Another question: I need to invest in an HVLP spayer,my buddy has industrial HVLP sprayers worth $3000ea, which are continuously on the job. What is a good HVLP sprayer for this project. Consumerreports has nothing on sprayers. Looking for something in the $200-$300 that will be in the family for years and does a good job. Any suggestions?

Regards,
Rob

Fuji sprayers.
Ron

"you can't hide the oak grain and pits with paint!"

He is correct.

Put paste wood filler WILL fill the oak pores and allow a smooth finish.

Once you get to bare wood you apply paste wood filler (Pore-o-pac by Behlans is one) is than applied to the wood and allowed to start to set before rubbing most of it off with burlap across the grain.
If you are going to paint use natural or a light color filler.
After the filler finishes drying you get to sand once again with fine grit to remove any excess filler on the surface.
If you remove to much filler (or it shrinks excessively from being thinned to much) you may even need a second coat of filler.

You can make ANY wood smooth as glass if you want to work at it.
The prominent pores in oak furniture are a 'style' that omits paste wood filler.
There are also finish styles that use contrasting or colored filler to emphasize the pores while leaving a smoother surface.

Thanks, this is exactly the advice I need. You mentioned getting down to bare wood...oh boy - does that mean in order for the Pore-o-pac product to work, I need to strip the varnish and sand 123 spindles? Will this product work overtop of the varnish? I have so much work to do - any where I can reduce time for a task is huge.
Regards,
Rob

"Will this product work overtop of the varnish?"

Not very well, but it would be worth a try.
It might work depending on the composition of the varnish.

I would encourage you to figure out how to remove the spindles if you can.
They will be a real PITA to refinish that many in place.

Depending on ages they often are simply trapped by the blocks of wood nailed between them in the rail, and just sit in pockets in the floor (or between more blocks of wood if a bottom rail is used).

Yikes, that sounds like a lot of work! I'm an avid DIY-er, but I'd seriously look into just buying 123 new painted (or paintable) spindles and replacing what you've got.

Good suggestion, I thought about that, I priced some out too. Cheap ones were $2 - good ones were $7 - more so, the existing spindles are professionally cut, so each one is custom to the curved staircase rail, I am certain it would be more work to equal the quality of those cuts on the existing oak.

I tried posting this so hopefully it doesn't create a double entry...Really Good idea to remove spindles...The spindles are toe-nailed into the treads and rail, the nails are hidden by carpet. My plan is to use a jamb saw and cut them at the base to make clearance for the hardwood going directly on the treads - anyway. I could remove the spindles easy enough. That would make the job much easier...less masking...
Great advice, thanks
Rob

Hello, I am wanting to redo our Golden Oak (gag) stair railing. I read on some blog to just use mixwax stain and topcoat in one. I have done the first coat but it looks really streaky. Im wanting it a walnut brown. I did lightly sand the railing first. Anyone out there try this technique? if so how did it look in the end? im afraid it will look cheap. HELP. PS im staining rail and posts.

"mixwax stain and topcoat in one"

One of the worst products on the market.

It requires constant stirring to keep the pigment suspended, but if you introduce and air bubbles during stirring it messes up the coat.

And if you wait for the bubbles to rise or dissipate the pigment settle out again.