# Grain filler......



## Duane867 (Oct 25, 2008)

Who make the best bang for the buck ?
A small tub of it at Rockler is like $20.00


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

Good question, I too would like to see that one answered.


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## jd99 (Jun 17, 2009)

I looked into grain filler when I was building the bird cage project for my wife, but found the same thing as you did, very expensive, and some of the more experianced wood workers I talked to said it would take 11-15 coats of the grain filler I gave up on the idea of having a glass like finish.

I did try what one of them told me to do; and that is thinning down my finish, and putting on the thinned down stuff for a couple of coats, it worked somewhat, but red oak is all straws so I don't think anything will make it stop sucking up the finish. In the end it turned out looking good anyhow. :dance3:


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## jerrymayfield (Sep 25, 2004)

jd99 said:


> I looked into grain filler when I was building the bird cage project for my wife, but found the same thing as you did, very expensive, and some of the more experianced wood workers I talked to said it would take 11-15 coats of the grain filler I gave up on the idea of having a glass like finish.
> 
> I did try what one of them told me to do; and that is thinning down my finish, and putting on the thinned down stuff for a couple of coats, it worked somewhat, but red oak is all straws so I don't think anything will make it stop sucking up the finish. In the end it turned out looking good anyhow. :dance3:


Oil based grain filler is the easiest to work with(more time to work it) most ,if not all woods, can be filled with one or two applications. I either buy or color the material darker than the wood. Looks more natural and I think better. Think of Stickley quarter sawn white oak,after fuming it was sealed with shellac and waxed with wax colored with lampblack. You can fill the grain of most open pored woods.

Regards
Jerry


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## jlord (Nov 16, 2009)

Here is a couple of sites that have info on finishing.

Finishing at WOOWEB's Knowledge Base

Finish, refinish, repair, & restore wood furniture, antiques, cabinetry, and woodwork. Q&A Forum/Discussion


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## joek30296 (Dec 10, 2009)

It's been a while since I've had to fill any open grained wood but ML Campbell makes some excellent finishing products. You might Google their site for natural paste wood filler and see what they have. For a glass smooth finish on open grained woods like oak, hickory, walnut, etc. they really need to be filled prior to top coating.


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