The Ideal Way to Seal Eucalyptus Wood

Eucalyptus — or simply,”lyptus,” as it is usually known by woodworkers — has become widely used for flooring, cabinets and any other program where hardwood is needed. It is dark reddish, exceptionally tight-grained and strong. But it’s an Achilles heel; it is full of resin that prevents complete from functioning properly. However there are ways to seal it before finishing.

Sand

Sand the surface of the timber with 100-grit sandpaper attached to a hand block, a oscillating tool with a medium-grit sanding accessory or by hand with 100-grit sandpaper. The objective isn’t always to remove scratches, but to trigger an open up the pores of the eucalyptus. This will bring the resin into the surface where it can be taken care of. Sand over the full surface of the timber, always moving parallel with the grain of this timber.

Scrub and Dry

After sanding, wait . You will observe that small pockets of dark liquid has formed at random intervals on the surface of the timber. This really is the resin rising to the surface. Using a soft cloth dampened with acetone, wipe the resin pockets off the surface of the wood. Wipe the entire surface, moving parallel with the grain just as you did when you sanded the wood. Wait four hours or overnight and keep wiping off the resin at regular intervals as it surfaces. It may need 12 to 24 hours prior to the resin stops surfacing.

Spray

Put on a respirator. Fill a spray gun with medium-gloss lacquer, or you can use canned aerosol lacquer if the task isn’t too big. You do not have to use sealer; it’s nothing but thick lacquer anyway. Holding the spray gun 8 inches away from the timber in a 30-degree angle, spray on a thin coat of lacquer on the timber. Just be sure that you cover the entire surface of the wood with lacquer until it seems shiny and wet. Wait 1 hour to the lacquer to dry.

Sand and Spray

Using a part of 180-grit sandpaper in the palm of your hand — you do not need anything else — gently sand the surface of the timber until it’s coated with a fine, light powder. This is lacquer dust. Don’t remove it. It assists in curing the last coat. Spray the following coat of lacquer on the timber just as you did earlier. It is fine to spray a marginally heavier coat this time. Wait four hours prior to tackling the eucalyptus. It is now permanently sealed.

Caution

Lacquer is extremely combustible, poisonous and incredibly dangerous to breathe. When you spray lacquer, always wear a respirator and work in a well-ventilated location.

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