# Filling grain after priming ?



## flanajb (27 May 2011)

I primed a piece of furniture that I intend to spray with a morrells high sheen acrylic lacquer. On close inspection I can see the timber grain and would like to fill it so that when it is finished the grain is not visible. If I ha not already primer it I would have used a car body filler compound, but as I have primed with water based morrells primer I am not sure how to proceed?

Thanks


----------



## Sgian Dubh (28 May 2011)

flanajb":15f5e1qq said:


> On close inspection I can see the timber grain and would like to fill it so that when it is finished the grain is not visible. If I ha not already primer it I would have used a car body filler compound, but as I have primed with water based morrells primer I am not sure how to proceed?
> Thanks



Filling the grain will not hide it, it will just fill it. Instead of seeing the open texture of the wood, and being able to feel it, you'll see the filler and the surface will be flat instead of undulating-- this assumes of course that you are working with an open pored, ring porous, or coarsely textured wood like oak, ash, wenge, etc. There's little point generally in trying to grain fill a fine textured or diffuse porous wood such as sycamore, maple, cherry, etc. In my experience car body filler never seems to work for the job I understand you want to do, ie, grain filling. I guess from your description of what you want to achieve you should be looking for a "grain filler".

It's common practice to grain fill after applying a first coat of polish. It's also common practice to fill prior to applying a sealer coat, and it depends what kind of look you are after. If you wish to fill the grain now I suggest you look for a proprietary grain filler, but as you are using water based polish I suggest you look for a water based grain filler-- water based polishes don't take kindly to oils waxes, etc under them, and most grain fillers in a ready mixed can use white spirit (oil) as their solvent. Behlen are one producer of water based grain fillers. I've never used the particular product the link below points you to so I cannot tell you how it performs. Slainte.
http://www.behlen.co.uk/Merchant2/merch ... Code=FILLE


----------



## flanajb (28 May 2011)

Sgian Dubh":27xfbyxm said:


> flanajb":27xfbyxm said:
> 
> 
> > On close inspection I can see the timber grain and would like to fill it so that when it is finished the grain is not visible. If I ha not already primer it I would have used a car body filler compound, but as I have primed with water based morrells primer I am not sure how to proceed?
> ...


I think I may have confused here. I am painting the piece in question, so I am rather confused when you say "you'll see the filler and the surface will be flat instead of undulating". I assume you are talking about if I was filling to then finish with a clear finish ?

I will have a look at the link you specified.

Thanks


----------



## chrs_666 (28 May 2011)

If you were wanting a grainless finish surely it would have been more beneficial to use Mdf to construct said item unless of corse it is a existing item. however if i were wishing to loose the grain completely i would use car body filler on deep areas then top stop polyester stopper for the small blemishes quite a bit of work though hope this helps


----------



## Sgian Dubh (28 May 2011)

flanajb":cfmtf4di said:


> I think I may have confused here. I am painting the piece in question, so I am rather confused when you say "you'll see the filler and the surface will be flat instead of undulating". I assume you are talking about if I was filling to then finish with a clear finish ? Thanks



Yes, I did discuss techniques for a clear finish. I didn't realise you were talking about acrylic paint as you said you were using acrylic lacquer-- although you might be using a waterborne lacquer with added pigments. The grain filling advice I gave still holds good in any case. 

Certainly if you are using a pigmented finish, either paint or pigmented lacquer, it won't really matter what colour of grain filler you use to fill the open pores of the wood. Slainte.


----------



## flanajb (28 May 2011)

chrs_666":myetwgf1 said:


> If you were wanting a grainless finish surely it would have been more beneficial to use Mdf to construct said item unless of corse it is a existing item. however if i were wishing to loose the grain completely i would use car body filler on deep areas then top stop polyester stopper for the small blemishes quite a bit of work though hope this helps


Agreed, but said piece is being renovated. I have not heard of polyester stopper.

Thanks


----------



## chrs_666 (28 May 2011)

flanajb":339upipe said:


> chrs_666":339upipe said:
> 
> 
> > If you were wanting a grainless finish surely it would have been more beneficial to use Mdf to construct said item unless of corse it is a existing item. however if i were wishing to loose the grain completely i would use car body filler on deep areas then top stop polyester stopper for the small blemishes quite a bit of work though hope this helps
> ...



Just google top stop they use it in bodyshops for filling pin holes in car bodywork i find it works exelent for giving a perfectly flat surface im always open to a better alternative though.


----------



## chrs_666 (28 May 2011)

chrs_666":1yn1ee9d said:


> flanajb":1yn1ee9d said:
> 
> 
> > chrs_666":1yn1ee9d said:
> ...


i would then re prime item again.


----------



## flanajb (29 May 2011)

Many thanks Chris for your help!


----------

