Mahogany Grain Filler

[randy street]

Can somebody recommend a good clear grain filler for mahogany. I want to fininsh the wood in its natrual look, no stain.

I tried Behlen water based but I didnt like the results.

Thanks in advance.

Randy

[Sam Yerardi]

Randy,

There are a couple approaches I would consider. Since mahogany is finer in grain than say oak in texture, you could fill the grain with an old-time approach of applying dewaxed blonde shellac, then sanding it, then dewaxed blonde shellac again, then sand, etc. until you have achieved the filling you want. Another approach would be to mix fine mahogany sawdust with shellac or varnish and use as a filler. It isn't clear, and you will have to work faster (especially with the shellac approach) but it will match very well with the overall coloring & grain.

[Steve Schoene]

Using shellac as a filler works quite well when working on undyed or stained mahogany. I put on a couple of quick coats. Sand back to bare wood, except in the pores, and do that until the sanding touches the entire surface. The shellac only has to be dewaxed if you plan a top coat with a waterborne or polyurethane finish.

[Jim Haggerty]

What would be a good method of sealing if the mahogany is stained?

[Sam Yerardi]

I typically use shellac as a sealer.

[Steve Schoene]

If the mahogany is stained then it's best to just seal with one coat of shellac and then use a pore filler, tinted to compliment the stain color. Using the shellac method would become very tedious because of constantly having to avoid cutting through to the stain, while at the same time removing enough shellac to level the surface as the pores are filled. It can be done but it becomes a lot slower.

[randy street]

Any particular brand of filler anybody would care to recommend if the wood was stained?

Since on this project I'm going for the natural look, I picked up some Zinsser Seal Coat to use.

Thanks for all the replies.

Randy

[Steve Schoene]

I like Behlen Por O Pak the oil based pore filler. It needs a lot of thinning to get to my preferred working consistency, which is about the same as heavy cream. I would buy the "neutral" and tint it with artists oil paint, or japan colors, tinting it so that it ends up just a hair darker than the over-all base color gives a lot of depth to the finish.

[randy street]

Thanks Steve.

Randy

[Sergey Ambartsumyan]

Here's what you need: a clear wood grain filler
http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/CPF-...d-Grain-Filler