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WBO 2022: Löwenbäss
- Thread starter RichterScale
- Start date
yeah, I remember that. You could shave in that thing.
I'm using a solarez vinyl ester grain sealer to get it level. I might just do a carnauba wax after a few coats of the filler. Not sure yet. But this stuff isn't for finish.
Although, I might experiment on a scrap and see what's it's like if I keep building it and leave it as the finish.
So,...on the last build, or whatever that thing was, I wanted a satin/semi-gloss finish. I did the Highline guitars faux oil finish technique with solarez as the sealer/leveler and then a few coats of wax to finish it off. If it weren't for the other screwups, it would've turned out great. But, I didn't use the can't believe it's not lacquer. I went with their vinyl ester grain filler. 1: because vinyl is more durable, 2: it's s'posed to stick to anything and work well with oily woods, 3: it's s'posed to be a grain sealer and that's all I was planning to use it for, 4: it's UV cure, so I can have the finish on and done in an evening, from bare wood to playing the bass.
Now, it's not difficult to work with. It smells like model glue and it's sticky when uncured, but that's the worst of it. However, I laid down 3 coats and the wenge pores were barely half filled.
Before I packed up for the night, I got out my new can of Varathane satin poly water based and put a coat on the other side.
First thing I noticed after it went from white to blue to clear is that I can see the grain much better and it doesn't darken the wood as much.
So, I'll save the solarez and the $60 flashlight I just bought
for other applications.
I'm going to stop and see what HD has to offer in a water based grain filler tomorrow and if they don't have anything, I'll order something. I'm nowhere near finish yet, but I'm glad I did this now, so that I'm not deciding to order something with 3 days left in the build-off.
I took pics but my phone takes horrible pics under the LED shop lights in the basement, so I'll take the piece to work tomorrow and snap better ones.
Now, it's not difficult to work with. It smells like model glue and it's sticky when uncured, but that's the worst of it. However, I laid down 3 coats and the wenge pores were barely half filled.
Before I packed up for the night, I got out my new can of Varathane satin poly water based and put a coat on the other side.
First thing I noticed after it went from white to blue to clear is that I can see the grain much better and it doesn't darken the wood as much.
So, I'll save the solarez and the $60 flashlight I just bought
for other applications.I'm going to stop and see what HD has to offer in a water based grain filler tomorrow and if they don't have anything, I'll order something. I'm nowhere near finish yet, but I'm glad I did this now, so that I'm not deciding to order something with 3 days left in the build-off.
I took pics but my phone takes horrible pics under the LED shop lights in the basement, so I'll take the piece to work tomorrow and snap better ones.
I guess you can kinda see in these 2.
In the solarez's defense, it's sanded with 800, so there's shiny and dull spots and it looks better once it's prepped and waxed. But you can tell how much clearer and lighter the poly is. The poly looked a tiny bit better on the maple too, but the difference is more dramatic on the dark wenge.
In the solarez's defense, it's sanded with 800, so there's shiny and dull spots and it looks better once it's prepped and waxed. But you can tell how much clearer and lighter the poly is. The poly looked a tiny bit better on the maple too, but the difference is more dramatic on the dark wenge.
Stopped at HD on the way to work.
The only thing they had that was even remotely close to what I was looking for was this.
There were 2 other spots on the shelf that said "wood filler", but they were empty and I didn't bother reading the tag any further to see what it was.
This stuff is thick, white goop that you can use as is, or thin with water and lather it on like a thick paint. Says it can be stained and doesn't shrink (they all say they don't shrink and I already know it's a lie).
The only thing it doesn't say on the bucket is whether or not it dries clear.
I'm going to apply a patch to bare wood, then apply it to a patch that already has one coat of VU water based poly and let you know what happens.
The only thing they had that was even remotely close to what I was looking for was this.
There were 2 other spots on the shelf that said "wood filler", but they were empty and I didn't bother reading the tag any further to see what it was.
