Finishing White Oak

[David Klug]

I'm making a project out of white oak and I notice that it is very porus. Has anybody worked with it and if so what did you use for a filler and finish? TIA

DK

[Gary Breckenridge]

Think of oak as a bunch of soda straws that are compressed into wood.:rolleyes: Then think of your intended use. A beer drinking stein and a kitchen counter top are bad ideas. I have used shellac as a sealer with okay results. I have used boiled linseed oil (my current project.) I have also used plain old varnish with a light #320 sanding between coats.:cool:

[glenn bradley]

Depending on the finish you want sanding sealer may be a good idea to fill the fairly porous surface. You've probably noticed that even heavily poly'd oak still has dimples and grain lines (which I sometimes like).

[Steve Clardy]

White oak finishes a lot better than red oak. Red Oak is the porous one.
They make whiskey barrels out of white oak, and they don't leak.
It finishes just fine. No grain filler is required.

[Dan Oliphant]

Steve is correct, a seal coat of shellac ( 2 pound cut, one coat) is all the is necessary when looking of a smooth top coat.