Koa sealing suggestions

[jsloane]

I am finishing a Koa live edge book match coffee table, and need some help finding a sealer that will allow me to get to a deep clear finish. First time with Koa and it appears to have a lot of pores that need to be filled. I have seen egg whites used in TikTok video, but would like to find a commercial sealer. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
I have sanded to 220 and wondering about the next steps to get to a clear fine finish.
THX!
Jim

 

[marinosr]

Aquacoat clear grain filler. You'll need at least four coats. Sand only very lightly between. Nice piece of wood

 

[Tarhead]

I've used Zpoxy Finishing Resin to do grain filling and had excellent results and easy scraping/sanding. The price is nice vs other epoxy options and was able to get it at the local hobby shop. I used this stiff rubber squeegee suggested in the video below to spread it: https://www.amazon.com/Ettore-17066-All-Purpose-Squeegee-6-Inch/dp/B00C0E6TOU

 

[JRedding]

I do a lot of work with Koa and generally don’t worry about a sealer and move straight to the primary finish. I’ve used shellac, water based poly, spar varnish, and Rubio monocoat directly to the wood, all with great results. I love koa and you have an absolutely beautiful table top.

Koa with ebony accents is a great look as well on boxes, turned items, etc. One of my favorite combinations of wood.

 

[Craptastic]

Beautiful wood on that table and great work. I've never worked with Koa so sorry I can't suggest a finish. But a quick question. What's the understructure made with?

 

[Oka]

We use most often a water based sealer if we want to minimize the grain texture and then Lacquer 4 to 6 coats, then wet sand and buff

 

[gamiller3rd]

Beautiful wood on that table and great work. I've never worked with Koa so sorry I can't suggest a finish. But a quick question. What's the understructure made with?

Looks like maple to me

 

[jsloane]

Beautiful wood on that table and great work. I've never worked with Koa so sorry I can't suggest a finish. But a quick question. What's the understructure made with?

Mostly Maple. I used two pieces of mahogany for cleats to the top.

 

[jsloane]

Aquacoat clear grain filler. You'll need at least four coats. Sand only very lightly between. Nice piece of wood

Thx1 I ordered their sanding sealer and clear grain filler, hope they work out.

 

[jsloane]

After hip surgery in August, I finished the Koa table with 1/2 lb shellac using some YouTube videos for guidance.
Pure ethyl alcohol was hard to get in CA, but I was able to order it from a, get this, nail polish remover supplier.
I used the French technique to apply the shellac, sanding with 400 grit in between six coats.
Here is my shellac setup and supplies, and the finished table. I got the deep translucent finish I wanted from this process.

 

[bowman]

Thanks Jim, that table is beautiful!

 

[Craptastic]

Gorgeous! Nice work!