Will sanding sealer improve this rough Sapele ?

[Cordy]

This Sapele has rough marks on it which go through from one surface to the reverse side even after intense sanding it's still course

Will sanding sealer help ?

I am going to stain with Morrells' Plum Mahogany light fast stain -- should sealer be applied before or after stain ?

 

[Glynne]

Any type of finish will actually highlight any imperfections rather than disguise them. Have you tried a newly burnished scraper rather than sanding?

 

[--Tom--]

Looks to be tearout caused by the swirling grain, If you want it smooth will need more sanding or try a scraper if you have one

 

[RobinBHM]

Strange colour for sapele!

 

[pollys13]

Agree with Robin on colour.

 

[Cordy]

Strange colour for sapele!

Don't tell me I've been ripped off
In fact the offending plank is centre in photo; the light disc shape -- it goes through to other side -- so not tear-out

 

[CHJ]

Lots of examples of Sapele In Hobbit House database, but read down through the comments on various samples and you will see there is considerable doubt about Retail Descriptions and actual Species Source being harvested/marketed as such in the USA at least.

 

[RobinBHM]

The second picture looks more like Sapele, with the typical reddish tone

The first one looks nothing like Sapele, colour or to be honest grain -but then it could be just lighting

 

[profchris]

More sanding needed until you reach the bottom of the tearout.

When making ukuleles with figured wood I often find that a couple of coats of shellac helps to stabilise "fluffy" grain - wipe on, let dry, sand away until smooth, reapply shellac if I go through it all. It will sit in the bottom of the tearout, so you can see whether you have sanded it all away. I guess cellulose sanding sealer would have the same effect.

 

[monkeybiter]

More sanding needed until you reach the bottom of the tearout.

When making ukuleles with figured wood I often find that a couple of coats of shellac helps to stabilise "fluffy" grain - wipe on, let dry, sand away until smooth, reapply shellac if I go through it all. It will sit in the bottom of the tearout, so you can see whether you have sanded it all away. I guess cellulose sanding sealer would have the same effect.

That's what I've found when turning spalted timber, a bit of SS can firm the grain enough to get an even and level surface.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Strange colour for sapele!

Don't tell me I've been ripped off
In fact the offending plank is centre in photo; the light disc shape -- it goes through to other side -- so not tear-out

It's your phone camera being confused by not having anything to set its white balance against. If it's Apple, all bets are off, but if Android, you can change the white balance in the camera app:

It's on the Settings menu (cog icon), and if in doubt pick daylight or tungsten ("incandescent") or fluorescent - whichever type falls most strongly on the surface you are actually snapping.

Would also help to include a coin or a ruler, so we get an idea of scale - could've been a wheat field otherwise!

 

[Cordy]

Fair enough Eric -- I should have used a coin to show relative size

Camera is Nikon D90 with the 35 mm fixed lens -- I don't do telescopic

Most of the Sapele is fine

Here is a test board using Morrells' light fast stain
Top one is red, then Mahogany followed by Plum Mahogany
Ideally trying to match the Plastic fascia board

Meanwhile I've sent for some Sanding Sealer to experiment with

 

[Eric The Viking]

Nice camera, although I haven't used a Nikon regularly since I had a Coolpix 950 for work around 1999! Have ended up (by accident) with Canon...

Anyway, looks like it's accepted the stain nicely.