how to finish walnut burr veneer

[stollznow]

curiously, like the previous post, i have also made a dashboard for my old car, using MDF. i, however, have bought walnut burr veneer and had it glued on the mdf professionally. so now i have to sand and coat the veneer. so my questions are:

1. should i use any sort of stain on the wood? i would guess not, but i dont have any experience in the matter.
2. should use a grain raiser and/or grain filler?
3. what grades and type of paper should i use to sand the veneer smooth?
4. what is a suitable coating for it? i am seeking a high gloss mirror finish in the best of cloth caps 'n gloves style. i am supposing a 2 pack PU, but info as to specific products would be great.

many thanks
alexander.

[wisno]

1. In my opinion you better just apply clear coating on walnut. walnut has a dark color with very nice grain. It is better to finish in the natural wood color.
2. You can use wood filler if you want to make close pores finish. But since you will use PU then you can make close pores finish without filler. It will need more clear coating application, but it could be better option since you will use it for dashboard that will tend to get heat and sunlight.
3. You can use the same sandpaper to sand the solid wood for your veneer. Sand with # 180 and end with # 240 for your raw wood. But for the sealer and top coat you can use the # 400 stearated sandpaper
4. Yes the 2 pack PU is good finishing material for your project. But since it may expose to the sunlight, you need to use the outdoor PU type coating.

EDIT: Link removed by moderator.

Good luck