Grain Filler

[Bob Gleason]

I currently use CA to fill grain, but am always interested in other ideas. If you have tried Solarez Grain Filler, I would be interested in hearing how it went. It is UV cure, which is very fast, and supposed to dry clear. Thanks, Bob

[BlindBo]

Hey Bob. I use Aqua Fill because it’s water based, easy to clean up, dries fairly quickly, and can be tinted. I started out using the StewMac powdered filler that you mix with water. It worked well but was expensive. The only downside I’ve found to the Aqua Fill is it usually takes several coats. It’s available on Amazon. I think it does a good job.

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[carld05]

Did you mean Aqua Coat? I couldn't find Aqua Fill grain filler on Amazon. I've struggled with Aqua Coat. 15 coats on White Oak and pores still there. Just tried GoodFilla on some deep pored Narra and haven't had a good result with it either. Stripped and sanded it off and used epoxy. Sanded it down to wood yesterday. Looks like it might be ready for finish now. I'll check it out closely today.

[BlindBo]

Yes, sorry for the confusion. I’ve typically gotten there in about 3-5 coats. But I’ve never tried it on oak.

[Bob Gleason]

I used to be an Aquacoat user. I even wrote an article on it's use in American Lutherie years ago. I no longer use it. I find that it takes just too many coats to get a perfect pore fill and no matter how many coats I do, there are always spots that show a pore. While it is much easier to use, CA is light years better for me. I'm looking forward to getting my Solarez UV filler. Should be here in a couple of more weeks. I've seen good things, and truthfully, some bad things, written about it. Always exciting to try new products, although 99% of the time they don't make the grade!