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Thread: Question on grain filling

  1. #1

    Question on grain filling

    Current project: QSWO dining table.

    I just finished the initial sanding. I had thought you usually grain filled any kind of oak, but now I'm wondering about that because after reading quite about finishing for figure no mention of filling grain at all.

    I am still experimenting, but I am thinking about a dye followed by a sealer (and maybe a stain) and top coat of Arm R Seal. On a couple past projects I have used Medium Walnut Danish oil followed by a clear coat and actually gotten pretty decent results.

    1) How do I determine if the grain needs filling?

    2) Do you do it before or after dyeing or staining? Is it best to use a clear filler?

    Thx.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
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    E TN, near Knoxville
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    Quote Originally Posted by Robert Engel View Post
    Current project: QSWO dining table.
    I just finished the initial sanding. I had thought you usually grain filled any kind of oak, but now I'm wondering about that because after reading quite about finishing for figure no mention of filling grain at all.
    I am still experimenting, but I am thinking about a dye followed by a sealer (and maybe a stain) and top coat of Arm R Seal. On a couple past projects I have used Medium Walnut Danish oil followed by a clear coat and actually gotten pretty decent results.
    1) How do I determine if the grain needs filling?
    2) Do you do it before or after dyeing or staining? Is it best to use a clear filler?
    Robert, I'm a long way from a finishing expert, most of mine is with woodturned pieces. I've always considered to fill or not fill was a personal thing, depending on the look.

    I have paste-type wood fillers in colors such as dark brown for walnut. But for woodturning, I usually fill the pores by wet sanding with a liquid finish, usually "danish" oil. This makes very fine sawdust that mixes with the oil and fills the pores nicely. Rubbing with finish and rottenstone is another way, I did it with TruOil to fill grain on a walnut gunstock.

    Some people swear by Aqua Coat filler. https://aquacoat.com/products/clear-grain-filler

    JKJ
    Last edited by John K Jordan; 11-14-2017 at 6:30 PM. Reason: typo

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
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    Tasmania
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    As John said, to fill or not to fill is personal preference. I will add that in my experience oak is left unfilled. The key to getting a good looking unfilled finish is to sand the coating flat just before applying the final coat. This gets rid of the edge effect around all the pores and leaves a smooth finish. As for products to use, each to his own poison. I use pre-cat lacquer if durability is not important and 2 pack polyurethane if it is. Cheers

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    WNY
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    I like the open pores in finished oak, but if you want to fill them Crystalac WB filler is very nice stuff. Easy to use, does a good job, and dries very quickly. You would dye and seal first, then use the filler, followed by stain if that's in the recipe.

    John

  5. #5
    Join Date
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    Filling or not is a personal preference. Generally, casual styles and surroundings call for unfilled wood, while formal contexts call for grain to be filled. Dye should be used before the filler. Sometimes with oak the dye won't "take" inside the pores, but this is easily solved by either pigmented stain or by using tinted grain filler. You can use grain filler after pigmented stain, taking care to wipe off excess stain and waiting for it to be well dried before adding grain filler. I generally like to have the grain filler tinted a touch darker (or lighter} than the stain to give depth to the finish.

    I like oil based grain filler since it gives more working time than water borne filler. The extra time means you can wipe off the excess filler once it starts to dry, using coarse burlap and/or a squeegee. Very little sanding would be needed. Waterborne filler sets so quickly that it needs to have excess removed by sanding. It sands OK, but with sanding there is more risk of impacting the dye or other stain on the wood surrounding the pores.

    Let pore filler cure well before topcoating--considerably more than the labels call for.

    Remember, with finish systems you haven't used much before, you should prepare samples using the same wood, prepared the same way as the project.

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    S.E. Tennessee ... just a bit North of Chattanooga
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    To fill or not is purely a personal preference, depending on the look you are trying to achieve. When I have filled, I simply used drywall compound ... the type that must be mixed with water just before use. You can stain/dye the workpiece, and then apply the filler ... you can apply filler first, then dye ... you can dye the workpiece ... then dye the filler a matching or contrasting color before application for different effects. It is ALL about what YOU want YOUR project to look like. Your order of operations can change the entire look of a project, and some "off-the-wall" techniques can be very striking and pleasant to look at.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zhk6rZ2UI1Y
    Last edited by Bob Wingard; 11-15-2017 at 10:45 AM.

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