Sealing Wooden Ship Hulls and parts

Do yu need to make it waterproof for actual floating in water, or just as a prefinish to cut the amount of filler before priming and painting?

If the later, I make a sealer from lacquer, thinning it about 50% before brushing it on.  That stiffens the fibers so that a light sanding removes the fuzz.  Then I prime it and proceed like any other material. If it is a scratch build so I am supplying my own wood, I chose basswood usually because its very tight grain is easy to fill.  Avoid balsa wood- its grain is like limestone caves.  If it is a European kit the wood is usually quite fine and the above sealer works well.

If you have areas that will be stained as natural wood, I apply the stain before I seal it with the lacquer and fine sand.

No Don, just pre primer to seal grain. Not a floater, chest top display model. I have a couple of different models in mind, one may be plastic so that doesn't matter. I just figure if I go wood I'll use my blend I use in wood turning, which is 3 equal part of shellac, lindseed oil and denatured alcohol. I stain below that too for a natural look and it can be dry polished up. Years ago I used the Pettit product, I remember it being orange but it filled grain completely before opaque paint. My stuff would work similarly to your lacquer method, I've done that too through the years but I think my juice might be softer to work out, sand, polish or whatever.  Thanks much for your input, appreciate it !!

For filling wood grain quickly, I prime with sandable car body primer.  Rustoleum sandable primer is basically same stuff. It is very thick, heavy bodied stuff and fills most wood grains with two or three coats,  The sealer is really needed when wet sanding.  Both the lacquer or shellac sealers should do a good job of sealing against water.

Reason I like lacquer is the quick dry.  I can put on primer after an hour or so.

Don Stauffer

For filling wood grain quickly, I prime with sandable car body primer.  Rustoleum sandable primer is basically same stuff. It is very thick, heavy bodied stuff and fills most wood grains with two or three coats,  The sealer is really needed when wet sanding.  Both the lacquer or shellac sealers should do a good job of sealing against water.

Reason I like lacquer is the quick dry.  I can put on primer after an hour or so.

 

I'm developing that picture now Don ! Thanks for that.

I used to do autobody, I kept 5 gal cans of nitro lacquer primer in grey and in red oxide, the stuff was basically glop in a can. It became sprayable with copious amounts of medium dry lacquer thinner. I've used that on wood, which is probably why I lost the hobbypoxy idea way back when..