This stuff is thick, white goop that you can use as is, or thin with water and lather it on like a thick paint. Says it can be stained and doesn't shrink (they all say they don't shrink and I already know it's a lie).
The only thing it doesn't say on the bucket is whether or not it dries clear.
I'm going to apply a patch to bare wood, then apply it to a patch that already has one coat of VU water based poly and let you know what happens.
I should also point out that solarez grain sealer is a great sealer. But I'm trying to fill the pores of wenge with it and it's going to take too many applications and darken the wood too much. I assumed that since it is 100% solids and cures chemically with UV, that it would fill the pores quickly.
Not the case.
Not the case.
I'll be curious to see how your test with the DAP turns out. I don't recall that product drying clear, I think it's more for filling trim nail holes and such, not so much as a grain filler, even though it does state that usage on the label. It's hard to find a grain filler that dries perfectly clear, most of them color the wood quite a bit. I know the Zinsser Seal Coat I used on Lucifer ambered the wood about as much as Tru Oil does, but I was actually looking for that on that build so it worked fine.
Well, can tell right away that this stuff doesn't dry clear. Know what it is? It's frickin drywall mud. Which I've used in the past to fill the grain of wood that I wanted to paint. And would have been cheaper. I could stain it, but it's not worth the effort and mess. At that point, any colored wood filler would work.
I need something clear.
On to the next experiment.
I need something clear.
On to the next experiment.
Grain filling is a pain the butt with deep pore woods like wenge. Or padauk, as I'm dealing with myself. I usually use a general epoxy for filling grain and on mine, I did two applications of the cold cure stuff and the grain was not filled. I just sanded it back last night and applied a thick layer of my fall back which is LePage Wood Filler: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] It does shrink back a little, but it takes dye and mixol tints. With epoxy over top I've used it with success before. This time I wanted to fill mine with epoxy as it's not opaque but I gave up last night and used the pore filler to bring things flush.
You coulda told me that earlier. Cost me $12.
$12 + mileage+ fuel+ fuel tax+ delivery fees+ administrative fees+ destination fees+ $5 used tire handling fee+ an hour labor+ pain&suffering,.....
I figure you owe me $1500.
I'll settle out of court for $750.
I searched "aquacoat" in the TB search bar last night, because I remembered seeing someone mention using it recently. But most of the results had people saying it shrank back too much or they didn't like it for one reason or another. The only local place that has it is Rockler and it's $26 for a pint. I was going to get it anyway and try applying it to wenge that already has one coat of WB poly. Maybe sealing the pores will help prevent the aquacoat from getting sucked in and shrinking back forever.
The pores in the wenge really don't seem all that bad at a glance.
Maybe there's an underground cave system(?)
I hope my bass doesn't develop sink holes.
Maybe there's an underground cave system(?)
I hope my bass doesn't develop sink holes.
Last edited:
Interesting.
Elmer's clear "school glue" claims to be safe and non toxic, but it won't list it's ingredients or chemical makeup. Not even on the safety data sheet.
I thought it was a requirement for anything sold here, even if it's made in a country with little to no safety or environmental regulations.
The ingredients basically say, "meh, don't worry about it."
Elmer's clear "school glue" claims to be safe and non toxic, but it won't list it's ingredients or chemical makeup. Not even on the safety data sheet.
I thought it was a requirement for anything sold here, even if it's made in a country with little to no safety or environmental regulations.
The ingredients basically say, "meh, don't worry about it."
Yep.
This is just one coat of WB satin poly on bare wenge.
One the other end, I sanded the bare wood with 400 grit and left the dust in the pores. I then laid on a coat of poly and wet sanded it into a slurry with 320 grit. Let dry, sanded, then 2 more coats of poly with drying and level sanding between, then mixed wood flour in with some poly to give it a higher solids content, put it on with my finger and left puddles of it where the biggest pores were, sanded flat then a 5th coat of poly.
It's only about 50% better.
I've wet sanded wenge with thinned wipe-on poly and gotten the pores filled (center stripe)... it just took forever 
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