What’s the best primer for teak and mahogany wood?

[alicefred]

Can anyone recommend me the best primer for teak and mahogany wood? I don’t know much about wood paint so can’t decide which one to choose. I would prefer something that easily available in local market or online. Any recommendation based on personal experience will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks..

[Bruno1949]

Basically it seals the wood to prevent the pitch/sap from discoloring the paint, and fills and levels the wood somewhat to give a smoother finish. It’s thin enough to soak into the wood and hardens so you can sand it smoother if that’s what you want. Any hardware or home store carries a good selection. Stick with a name brand for the best results and be sure to follow ALL the instructions on the can! The product has to remain well stirred without air bubbles so don’t shake it. Cheap foam brushes will work so no reason to buy expensive brushes either. Just throw the brushes out when you are done or if they begin to dry out or tear.

[bobsbuddy]

Teak can be a problem for some finishes because its oils inhibit the finish from ever curing or reduce adhesion.

One the wood is [stripped,][ sanded, cleaned and ready to go, wipe with a strong solvent such as acetone, or if you don’t have that, lacquer thinner.

As soon as it’s evaporated, apply a light coat of shellac or a shellac based primer such as BIN. After 30 minutes apply a second coat. Let that dry, then you are ready to go. If you are applying clear shellac, I like Zinnser’s SealCoat. While advertised as a universal sanding sealer, it’s simply a 2 pound cut of 100% dewaxed amber shellac.

I do not like stearated sanding sealers. They are soft, don’t have much resistance to water vapor, and if you are applying a clear coat (though it sounds like you are painting), an impact or concentrated pressure creates a fractured sanding sealer that is white and is below all the coats of finish, so there’s not much way to repair without digging it out and rebuilding or stripping and refinishing.

There are several classes of sanding sealers (e.g., stearated, vinyl, etc.) and you have to make sure that your top coat is compatible with the sanding sealer you use. This is not a problem with shellac.

If you are doing a clear coat, shellac also adds a lot of luster and depth to the wood grain (chatoyance.) It really makes most woods come alive. I just loaded an antique writing desk to return to a customer tomorrow. He thought it ought to be stripped and refinished. I spent a few minutes cleaning it and gave it two quick shots of shellac and it looks like a million bucks now.

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