Need help on sanding sealer

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Dead Dunlin

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Feb 12, 2025
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Hello everyone! I’m a bit confused with sanding sealer. I’ve been doing wood projects for a while now and I usually got fair results, but I feel like I’m still a newbie lol.

Can sanding sealer help me with wood finishes or in staining process? I need pros right now, or even seasoned woodcrafter’s advice. Thanks!
 
I know that sanding sealer has thinner in it, that’s why I use it like a thinner - to help adhesion and fill little pores to get smoother finishes. Don’t use it on stains.
 
For me, I’ll use dewaxed shellac over SS all the time. DS is basically better than SS in all aspects, easy to use, can act as barrier, and most importantly DS can be used in stain jobs. Hope this helps!
 
If you need to control stain absorption, especially softwoods, use sanding sealer. If not, just leave it be. It is fine even if you don’t use SS, not that mandatory tbh.
 
Can sanding sealer help me with wood finishes or in staining process?
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I hate to lecture but, sanding sealer is used for preventing blotchiness, it is applied before staining, mostly on pine woods etc. Take note that some sealers act like solvents to stains, best is to test it on a scrap before using.
 
Used it once for a dresser which I made, painted it right away after applying. I usually use oil finishes like Danish oil or Odie’s. Haven’t used sanding sealer with any of those finishes lol.
 
Wood pore filling is the main purpose of why people use sanding sealers. For a perfectly smooth finishes without the texture of the wood showing through.
 
Oh, I get it now. If I wanted for a glass-smooth finish on a wood like oak, sanding sealer is my best bet? Right?
 
Oh, I get it now. If I wanted for a glass-smooth finish on a wood like oak, sanding sealer is my best bet? Right?
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You got it! SS will help fill those pores to give you a smooth surface for your topcoat!
 
I remember when I used sanding sealer 7 times just to spruce up a small Japanese house my dad made. Yeah, it did look great, but I think I overdo it 🤣
 
SS can sink deeper into any wood’s grains and pores due to its thinned-out composition. In other words, use 1lb. cut shellac as its coat sealer, followed by a 2lb. cut for subsequent coats for better mixture and glass-like finish. Hope this helps, bro!
 
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