Gloss finish on N.G.Rosewood?

I would like to end up with a mirror finish on New Guinea Rosewood. Because it has such large open grain pores in some areas, I am wondering what to do.

I have read lot's of messages and howto's, and watched you tube videos, and, as is usual for the internet, some advice conflicts with others.

For example, I have read that sanding sealer followed by polyurethane should work. I got some feast&Watson sanding sealer from bunnings,and tried it last night. The first coat of sealer doesn't seem to have filled the grain very much. I will try a second coat tonight.

I also tried 2 coats of Estapol on bare NGR and although the gloss was nice, the grain was not filled. It was an interesting effect - in fact it looked OK, but I'd still like to know how to fill the grain and get a mirror flat finish.

Should I try a paste-type grain filler? What brands are available in Australia (do Bunnings sell it?)? I have also read about using epoxy and even CA glue, but this sounds tricky and might ruin the wood for good if it goes wrong.

Bluesy, I am currently in the process of making a set of drawers and have used the Feast Watson Sanding Sealing on NG Rosewood. I have used Minwax Wipe on Poly and am very happy with the result. I use the satin poly as I am not a fan of high gloss finishes.
Cheers
Barry

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Baz

Bluesy, I am currently in the process of making a set of drawers and have used the Feast Watson Sanding Sealing on NG Rosewood. I have used Minwax Wipe on Poly and am very happy with the result. I use the satin poly as I am not a fan of high gloss finishes.
Cheers
Barry

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Thanks for replying Barry. Can I ask a few questions then? I am using this for a guitar, and there are two finishes I prefer, either high gloss, or satin/natural. The finish I am contemplating for this one is absolutely dead-flat high gloss mirror finish. I stress that, because I have looked at what some furniture builders call a gloss finish, and it's nowhere near what a good guitar finish is like. So...

Can you still see ANY grain in the finish?
How many coats of F&W did you use, and did you sand between coats, or just at the end?
Was the grain filled after sanding, or does the Minwax also help to fill it as well?
How much colour does the Minwax add, and is it yellowish, or just darker than the original wood colour now it's finished?

Yes you can still see the grain in places
One coat of SS and sanded with 400
I would say that the grain was not totally filled, you could rub back the first coat and then apply a second
NG Rosewood varies greatly in colour, this piece is mostly yellow, yes the poly does darken it. I am definitely not a finishing expert.
Can you still see ANY grain in the finish?
How many coats of F&W did you use, and did you sand between coats, or just at the end?
Was the grain filled after sanding, or does the Minwax also help to fill it as well?
How much colour does the Minwax add, and is it yellowish, or just darker than the original wood colour now it's finished?[/QUOTE]

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Baz

Yes you can still see the grain in places
One coat of SS and sanded with 400
I would say that the grain was not totally filled, you could rub back the first coat and then apply a second
NG Rosewood varies greatly in colour, this piece is mostly yellow,

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OK, I'll be trying 2 coats on my test piece, we'll see how it turns out.

My NGR is golden red, and I didn't want it getting any more yellow, hence the question.

I have some other pieces of NGR with red streaking and I think that the poly highlights the red. Maybe you should ask others in the Musical Instruments section, someone there would be more qualified on finishing guitars.
Cheers
Barry

This link was put in another thread by Woodwould French polishing tutorial it's for guitars. Remember it is American and some things are a little different here, but the principles are the same the world over.

Definitely worth having a look at.

Cheers - Neil

PS There are a number of guitar builders using our Hard Shellac as a finish. Our new improved version is great.

Thanks for the link.

A quick question about the Ubeaut EEE polish? If I read the description on the website correctly, it can be used on polyurethane. Do you just use it last to buff up the already glossy finish of the final coat?

Another alternative is to pore fill with ZPoxy. It hardens clear and helps the grain pop out. Ive used it on a Mandola and finished with TruOil. Its come up really well. Ive also finished with ZPoxy and then used Hard Shellac, that has also worked really well.

Barnes are the distributors for ZPoxy in Australia.