[EricS]

Hi PuhPow,

I have a few questions for you about refinishing. I've been working on a very beat up Radiola (mahogany cabinet) that I found a few weeks ago. I thought it would be fun to strip it and start over again for the learning experience. I figured using an inexpensive and common radio was a good way to start.

I began by working on just the lid - I figured learning in a small area would be easier. I used TimberMate wood filler, sanded it smooth and then smeared it with Constantine's grain filler and scraped with a card after a few minutes. I guess I need to be more thorough about scraping, it took me quite a long time to smooth out the little ridges and left over spots. At one point I switched to a more rigid sanding block and the thicker areas very quickly clogged the sand paper (a worn down piece of 220 grit and a new piece of 330 grit). Anyhow, it appears I sanded too much - I used a 320 grit sanding sponge. I sanded down very thoroughly until the only grain filler that I could see was actually in the grain. It took a very long time to get that last micron-thick layer off of the wood. In retrospect, perhaps I should have left that little bit where it was. Anyhow, after spraying it with some ultra-classic toner (dark walnut/oak is a great match to the Radiola original color, by the way) I can still see the pores through the finish when the light reflects.

How do I go about filling in the not-completely filled in pores now? I suppose it needed a second coat of grain filler... My guess is that if I spread more grain filler and sand it again, I'll remove the toner and have trouble getting the color even again. Can I build up layers of clear and sand this smooth? Or is there an easier approach?

Thanks for the insights!