pore filler recipe?

[merrill77]

I've used a commercial oil-based filler before with moderately good results. I put a coat down on a scrap today, which resulted in 2 conflicts with this project - first is that I'd need to tint it. I can do that, but I'd rather not. Next is that it contains silica fillers, which dulls my scraper in a single pass - meaning I'd have to resort to a sanding, which I'm trying to avoid for this project.

I seem to recall someone posting a recipe for a filler made from sanding dust and maybe wood glue? But I can't seem to find it now. What do y'all like?


TIA!
Chris

 

[Tarhead]

Zpoxy or West Systems finishing resin comes about as close to sand free, tint free but needs to be scuffed before wash coat and your top coat if you're spraying a lacquer. Here's a great youtube series on using it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clw3xIPVXbM&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aif7PcESRGo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvS98dojNVs&feature=related

 

[Glennbear]

Zpoxy or West Systems finishing resin comes about as close to sand free, tint free but needs to be scuffed before wash coat and your top coat if you're spraying a lacquer. Here's a great youtube series on using it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clw3xIPVXbM&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aif7PcESRGo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvS98dojNVs&feature=related

Thanks for posting the links Mark, I used West system epoxy extensively when I built an equestrian tack box for my daughter but never specifically for pore filling. I would offer the caveat that like other epoxy products which involve an exothermic cure when you are using minute quantities be certain to allow ample cure time before scraping or sanding. At lower quantities the "chain reaction" of a large epoxy mass does not take place since reaction heat is quickly dispersed. :wsmile:

 

[Joe Scharle]

When I work with oak or walnut (you didn't specify), I rub the first coat of BLO in with 0000 steel wool. This creates a slurry of oil and dust and, for me, fills the pores nicely. Mineral spirits works too. 600 wet/dry sandpaper works, but I have a lot of 0000 steel wool. Wipe the excess off with the grain.

 

[Tarhead]

Thanks for posting the links Mark, I used West system epoxy extensively when I built an equestrian tack box for my daughter but never specifically for pore filling. I would offer the caveat that like other epoxy products which involve an exothermic cure when you are using minute quantities be certain to allow ample cure time before scraping or sanding. At lower quantities the "chain reaction" of a large epoxy mass does not take place since reaction heat is quickly dispersed. :wsmile:

Zpoxy especially has taken all complexity out of it and simplified the process quite a bit. No weighing or extreme precision, temperature, etc. You can mix as little as a few teaspoons of the resin and hardener without any problem. Just protect yourself and don't develop a sensitivity to Epoxy. I got some at HobbyTown USA in CLT to try on my next project.

 

[Glennbear]

Just protect yourself and don't develop a sensitivity to Epoxy.

Sage advice, I went through that hassle decades ago with epoxies used in electronic manufacturing. Definitely not a fun experience. :no:

 

[mkepke]

Try mixing shellac with plain talc. The former is available as e.g. Zinsser Seal Coat and the latter as (unscented) baby power (watch out, not all baby powders use talc).

-Mark

 

[fergy]

Try mixing shellac with plain talc. The former is available as e.g. Zinsser Seal Coat and the latter as (unscented) baby power (watch out, not all baby powders use talc).

-Mark

I think most of them use corn starch now, in fact...and that would indeed make a mess of things.

 

[fergy]

When I work with oak or walnut (you didn't specify), I rub the first coat of BLO in with 0000 steel wool. This creates a slurry of oil and dust and, for me, fills the pores nicely. Mineral spirits works too. 600 wet/dry sandpaper works, but I have a lot of 0000 steel wool. Wipe the excess off with the grain.

I do the same thing, but with Danish oil or stain, depending on the project. I use the sandpaper method usually, or Scotchbrite pads.

 

[merrill77]

When I work with oak or walnut (you didn't specify), I rub the first coat of BLO in with 0000 steel wool. This creates a slurry of oil and dust and, for me, fills the pores nicely. Mineral spirits works too. 600 wet/dry sandpaper works, but I have a lot of 0000 steel wool. Wipe the excess off with the grain.

I do the same thing, but with Danish oil or stain, depending on the project. I use the sandpaper method usually, or Scotchbrite pads.

I've tried that method in the past - with oil/varnish mix and 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper on walnut. I really liked the quality of the result. The color match is perfect and the resulting surface is silky smooth. However, on really large-pored wood (e.g. walnut, oak), it took MANY passes of wet sanding to get the pores filled sufficiently for a mirror-smooth surface. About ten passes, IIRC.

On Sunday night I had an thought about a way to accelerate the process. I took a scrap of my wood and my ROS, which has a porous plastic dust collector/filter. I cleaned the filter and then sanded the scrap for a while with a 120 grit sanding disk. I then collected the sanding dust from the filter. I covered my test piece with danish oil, sprinkled on the sanding dust and rubbed it in with 400 grit sandpaper. Last night I examined the result and after the first pass the pores are almost completely filled on my white oak test sample. I am very optimistic about the next pass, which I'll apply tonight. I had not envisioned an oil/varnish finish on this piece (was planning on shellac)...but perhaps this will be the way to go. I wonder if the result would have been even better if I had put down a seal coat of shellac, first? Hmmm...perhaps another test is in order.

Chris

 

[striker]

I've used hide glue in the past with good results.

 

[merrill77]

Coming back with my final update on this thread - filling the pores with sawdust and danish oil did not give me the desired results. #1, it was slow. Very slow. I can't imagine how many iterations it would take to completely fill the pores in oak using this method, but it would be a LOT. I think my initial good results may have been the result of my testing two different pieces that had different pore sizes exposed - and I mis-read the results. #2 - this technique did not show off the figure of the wood. I'm not convinced the sawdust in the pores had any part in this - the quartersawn figure just didn't pop at all. After just a few coats of shellac, the figure was much more pronounced. The danish oil didn't have the same effect.

I will say that this method darkens the oak in a pleasing way - I liked the color change. It also left the surface with a silky smooth feel. Visually, it was somewhere between satin and flat. I can think of projects that would be nice with that finish, so I'll likely be using the technique again at some point.

Chris

 

[mshel]

Little late to the party but plaster of paris was used back in the day and by some still as a grain filler. If you google plaster of paris as a grain filler, you will get many hits. Haven't tried it yet but aim to. Claim is, even though it looks white in the pores, it will turn when the finish is applied.

Mike