I can’t wait for my book
Regarding the Pedersoli kit.
I'm on a third layer of undiluted varnish in an attempt to fill the pores (in addition to the first diluted and wiped coat that was done to seal the wood from moisture).
Few things I learned that may help other people building Pedersoli kits.
The most important thing - do not use steel wool, or sand metal parts installed in wood resulting in tiny specs of steel and then use water on the wood unless you want to stain the stock black.
It is fine to use steel wool on its own. It is fine to sand steel parts right next to wood in finishing. As long as you do not later wet that part of wood without very thorough cleaning.
I had big chunks turn blotchy black(its fixed now). I first tried a dewhiskering method where one moistens the wood and dries it with an airgun. Then one removes resulting raised grain (whiskers) with steel wool. All went fine, but on next application of a tiny bit of water in the area where steel wool was used the wood turned black.
Thankfully I quickly used a lot more water, acetone, isopropyl alcohol, a vacuum cleaner with a brush end, skotch brite maroon and grey abrasive pads and compressed air to get rid of this "in situ" stain before it managed to penetrate.
Then I used isopropyl alcohol mixed with water (50/50) to continue dewhiskering and scotch brite to cut whiskers off. I now think scotch brite abrasive pads are much better for dewhiskering.
Interestingly I also had part of my wooden bench(osb) and wooden floor(pine boards) turn black where sanding dust from the stock was mixed with metal sanding dust and water drops landed. I don't know if this happens only with the walnut type Pedersoli uses or all walnut woods.
The second important stock finishing thing has to do with grain filling.
I read about a grain filling method where one puts a coat of varnish on the stock. Then one waits until the varnish partially solidifies and one wipes surface varnish off the wood(across the grain) using a very coarse fabric like burlap, or linen sack.
I've tried that, but it results in very slow filling of the pores of wood. I decided it is much easier to simply let the varnish dry fully and then sand the surface down to wood leaving pores filled.
I'm hoping I need to apply at most one more coat to finish grain filling.
