Pore Filling 101

[Petecane]

This subject to do with using egg white ( albumen) has always interested me.
I remember my old violin making days when I read about and tried egg white as a white varnish to seal the wood.
I read that Stradivari used this method devised by Cennini.
What I did not realise is that to use it properly the Albumen must be whipped up to a foam first.
Not a stiff foam but just a minute of whisking.
This action breaks down the 22 odd proteins within and releases them.
Otherwise they stay in the jellyfied raw albumen .
It must then be left for distillation overnight or 24 hrs and then the watery mixture is applied to the instrument by brush as a sealant.
However if you have brushed it on as is and it has filled the pores then great stuff.
I had forgotten all about this simple and cheap method till reading your thread so thanks for reminding me.
Pete

[Petecane]

Another way instead of using epoxy which is agreed rather messy is to use Hot glue and ebony or dark wood dust.
A darker wood within the pores will look better.
Thus Ebony or some other dark wood dust created by sand papering and mixed together with the hot glue. I mean animal glue not a glue gun!
Antoni Stradivari used this method for his inlays.
Cut the trough, laid tiny ivory circles sliced from an ivory rod and then between the ivory circles, diamond shaped ivory slices from the preformed diamond sectioned rod.
After that lot was meticoulously glued in he filled the surrounding trough with ebony dust and hot glue mix.
Pete