RAISING FIGURE WITH WATER???

[HARD HAT]

I'm getting preped to apply a tung-oil finish to my bass and I keep seeing threads on finishing that mention using water to make the figure "pop". Can someone explain this in a little more detail for me. All I've ever heard is get the driest wood I can for building - and now I'm looking at wetting it down. Once you wet it, do you let it dry before finishing or does the "popped" figure fade out as it dries. Really curious - any help out there?

[Shomy]

i can tell you from my modest expirience, that you should use water to bring the grain up before the final sanding, when your using 600+ grit. it is recommended for open-grained wood, like ash. i don't think it will do you any harm on close grained wood, either.
you just wipe the wood with damp cloth. it will bring the grain up, but it will be dry in 20-30 min so you can apply finish.

i have never heard of rising the grain prior to finish. i cannot see any point in that. but then again as i said, my expirience is not so big.

[Wolak]

I think what you are refering to by using water to make the grain pop is more of a temporary thing people do for pictures and such to show the grain. I believe it is better to use naptha. It won't raise the grain. Using tung oil will make the grain pop permenantly. No need to use water before putting on tung oil.

[HeathW]

+1 on what Wolak said, but it realy doesn't do any harm to sand to around 400-600 wet the wood with a damp rag let it dry and sand again with the same paper, this will stop the grain raising (or going rough) when you put your final finish on.

[NamelessOne]

there's two things referred to here, that could both be under that name: "popping" the figure, or raising the grain. "popping" the figure is just wetting the wood with water, naptha, denatured alcohol, etc... basically, anything that simulates a finish and leaves no residue. this makes the wood look finished for a minute or two, so you can fantasize about how it'll look (there's no other reason, really)

On the other hand, "raising the grain" is something you do before a finish if you're really picky. basically, you sand to ~600, then dampen the wood. after it dries, it will no longer be smooth. sand to 600 again, and repeat if you're REALLY picky. this provides a slightly smoother finish, and can enhance the chatoyance of figured woods (though i've also heard that sanding to some rediculously high, like 4000, grit does that better)

[Linas]

Originally Posted by NamelessOne

there's two things referred to here, that could both be under that name: "popping" the figure, or raising the grain. "popping" the figure is just wetting the wood with water, naptha, denatured alcohol, etc... basically, anything that simulates a finish and leaves no residue. this makes the wood look finished for a minute or two, so you can fantasize about how it'll look (there's no other reason, really)

Not to hijack the thread, but i get my wood in the mail tomorow from Gallery Hardwoods and i want to fantasize about the figure Is mineral spirits safe to use for my figure fantasy?

[FBB Custom]

Water will "raise" the grain, mineral spirits will not. Raising (and knocking down with sanding) the grain prior to finishing makes a lot of sense if your finish involves adding water (which will raise the grain unless you've already dealt with it). This includes water-based stain application, but most of the time raising the grain is not necessary.

In general, you want to keep water away from wood because it interacts with wood fibers in undesirable ways (expansion/contraction). If all you want is to get an idea of what the finish will look like, use naptha or mineral spirits.

[Rodent]

interesting to read of people sanding to 400, 600, end even finer grits. this must be for those utilizing a water based finish, eh?

the shop where I send by bodies out to be finished specifically requested I stop at 200 grit because they want the poly (or nitro) finish to have something to "grab to"

all the best,

R

[NamelessOne]

if you want to hear the reasoning for high grit, talk to (I believe) Drak from the ProjectGuitar forums. he's the biggest finish perfectionist i've ever heard of (ask about the Wall of Death), and i think he's the one who said the 4000 grit thing. i've not ifnished a bass yet, so I wouldn't know firsthand.

[gfried84]

I stop at 220 for hardfinish and 400 for an oil finish.

[FBB Custom]

When I did a couple of nitro finishes with an acoustic guitar dude he only sanded the bare wood to 220. Then the nitro was sanded up over 2000 and then polishing compound. Topcoat finishes do need something to grab into.

I generally do oil finishes over bare wood sanded to 320, then wet sanded with the oil to 600 or 800.