Ordered Target Coatings USL - do I need sealer?

[Greg McCallister]

I should of asked this question before placing my order
Do I need to use a sealer on Baltic birch cases with soft maple faces?
I sprayed some minwax polycrylic on the same above (test cabinet for bath) and noticed a lot of nibs or rising of the grain. Was able to sand down with no problem and was able to finish without any more grain raising but do you recommend using a sealer? I will not be staining...

[Steve Schoene]

The USL will work just fine as it's own thinner. Yes, it will raise grain, but as you noted with the other finish it will sand off OK. Unless there is a particular reason, finishes are almost always stronger and longer lasting if there is only one material on the wood. Thee are a few, mostly two-part sprayed finishes that perform better over a specific sealer often vinyl, and sometimes it is good to use a sealer to separate incompatible materials, such as oily woods from oil based finishes, or oil based stains from waterborne finishes.

[Jim Becker]

You do not need a sealer unless you use a water soluble dye on the project first. (or BLO) In that case, I'd recommend a sprayed coat of dewaxed shellac as a barrier coat. If you are leaving the wood natural, then apply your first coat of USL and let it dry for a couple hours. Hit it with 320 to knock off the nibs, clean it off and then proceed with the remaining coats of finish.

[Matt Meiser]

I like the shellac anyway to give the wood some color, but it depends on your project. I've also added about 1 drop of Transtint Honey Amber dye to 1 oz of waterbourne finish (both USL and Polycrylic) and that gives a nice oil-like finish.