Preventing raising the grain with water based lacquer

[John Gregory]

We purchased pine crown molding from a big box store. It is not primed and we will be applying some Target Coating lacquer. Since crown molding is hard to sand due to it's profile, what can we use to pre-treat the molding to eliminate or greatly reduce raised grain and sanding.

Thanks
John

[Jim Becker]

You could spray on a very light coat of de-waxed shellac and then knock off the fuzzies with a pad. In my experience, you still may want/need to use the pad after your first coat of the water borne, however. That said, you could do the same with just the EM6000 after the first coat but you will not get the warmth that the shellac will impart. Putting most water borne finishes, including the EM600, directly on bare wood generally provides a "colder" look that may be blasé...be sure you test it before you spray all that molding!

[Wayne Lomman]

Apply a light coat first up. It makes sanding much easier. Cheers

[Scott Holmes]

If the molding has a uniform shape... Before you apply anything to the molding make a custom contoured sanding block by putting a piece of worn 220 or 320 sand paper on the molding then press it in and apply Bondo once the Bondo is dry you have a custom sanding block.

I suggest applying a light coat or two of de-waxed blonde shellac.

[Robert Engel]

John, there's nothing I know of you can do. Oil based or shellac based primers don't raise the grain as much, but you've still got to sand.

Charles Neil has an excellent YouTube video on how to make a custom profile sanding block. It is basically what Scott said.

I'd probably go with BIN shellac based primer. It dries fast and sands nicely.

[Rob Young]

If the molding has a uniform shape... Before you apply anything to the molding make a custom contoured sanding block by putting a piece of worn 220 or 320 sand paper on the molding then press it in and apply Bondo once the Bondo is dry you have a custom sanding block.

I suggest applying a light coat or two of de-waxed blonde shellac.

Did this when helping a friend with a bunch of baseboard and trim moldings. Worked very well. Did something similar on some small cove molding by just carving a block from some pink insulation foam.

[John Gregory]

Thanks everyone, I will try the ideas and see what will work.