clear grain filler recomendations

[dan sherman]

Hey all,

In my quest to find a finish for Mahogany that makes SWMBO and myself both happy, I started experimenting with Crystalac clear grain filler. The one major benefit of it, is that I can apply it directly to raw wood and then sand it back (I can even apply BLO after it's sand). The one major draw back, is it's not much better than shellac, by that I mean it takes a lot of coats to fill the grain. I applied 4 coats to the last test piece i did, and the grain still wasn't completely filled.

Can any of you recommend a clear grain filler that has a higher solid content, that will still allow me to apply an oil or stain after it's been sanded back?

[Prashun Patel]

On mahogany, I'd use dewaxed shellac. Just keep layering it and sanding it back until it's filled the pores. Mahogany is opengrained, but I find it fills fast enough.

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

Dan,
It sounds like you are using a "sanding sealer" rather than a grain filler. That is a difficult product to use for filling grain because it lays on the indented grain and the raised grain in equal thickness. You will fill and sand a long time. Try a paste filler that is the same color as the wood. You will force it into the grain and wipe it away across the grain. Some will remain in the pores while the high grain will be unaffected.
fmr

[dan sherman]

Faust,

This is the stuff I'm Using.
http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/CPF-...d-Grain-Filler

I've already tried a paste wood filler (pore-o-pac), and didn't like the results. I wan't something shows the grain, yet fills it in.

has anyone ever used either of these two fillers, they both supposedly come in clear?

1) target coatings HSF5100 High Solids Grain Filler
2) Lawrence-McFadden Grain Filler

Dan,
It sounds like you are using a "sanding sealer" rather than a grain filler. That is a difficult product to use for filling grain because it lays on the indented grain and the raised grain in equal thickness. You will fill and sand a long time. Try a paste filler that is the same color as the wood. You will force it into the grain and wipe it away across the grain. Some will remain in the pores while the high grain will be unaffected.
fmr

[Casey Gooding]

My favorite grain filler is varnish. Flood the surface with varnish then sand with 400 grit. Wipe off the excess across the grain. This will fill the grain nicely and is clear. Depending on what topcoat you want to use, you can shellac on top of the varnish if needed.

[dan sherman]

Casey,
It's clear? This sounds similar to applying BLO and then sanding, and all that does is fill the grain with fine sanding particles.

My favorite grain filler is varnish. Flood the surface with varnish then sand with 400 grit. Wipe off the excess across the grain. This will fill the grain nicely and is clear. Depending on what topcoat you want to use, you can shellac on top of the varnish if needed.

[Scott Holmes]

OK there are lots of suggestions here...

One thing I noticed is that you want to add oil and or stain AFTER the grain filler...That is BACKWARDS. Oil will do little to nothing on sealed wood, ditto on the stain.

Use the oil and/or the stain then fill the grain. Another advantage ids that the shellac will seal in the oil or stain.

For an optically clear, hard, color fast filler I use de-waxed super blond shellac in a 3# cut. I don't sand between coats as others suggested. I add a coat, let it dry, add another, let it dry, a 3rd coat, let it dry and then sand it back to flat. This usually will fill the grain of mahogany. If not and you still see little shiny dimples then add 2 more coats and it sand back. Now it's filled.

This only takes a few hours not the over night or even longer using varnish which will continue to shrink for a week or more. Then, you would have dimples under/in your finish.

[Casey Gooding]

By clear I meant that it won't introduce any additional color.

[dan sherman]

I was doing this on purpose, because I do have a tendency to over sand. I have found that if I apply several coats of shellac to fill the grain, and then sand it all the way back so that shellac only remains in the pores; I can apply BLO after filling the grain, because I have exposed the raw wood again.

The benefit of this is that I don't have to be as carefull during the sanding process as I do if I apply the blo first.

One thing I noticed is that you want to add oil and or stain AFTER the grain filler...That is BACKWARDS. Oil will do little to nothing on sealed wood, ditto on the stain.