Wood sealant

[Tim Landrum]

Hi, Just learning about wood working and painting on wood.

Question: If your going to paint on a bare piece of wood do you need to seal it? use primer? if both, in which order? how many coats of each? Can you recommend a sealant that I can find at any DIY or Loews. I have a can of indoor/outdoor KRYLON gray primer from Walmart but they didn't have anything that clearly stated wood sealant.

Thanks in advance

Tim L.

[David Hawxhurst]

zinnser seal coat will seal the wood so you can paint it. seal coat is a dewaxed shellac that will seal the wood and act as a primer for the final top coat. seal coat is usually available at most big box stores and some smaller place like ace hardware to true value.

[Lloyd McKinlay]

To many variables to give a specific answer. For example the Sealcoat mentioned above is a great product but it isn't recommended for exterior use, it also won't provide and hiding power. In general you should prime bare wood prior to painting and in most cases a high quality latex primer will suffice. The type of wood, type of topcoat, and planned use of the finished product will influence the primer selection. I would suggest visiting a dedicated paint store rather than a big box.

[Earl McLain]

Not to hijack Tim's post, but I'd like to throw out a current situation that may help him see it clearer...
We're building an entertainment center, cabinet doors will have open grill work. My wife wanted to paint the inside of the cabinet boxes white/eggshell so i built the boxes out of poplar. Now i'm looking at the grain of the poplar i used and really kind of want it to show through. If i were to use Sealcoat, we could then wipe on or lightly brush on a thin white, almost like a whitewash--which would give her the light color she wants and maybe still allow some grain to show through??

If that might work, maybe i'll go back to work on it and finish before winter!! Might be a good compromise.
earl