# Walnut assistance



## Robie (Feb 25, 2005)

hdavis said:


> I can't think of any walnut I didn't fill. I've done a bunch of oak and didn't fill it, but that was to show off the wood with a built finish. Dark walnut I fill because the grain doesn't show up well.
> 
> Either way works,


Yup. That and mahogany.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

Aquacoat (clear) or Crystallac for filling. 

I would never poly this. 

Tom


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## Deckhead (Dec 9, 2010)

I guess this one is solved.

I got nothing to add other than if its clean from the mill it is probably burnished in some area (if wasnt run through a widebelt) which is why some grain looks open and others dont. Dont be surprised when you put 150 on it that all of it opens up a bit.

No worries though, like Leo said, light coats and it wont telegraph so bad. Actually makes a cool finish if you ask me, perfectly flat and smooth is for other woods imo. 

Walnut should have character or it looks like it's trying to be an imitation of an exotic. Walnut is a joy to work with. It's what I did my table base with in my house and it's all poly and looks fine.


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## Easy Gibson (Dec 3, 2010)

tjbnwi said:


> Aquacoat (clear) or Crystallac for filling.
> 
> I would never poly this.
> 
> Tom


Aquacoat looks like a good time. The internet has mixed feelings on Crystallac.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

Easy Gibson said:


> Aquacoat looks like a good time. The internet has mixed feelings on Crystallac.


I’ve had no issues with either.

Tom


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## Easy Gibson (Dec 3, 2010)

Do you use the Aquacoat as your finish? Their website says to apply it over the topcoat, which sounds completely counter intuitive to me.


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## tjbnwi (Feb 24, 2009)

Easy Gibson said:


> Do you use the Aquacoat as your finish? Their website says to apply it over the topcoat, which sounds completely counter intuitive to me.


Raw wood or after staining. Never used it as a topcoat, pretty sure I never will.

Tom


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## Easy Gibson (Dec 3, 2010)

But then I'd have to abandon my precious poly....


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## pinwheel (Dec 7, 2009)

tjbnwi said:


> Aquacoat (clear) or Crystallac for filling.
> 
> I would never poly this.
> 
> Tom


I try to never box myself in. Different clients have different tastes & different budgets. I do my best to give the best quality according to taste & budget.

That said, I probably wouldn't use poly either, but easy doesn't have the spray equipment we've got available, so my advise was to help him achieve his goal with the products & equipment available to him.


I use quite a bit of black walnut in floor work. I put poly on lots of walnut & it looks awesome.


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## rrk (Apr 22, 2012)

remember this is in a very busy area and will be getting lots of use, much more than in a low populated area


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

Really tough to beat polyurethane for it's durability.


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## rrk (Apr 22, 2012)

In a good year could see 75k people


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## Easy Gibson (Dec 3, 2010)

Another facet of walnut that I had completely forgotten about.... walnut is f'n dense, man. 
This counter is a hernia in the making.


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## keith mathewson (Nov 25, 2007)

Kind of off topic since I’ve never finished anything. But this one has always bothered me. this is what it looked like when I built it out of solid walnut. And this is what it looks like after the “designer” choose the color for the finish


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## ScipioAfricanus (Sep 13, 2008)

keith mathewson said:


> Kind of off topic since I’ve never finished anything. But this one has always bothered me. this is what it looked like when I built it out of solid walnut. And this is what it looks like after the “designer” choose the color for the finish


That is some bad-ass carpentry.

I doff my hat to you.

Andy.


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## pinwheel (Dec 7, 2009)

ScipioAfricanus said:


> That is some bad-ass carpentry.
> 
> I doff my hat to you.
> 
> Andy.



I feel like a hack after looking at that.


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## Deckhead (Dec 9, 2010)

Someone needs to smack that designer in the mouth.

They even destroyed the floor.


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## rrk (Apr 22, 2012)

Deckhead said:


> Someone needs to smack that designer in the mouth.
> 
> They even destroyed the floor.


why bother with the herringbone if you can't see it


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## BlueRidgeGreen (Apr 21, 2012)

I don’t care what they did to it. 

That is impressive. 

And...it’s still gorgeous....despite what finish the designer chose. 
That’s a staircase that stops you in your tracks and makes you realize there are still true craftsmen out there. 

Cheers. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

keith mathewson said:


> But this one has always bothered me.


Keith, if it's any consolation that's fine furniture. Use great wood, get everything perfect, then make it look totally different.

At least you have the pics from the raw state and got to work with some beautiful wood.


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