Sealing Basswood?

[T-Bone]

Hey- I have started messing around with basswood for a topwater design and am wondering--- should I seal the wood w/ thinned etex , or?? before I prime? What has worked best for you? thanks in advance for any advice. T

[BobP]

I dip basswood in a quick drying solution of propionate disolved in acetone to stop the grain from raising when hit by water based acrylic. Most any solvent based coating will do the same thing.

[rofish]

I do the same as BobP, only that I do not have propionate to dissolve it in thinner. I use CD blancs which dissolve in thinner or acetone. As BobP said, almost any solvent based coating will do the trick.

But I consider that for better results, you should do 2 things:

- the wood must be perfectly dried when you dip it the first time in the solution, and also it should be warm, because in this case the wood takes in more solution, so it is better protected

- even if the solution dries quickly, you should let it dry one day after you make the first dipping, because you can see it dried on the surface, while inside the wood it didn't. I made an experiment with the first layer. After it dried on the surface, I heated the wood, and the solution started to come out of it. The second or third layer dries much quicker. I usually do 2 dippings. You can sand it afterward, if needed, and if you really want a smooth surface, you dip again the wood after sanding

[Lure--Prof]

E-tex will also work fine as a sealer.