Best transparant pore filler

[Phil Mailloux]

I'm looking for a pore filler to fill american Ash. I'd like this to be a filler that dries transparant as I want to finish with a clear lacquer and want no sign of something else other than just timber under lacquer.

Does anyone have a good filler to recommend?

[gabacus]

um, i think a little white shellac will do the trick... from my understand, using white shellac will not change the colour of the wood (the colour will come up the same as when the wood is wet). try it on a piece of scrap, i think you will be happy with the results... if your wondering where to get it, i believe U-Beaut sell it...

[durwood]

If you are going to put lacquer on it why not just let the lacquer itself fill the ash or a good sanding sealer will fill without changing the colour

The secret is to put lacquers on thin and let the coats dry between coats the longer the better. To be safe when its cold (warm your room up from cold) about an hour between coats and you can add them till its mm's thick.

Don't know how open the grain is but again try a sample piece. Just watch spraying lacquer if its cold or wet it will blush ( go milky)

[echnidna]

Use a lacquer sanding sealer.

[Phil Mailloux]

Well here is a picture of the Swamp Ash in question. As you can see the pores are humongeous. Lacquer is no good in this application as Ash soaks that stuff up like a sponge. I don't like sanding sealers as the stearate in it can be slightly cloudy. I was basically looking for that one product that might seal the pores and be truly transparant. In the guitar finishing world we often use CA (super glue) or epoxy as a sealer but I don't really want to deal with the epoxy this time around.

Any other givers for a truly transparant wood filler/sealer?

[martrix]

This might be an option. I find it really needs a week or two to fully cure though. Is quite runny too and responds well when heat is applied to eek out air bubbles. I used it to fill in some poorly pressed (wavy ) veneer, and then sprayed 2-pac Poly over it. Its really weird as there is no smell whatsoever to it and it is crystal clear.

Perfect gloss Epoxy.

[durwood]

Phil,
You said you wanted to finish with lacquer but my original thought would have been Matrix's fix.

If you get a good quality 2 pack clear ( auto versions are completely water clear) you will be able to easily seal off the timber and obtain a great gloss finish. You will not get any clears that will give you a better clear non colouring finish. Most household clears have a yellow tinge to them these have none.

First mix a thin coat ( mix clear and hardener to correct proportion and then add a bit more thinner than used for normal spraying) and brush it on the wood. Brushing will allow you to rub it into the grain well and seal it off.

The clear will set and following coats will not be able to be soaked up by the timber.

Two more coats should be enough, spraying works best but you can brush it easily ( use a slow hardener to allow you extra time to work it). You can spray more coats if you want but give each application a day each to cure properly ( especially in this cold weather).

You can rub out marks, and polish it to a mirror finish if your application technique is a bit suss.

Don't apply if the temp is below 15 C.

If you are not sure about doing this take a scrap piece of wood to a smash shop and ask the painter if he will spray a couple of coats onto it next time he sprays clear ( should be every day as most new cars all have it on them) .

They usually have clear left in the gun after doing a job which they then throw away so he shouldn't charge you for it. If you like the result the painter could probably give you enough for your job for a small price saving you buying a normal quanity which would be far in excess of your needs.

It lasts about 6 hours (in the pot) once mixed so he may even be able to supply you with his scraps and you would have time to apply it before it went off if he is close to home.

The 2 pack clear will also add a bit of strength to the timber making it harder to damage once applied.

[soundman]

I recon white shelac would be worth a go too.

Filling open grain with nitro laquer can be frustrating as the air bubbles just keep comming up.

the white shelac seems to not redesolve all that redily.

I done a couple of truned bows of late with it & found it worked very well just brushed on.

one of the bowns in sheoak was so porus the first coat soaked right thru 10mm of timber from the inside to the outside.
go against conventional wisdom and run a realy thin first coat & let it soak in.

try on some scrap. cheers

[echnidna]

Filling open grain with nitro laquer can be frustrating as the air bubbles just keep comming up.

If you Let lacquer base sanding sealer cure overnight before applying lacquer you wont have that problem. It builds up and sands far more easily than the other suggestions made here and it is water clear.

[martrix]

I have only used a mirotone Pre-cat sanding sealer and found it imparts a slight milky cloudiness to the grain. Made the redgum look a little cheap, never used it again.

[soundman]

I have had nitro sanding sealer exihbit the problem.
I dosn't natter how long you let nitro cure it will still redily redisolve with a following coat.....I have found if I am trying to get a heavy fully choked finish that if a heavy following coat is laid the sanding sealer can reflow and bubbles come up.
Don't get me wrong I'm very much in favor of sanding sealers of all types.... but the problem can remain.

As i understand it shelac disolves redily too but it is slow to disolve once off. So the solvents of following coats have a chance to evaporate before that becomes a problem.

the other advantage of using shelac alone is that it has no added solids so what is filling the grain is basialy translucent.

cheers

[Phil Mailloux]

Thanks for all the info guys.