quote:

Originally posted by cobrajet:
Man has been polishing his wood since, well, since probably Eve had her first headache!!

That was funny!

The sanding slurry is idiot proof - thus perfect for me. I can fill 100% very easily.

Now, the rottenstone technique is great for any stocks that have been dyed. Trust me, I learned this the hard way.

Just my 2 cents: it is my understanding that people came up with the rottenstone added to finishes as filler because it does not shrink over time, which lowers the pores...oil slurry usually shrinks over several months and the pores come back!

Personally I just learned to accept the shrinking as I am only finishing my own stocks and do not have to satisfy anyone else.

How does rottenstone affect stain?

I am presuming that one stains a stock, if they are staining their stock, before they start adding finish, into which some rottenstone is added at some point.

So, what does wet-finish-sanding the stock with rottenstone do to the stain?

It would require a long description of the process of staining, it is detailed in Wesbrooks' book on stockmaking in the finishing chapters. Probably other places as well. A brief outline of ONE way to do it: The stock is filled by whatever method is chosen. The stock is then wet-sanded with water and 320 or 400 paper. This is to insure there is NO finish remaining on the wood surface to affect the evenness of the staining. Patches of remaining finish show up very well on the bleached-looking grey-tan surface of the stock that results from the water sanding. The sealed stock does not absorb much water and what does evaporates quickly. When all traces of finish are removed from the surface go over it with as fine a paper as desired [I usually find 400 grit is fine enough if all coarser scratches are really gone] then stain, then after the stain is well-dried apply top coats of final finish to seal. If patches of finish remain on the surface before staining these areas absorb the stain differently showing up as spots. I would only go to this amount of trouble when using a dramatic dark stain, because for lighter "tinting" of the wood there are other methods that are less work.