On one of the MR Dream Plan Build DVDs, it said to spray something on the pieces of a wood kit to seal them, or something like that. Can I just use Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement or Matte Medium for this, or should I buy a special product?
I don’t know what product others may use. I coat the wood pieces with shellac. Then I paint them.
I use several coats of dullcote to seal wood, usually after it’s stained, but before it’s painted.
I have never sealed good, hard, fine grained wood. It looks just fine with only stain of the right color. I hav lots of scratch built buildings finished this way and they all look great. Now, if you use cheap coarse grained wood, then sealing is a must. Shellac or dulcoat will work.
BB
BB, I think Postdog2 was asking about kits, which, if I’m not mistaken, generally use basswood, which is not one of the finer grain woods.
Anybody tried the SANDING SEALER that the airplane folks use? Used that on a model boat hull years ago. I think it was called “DOPE” back then mafe by Testors.
It worked well so it is probably off the market!![:D]
You can buy Sanding sealer in a spray can at your local paint store, hardware store,or Box building supply. which will work.
There are various sanding sealers available in spray. Deft (laquer) is about the best, and it’s price reflects it. Deft can be found at any paint store and I believe the home centers as well. I would suggest that too heavy a coat can affect later staining or start to hide graining and detail. To seal brush on thinned bullseye white shellac. Thin w/ denatured alcohol. Experiment with the ratio to seal for the desired staining or aging.
1-1 or 2-1 (alcohol/ shellac) is fine if painting, 3-1 or greater if staining.
Any water base staining or washes will cause warping on many bare wood components. When sealing also seal both sides. Extreme humidity or accidental wetting of you masterpiece can be disasterous.
Bob K.
I found out the hard way why you should seal both side a few years back. The unsealed side will draw in the humidity causing extreme warping when it gets humid. Fortunately It was the insideof the stucture I painted so you couldn’t see bare wood through the windows and doors. I waited for the humidity to drop and the walls to regain their original shape and sealed the exterior. What a pain it would be to have to try to seal the interior of a completed structure!