True or False

[Dale Cruea]

Is it true that Denatured Alcohol will not raise the grain when wiping down a board after sanding?

[sheldon pettit]

It's "true" that it's "false", lol, Most all alcohols have a bit of water in them - for example Den alco at 95% or 190 proof, has 5% water. Everclear and others the same. But even if it were 99.99% water free, it would still slightly raise the grain though not objectionally.

[Dale Cruea]

thanks Sheldon.

[Randy Goodhew]

Is it true that Denatured Alcohol will not raise the grain when wiping down a board after sanding?

False.

Alcohols, with or without water, can raise the grain on wood - some species of wood more than others.
I wipe down wood after final sanding/planing with VM&P naphtha.

Blessings.

[George Bokros]

Will mineral spirits raise the grain?

[Bruce Page]

Will mineral spirits raise the grain?

I was wondering the same thing. I use MS and haven’t noticed the grain raising but I may not have looked hard enough. I am far from being a finishing expert.

[sheldon pettit]

Hmmm.... Well it depends on how you use MS, or other solvents including. If left on wood surfaces for varying periods of time, all are capable of minutely raising the grain of most of the common woods and especially the common hardwoods such as oak/mahogany/walnut/etc..

In using it to wipe off surface dust, or as a base for a pigmented stain, etc, one usually wont see any grain raising if wiped on and off in reasonably short times , as is normally the case and if that is the basis for the questions, then no - naptha's/MS, or any of the normal aliphatic and aromatic compounds used in wood finishing without any noticeable or objectionable grain raising.

On the other hand, one can not say they don't cause grain raising "at all", if used, lets say, to stabilize wood as Nelsonite or others do by long term soaking and saturation of the wood. you can easily see if left puddled, or better yet, dammed in at a thickness of 1/8 or more and left to evaporate on it's own, that even VMP naphtha, or MS and others, can cause grain raising in all woods i have used. But again, this is not what i think is being asked here, lol.

[Bruce Page]

Thanks Sheldon. I often use MS on a dampened rag to clean up the board after sanding.

[Carl Beckett]

I recall using alcohol to remove dents. Seems like it would be a similar effect if pooled and left on.

Wiping would evaporate quickly so maybe not on long enough to penetrate and cause grain raising

(and on the stubborn dents, I pooled a drop of alcohol, let it soak in, and lit it off with a match)