Grain fillers

[FenceFurniture]

Very fortunately this thread happens to coincide with a whole bunch of testing that I am doing on various finishes, sealers, fillers etc.

So I have just now (between this post and the last) used the Intergrain filler on another length of the quilted Blackbutt....and not a black mark in sight! I would say that it is about 50% more expensive than Timbermate (at my local anyway), but I'm happy to pay that rather than have black crud in the grain. All other performance appears to be identical. The have slightly different colour ranges.

Here's a good tip when using either: rather than mix it with water, as shown in Ross's video link, I just spritzed a fine spray of water over the part I was working on. My thinking was that I want it to spread nicely, but I don't want to introduce too much water into the cracks (in this case) because it will take longer to dry and may give extra cause for a bit of shrinkage. The spritz just allowed a little more spreadability, just like Meadow Lea

At one point I sprayed a little too much so I was able to just scrape that up the other end and use it later. I found it best to spray from about 80-90cm above the board to get the right spread of water.

[Kuffy]

I use plastic putty knives or paddle pop sticks with Timbermate. Any steel seems to give the black staining. I'm assuming the black staining is iron oxide. I also avoid using timbermate with my bare fingers. The stuff stinks on your hands well after they have been washed. I don't think the stuff expands, but it does get pushed out of the cracks/voids as the timber shrinks. Once it has been pushed out, it won't get sucked back in if the timber expands again.

[Fumbler]

Does anyone ever use grain filler? Ive been using Osmo polyx which I really like but I would prefer if in opened grained areas it was a little smoother. Would be great to hear some suggestions

Try this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q94PuccM_s4&t=118s

[FenceFurniture]

I'm assuming the black staining is iron oxide.

I think it forms a bit too quickly to be rust Kuffy. I reckon it's abraded steel - it's the same colour as waterstone swarf.

[Kuffy]

would iron oxide act as an abrasive? Obviously I'm not a steelologist, but I'm sure I've read that the metal oxides are harder than the metals themselves.

[FenceFurniture]

Dunno, but my point is that it forms immediately - not enough time for rust to form - that takes hours at least.