Black Walnut

[Dan Williams]

I just read that you are not suposed to use White Diamond buffing compound on Black Walnut. Could someone explain why, and how to buff Black Walnut then.

I am new to turning so, if any or you have any good tips you could share about what to an what not to buff with differant woods. I would be greatful

Dan

[robert hainstock]

Walnut is an opengrained wood. If you apply white diamond buff, it will fill the pores with white diamond. UGLY! Use sandpaper up to 600 grit or even finer before you finish. Luck! :):)
Bob

[Dan Williams]

Walnut is an opengrained wood. If you apply white diamond buff, it will fill the pores with white diamond. UGLY! Use sandpaper up to 600 grit or even finer before you finish. Luck! :):)
Bob

Can you use the white diamond after sanding to 600 ?

[Jim Becker]

Can you use the white diamond after sanding to 600 ?

Best to avoid it on dark, open pored woods and go right to the carnuba after the Tripoli.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I agree with Jim. I avoid using white diamond on any dark open pored wood. I have a ugly piece that I had parted off, finished the bottom and then you guessed it used the WD buffing wheel. I put it back on the lathe with a jam chuck hoping to be able to sand it all off. Didn't work. Now I sand to 600 to 800 grit and finish.

[Glenn Hodges]

Dan, it depends on the finish you use on the wood. If you use a lacquer sanding filler spray, and follow this with multiple light coats of lacquer you may buff it. Look in the Grizzly catalog to see the Menzerna buffing compound recomended for lacquer used on guitars. I use course and fine, and it does not eat through the lacquer as does using the tripoli to aggresively. I only recommend Grizzly because this is where I found it, I am sure you may find it elsewhere, good luck if you choose to use lacquer.

[David Walser]

Can you use the white diamond after sanding to 600 ?

Dan,

If you fill the pores, you can use the white diamond. In my opinion, filling the pores means more than just a coat of sanding sealer or lacquer. (You can fill the pores with sanding sealer or lacquer, it just takes more than one coat.) After a coat of sanding sealer or lacquer, the surface typically has lots of little depressions where the sealer went down into the pores. The white diamond can still be left behind in these depressions, leaving a look you might not want. (Some people try for this look by applying a coat of colored wax after the wood is sealed and before the final finish is applied. This accentuates the grain of the wood.)

There are lots of ways to fill the pores of walnut and other open pored woods. Your goal is to have the pores of the wood filled flush with the surface of the wood. You can use several coats of sanding sealer or lacquer, sanding the down to the bare wood between coats. You can also use one of the fillers on the market. My favorite method is to "wet sand" with your final grit of paper and the finish you plan on using. Wiping off the finish leaves the pores (mostly) filled with walnut dust and finish.

Hope this helps and good luck!

[robert hainstock]

If the wood has not been sealed by either a finish or sealer. I buff most of my walnut after I have applied the final coat of rub on poly. the dry unfinished wood I buff with tripoli when I feel the need. I sand to 600 grit and then apply the finish.

[robert hainstock]

Find my Nov 25 thread, and look at the pix. three coats of poly and three system buffed.:) Bob

[Allen Neighbors]

On open pore wood: If I want a super smooth finish (like on a nice HF), I dry sand Black Walnut down to 180 to 220 grit changing directions on each grit. Then I put on a lacquer wash, spin it dry with a tee shirt, and sand both directions with the remaining grits through 600... applying the wash between grits also, spinning dry with tee shirt. By the time I finish sanding, the pores are filled enough that I can buff with white diamond also.
If I don't want to spend that sort of time and energy on a piece, I skip the white diamond, going straight from tripoli to carnauba. I use the easier method on such things as coffee scoops and biscuit cutters, ring keepers, etc.