodworker Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 Make sure you get a dark filler! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric. Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 That's a drag. I fear that nothing you do will make that veneer look the way it should. You know what they say about hindsight, but that plywood should have probably been given a "no thanks" at the yard. Now you know. Good luck with the repairs though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted February 1, 2015 Report Share Posted February 1, 2015 Maybe the rotary cut veneer got put on upside down ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Afro Boy Posted February 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 I've tried some Timbermate filler and turned it into a paste using a few drops of water. Rubbed it on nice and thick, scraped off the excess and let it dry. Gave it a good sanding and I'm pretty pleased with the results. Also, I made a mistake in my title, the wood is Blackbutt, an Australian timber. It's open pored so I guess similar in this situation to Walnut. Thanks so much for the advice and tips. Much appreciated. Cheers, Af. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 I like how Timbermate works but that stuff smells funny ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim0625 Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 Could he LIGHTLY sand it to reduce the magnitude of the gouges? The danger is you sand through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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