Anybody ever use regular sanding sealer to fill the pores in a walnut stock before finishing?

Pros & Cons?

I've used it on furniture with good results.

Thanks

actually sanding sealer is just a cutback varnish. If you want a varnish finish OK. I have had much better luck sealing with clear deft oil. It is a combination of tung oil and polyurethanes. 2 coats seal very well then I use a dull tung oil for the final finish, applying the last coats with 400 grit old sandpaper.

I bought some Bone Black that I will use next time. Its a powder you Mix it in with my spar varnish for my soaker coat or 2 or3.

Butchloc is correct, sanding sealer is very thin varnish- probably shellac...

"Furniture" finishes are not really durable. A table leg wasn't meant to be handled and exposed to elements.

I like Waterlox sealer among others- it's thin phenolic tung oil varnish. Hang the stock and keep lapping the varnish on letting it drip off into a pan- keep the stock wet for several hours by continuing to lap on the finish- don't let it dry- let the wood drink all it can- then goop on a last coat and set it aside for a long while. You'll know it's dry when you sand it and get white dust- if not let it dry longer.

The pores will be filled (but not even) with varnish which in my opinion is better than silica/wood dust/varnish combo you get from "sanding" the finish in. You'll still need a topcoat. Bone black is a neat trick if you want that black pore look.

Where can one find bone black?

I got my bone black from Midway. Miles and Gilbert bone black. Its in their gunsmith catalog. I havent used it yet. I assume it will look like your painting the stock black while you do the first soaking coats then you sand or scrap it back off the wood.

Maurice Ottmar used to fill pores using a varnish. He first put on a sealer coat or 2 or 3. Then he applied a good coat of varnish and after a drying time, he used wood scrapers to remove the surface varnish. In most circumstances the pores were then filled. He then went on to wet sand the stock, starting with 320 grit and proceeding on to 600.