Pore me and Bondo

[David Ragan]

Made a mindless error, and selected white oak for a small base for a column-to be painted.

To my horror, when I primed the wood, the pores became all too apparent.

Oil based primer, to use oil based enamel over that.

To fill the pores, since I'm using oil based paint, cant use Durham's

Will Bondo be compatible w all this oil based stuff?

Thanks

[Wayne Lomman]

David, on the assumption that Bondo is a polyester auto body filler, yes you can use it. Don't go heavy with it though. Just apply with a scraper across the grain and sand it flat. Cheers

[David Ragan]

Thanks Wayne,

After sleeping on this I remember that my Dad, who was a patternmaker-used Durhams exclusively. He used oil based enamel.

I've learned w this process that a scraper does a great job of removing any primer that is a little thick, and am using Penetrol to deal w brush marks 1 in 16 mix to start.

[Rich Engelhardt]

To fill the pores, since I'm using oil based paint, cant use Durham's

Yes - you can - - - BUT - - - make sure you prime using a water borne product, such as Bullseye 1-2-3 first. (the old timers used glue size - - such as Utrecht's Rabbit Skin Glue & Size. You might find it at an art store)
Durham's is nearly pure Plaster of Paris & it's extremely "hot" (filled with free lime).
A coat of waterborne (or size) will seal the lime.

Penetrol is good stuff. It will work well for you.

[David Ragan]

Yes - you can - - - BUT - - - make sure you prime using a water borne product, such as Bullseye 1-2-3 first. (the old timers used glue size - - such as Utrecht's Rabbit Skin Glue & Size. You might find it at an art store)
Durham's is nearly pure Plaster of Paris & it's extremely "hot" (filled with free lime).
A coat of waterborne (or size) will seal the lime.

Penetrol is good stuff. It will work well for you.

Dewaxed Shellac that I mixed last month will work-3/4lb., right?

[Rich Engelhardt]

I wouldn't risk it.
The label on B*I*N - which is also shellac based - says to allow 30 days cure time before coating new plaster - which is essentially the same thing as Durham's.

You're probably better off just getting an exterior spackle & then painting right over that with your oil based.

[Al Launier]

I've used bondo to fill oak pores just as you described. Mix it well, apply it, let it cure completely, sand it, prime & paint. Worked well!

[Mike Henderson]

Bondo should work with oil based finishes. After all, it has been used on cars for years and the old finishes for cars were all oil based (and was applied pretty quickly after the bondo set and was sanded).

Mike

[David Ragan]

I will never ever use such a porous wood to be painted again.

My mother in law sometimes asks me Saturday afternoons when I come up from bsmt “how was your shop time?”. I usually say “I learned a lot.”

[Rich Engelhardt]

Bondo should work with oil based finishes. After all, it has been used on cars for years and the old finishes for cars were all oil based (and was applied pretty quickly after the bondo set and was sanded).

Yes/no/maybe...
The biggest issue being....is the Bondo the same as it was back then?
VOC regulations have dramatically changed things & it's hard to make an assumption based on the past.

[Mike Henderson]

Yes/no/maybe...
The biggest issue being....is the Bondo the same as it was back then?
VOC regulations have dramatically changed things & it's hard to make an assumption based on the past.

You could be right. My experience with bondo and painting cars goes back quite a few years.

Mike