Behlen Pour o Pac Grain Filler

[Eric D Matson]

I recently purchased some Behlen Pore o Pact Oil Based Grain Filler. I opened it up and there was about 1/4 inch of oil on top and the rest of the product was almost set up solid. I stirred the product for about 30 minutes. I was making a mess and almost tipped my can over several times. I finally got irritated and used it. I don't know how it has turned out as it is drying now. I am going to guess I got about 40% of the product in suspension while stirring it. Is this normal? This is my first time trying this product.

[Pete McMahon]

Eric,
The can you bought is stale. Once it's solidifies in the can like that very little of it is usable.It's normal for the solids to settle and have the oil float to the top.
In a fresh can you'll be able to reincorporate the oil and the solids pretty easily. Bring it back to where you bought it and get it replaced.
To make mixing easier with a new can try this; take about half the material and put it in a separate cup. Now mix the two then combine them and re-mix. Makes it a lot easier.
You'll find if you use a drill with a paddle the mixing is easier and more complete.

[Eric D Matson]

Thanks Pete. I called the people who I purchased it from and he said I just had to mix it more. I told him I thought 30 minutes should have done it. He did agree to replace it. I may just end up eating the cost since it is about an hour away in a direction I rarely travel. Thanks for the mixing tip.

[Kent A Bathurst]

Never had that problem. I do it kinda like Pete suggests - except I dump it all in a larger plastic mixing cup, and then just go to town - no slop over the sides - stick of wood, and crank away like a mad man. Use it from there, the rest goes back in the can.

By its nature, it is a pretty "goopy" stuff. But it always mixed back up into suspension pretty readily, so you might well have had a can with a shelf-life problem.

Sorry it did not work out for you. I've found it to be a good product, so suspect your problem may be a one-off.

[Pete McMahon]

Eric,
I'm not surprised they told you to mix it more. I wonder if anyone at the store has ever used it. Too bad it's not closer, you could bring the can in and have them show you how to do it. When filler sets like that it's done.

Kent, with a quart, that's a better idea to dump it all out and then back to the container. I normally mix gallons by removing about a third of the container and using a drill and paddle. Takes very little time to incorporate.

Personally I find it, pore o pac, to be a poor product, very little silex and poor working properties. Just my opinion, but if you try S. W. filler you'll see a big difference.

[Bob Wingard]

Drywall mud ... the "setting" type that needs to be mixed with water just before use works very well. It can be tinted beforehand to use it as a highlighter for the pores, or, applied in it's natural color and stained or dyed along with the rest of the project. Dirt cheap .. readily available .. sands perfectly smooth .. no shrinkage with the setting type .. try it on some very open pored scraps .. you will be amazed at how well it works.

[Andy Pratt]

I had the exact same thing happen. I just mixed it for a good solid half hour and it seemed to work fine after that. It was a horrible mess as you described though. I only used it once on a test piece before switching to another brand (for other reasons) so I can't comment much more on it, but after enough mixing it did seem to be fine.

[Kent A Bathurst]

I normally mix gallons ..................

You win, Kemo Sabe.

Me - I'll just sit humbly in my corner with my tongue depressors. Now I kinda feel like a kid doing finger-painting.

[Pete McMahon]

Kent, That was funny. Believe me if S.W. came in quarts I'd be a happy guy, it's expensive stuff. Expensive and worth it. When I mix a gallon and only need to use a little, I'll make sure the lid is fully sealed and tight and lay it on it's side in the paint cabinet. Spreads out the solids and makes remixing easier when I need it.

When you come out of the corner will you have something I can hang on my refrigerator?

[Steve Schoene]

Just to add a bit more about the Sherwin Williams pore filler. It's solid material is Silex, which has advantages over most other pore fillers, in that it shrinks very little, and that it is somewhat translucent, making it desirable in providing depth to finishes.