I thought I'd piggyback on the recent WB/OB finish thread because I'm gradually making the transition to water-based finishes myself.
The first question is about raised grain. When applying a WB topcoat directly to raw wood, and then lightly sanding the raised grain before second coat, I can't seem to get a smooth surface on subsequent coats. Photos attached of an example of white oak with 3 coats of GF HP satin. I've tried sanding the first coat more aggressively but this just seems to promote grain raising on second coat. Even when the raised grain is buried under additional coats with light sanding in between coats, I can still see and feel the raised bumpy grain under the topcoats, as seen in the pics. This has happened with multiple species including white oak, walnut, and sycamore. This is for times when I'm not interested in using a shellac seal coat. Pre-raising/sanding doesn't seem to help either. Any suggestions? If this is just a reality of WB finishes, I can live with that.
Second question is about toning. I know toners are typically sprayed, but has anyone had luck brushing on a tinted WB topcoat like High Performance or Enduro Var? I'm wondering if I will be able to get consistent color. Any suggestions on TransTint dyes to get a WB closest to oil based look? I've seen suggestions of amber, honey amber, and dark vintage maple.
Thanks!