Filling wood before staining
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Q. I have a some nice-looking radiator cabinets made with cabinet-grade plywood, faced with an oak veneer. I plan to stain, but the instructions said the open-pored oak must be filled before staining, varnishing, or painting. What does that mean and why must it be done?
TOM FREEMAN, Wellesley
A. The oak does not have to be filled but it is a good idea to do so. Oak, walnut, and mahogany are open-pored woods, and when they are varnished they present a finish that is full of little dashed pockmarks, readily visible through the finish. That is OK if you want such a finish, but it is not good for painting. So, fill the wood with a paste wood filler. Follow directions and you will fill the pores, and after sanding smooth will make the surface ideal for staining and varnishing, or painting. Generally, the filler is applied, rubbed across the grain to fill the pores, then rubbed with the grain, let dry, and sanded. This happened to the handyman when he bought some mahogany plywood to cover wainscoting. He installed it, then primed and painted one section, and there were pockmarks. When the pockmarks still showed after several coats of paint, he found information on wood filler, installed it, and was home free.
Q. My friend inherited a grandfather clock that her father built. She knows how to wind it, but is stumped as to how to turn the hands back or move them in any direction. How is that done? Hi, Pop, guess who?
GINA HOTTON, Mashpee
A. Oh my goodness, my baby has asked a question. Your friend can move the hands with her hands; it is done all the time and is easy to do, if she opens the dial door, which is usually a glass door. Sometimes the hands cannot be turned back because there is a stop built into the works. So, if she tries turning the hands back, she must do it slowly, and stop if she hits a stop. I called my friend Paul Langner of Wayland, a retired Globie like me, a crackerjack newspaperman and unsurpassed cabinet maker who built his own grandfather clock, including the works. Paul warned me about turning the hands back. So Gina, if your friend cannot turn the hands back, then she will have to turn them 12 hours ahead.
Q. The casement windows in my 50-year-old house are still in good shape, but some are difficult to open and close at the start and end of the season. I noticed the edges are painted. How can I get them to fit properly? Also, some of the hardware on the windows is stripped. How can I replace it?
ALAN S., Newton
A. For the sticky windows, plane down the edges that stick. They were painted to prevent moisture from entering the wood, but eventually enough moisture entered to swell them, and they stuck. Plane enough so they will fit easily. Then paint the edges with an oil-based primer coat to seal them. As for the stripped hardware, remove the mechanism, including the operating arm, and take it to
Globe Handyman on Call Peter Hotton also appears in the Sunday Homes Section. He's available 1-6 p.m. Tuesdays to answer questions on house repair. Call 617-929-2930. Hotton (photton@globe.com) also chats online about house matters 2-3 p.m. Thursdays: Go to www.boston.com.
