Hello Sawmill Creek. I am a new member to this website and joined after reading and discovering all the valuable info all of you members provide. Thanks!
I was doing research in the SMC archives on finishing walnut sapwood and didn't quite find what I was looking for. What i did find is that kiln dried and steamed walnut can be finished to a uniform color. Some people are suggesting using a tint to stain just the sapwood, but then after aging some noticeable differences occur.
I am working on a jobsite trimming out a home with walnut casing and base trying to match was was done last year by another guy who is not suppling me with much info on what he did to get the walnut uniform. I don't know if the walnut he used was steamed or not. The walnut that I am using is just kiln dried but not steamed, got it from a local guy and the wood is full of sapwood that I can't waste.
What I do know is that he used cordovan to stain the wood and used a vinyl sealer with a catalyst, then for the top coat a coversion varnish with catalyst. Not sure if the sealer came before the stain, assuming so. However this can only be sprayed and I am not set up to spray, all has to be done by brush or rags.
So after talking with a few people I was told that I could put a sanding sealer on first (all the wood, not just sapwood), stain the wood with cordovan, which actually stains the sanding sealer, not really the wood, then finish it with a poly.
This trimwork does not have to be of furniture quality finishing, but still look uniform and match as closely as possible to the existing.
So after all this I am asking any of you who may have some advice to help. Here is a list of my questions.
1. can I apply a sanding sealer of some sort to the wood, stain it, then varnish is to get a good finish?
2. if so what type of sanding sealer would be best?
3. can anyone help out with what vinyl sealer with a catalyst and coversion varnish with catalyst is, and is there a product that is similar that can be brushed or raged?
4. Any other suggestions that I may not have asked or covered on how to make the trim look great.
Thanks for any help. I know many of you are experts on finishing and will have some good advice.
Cheers,
Tyson