Ever wonder how expert wood finishers get the mirror-like finish you find on examples of fine furniture? It isn’t by hastily slapping on a coat or two of standard-issue polyurethane varnish. There are a number of steps involved, beginning with the way the piece is originally constructed on through several coats of clear finish and final hand-rubbing. In between, there’s the all important step of filling the wood grain pores to produce the perfectly flat surface that gives the final clear finish depth and a glass-smooth shine. Crystalac Clear Waterborne Wood Grain Filler makes the process about as easy as it can be. And in case you’ve never used wood grain filler, here are a few filler facts to help you see why.
Wood grain filler is used strictly to fill wood grain pores and should not be confused with “wood putty”. Wood putty (or wood filler) is a much thicker mixture, and is used to fill larger cracks and voids in the wood. Grain filler is a binder mixed with a filler material, such as silica, “micro balloons”, clay, or calcium carbonate to for a thin paste. Most grain fillers are roughly the viscosity of pancake batter, making them easy to work into the grain of the wood, but still thick enough to span and fill the open pores of the grain.
Grain filler is most often used on “open- grained” woods like oak and mahogany. Open-grained woods have large open pores that are difficult to fill with clear finish, and cause the texture of the wood to show up on the finished surface of the wood. In terms of the strength and resilience of a finishing job, filling the grain is an optional step. If you like to see the texture of the wood telegraphed through the final coats of finish, then skip the grain filler; it won’t matter a bit in terms of the durability of the finish. But if you want to produce a glass smooth “piano” finish, especially on an open-grained species, grain filler would be pretty tough to do without.
There are two main varieties of wood grain filler: Oil-based or waterborne. Oil-based filler is as old as oil-based finish itself, and has a dedicated following. Waterborne wood grain fillers are the new kids on the block, but are rapidly gaining favor because of the easy soap and water clean-up and greatly shortened drying time it offers. You might think that using a waterborne filler would limit you to using a waterborne finish, but that’s not the case. A waterborne filler like Crystalac can be used under any clear finish, and is actually less finicky than an oil-based filler when it comes to accepting the final clear finish.
Application varies some from filler to filler, but in general, you trowel or brush the filler on, squeegee or wipe of the excess, wait for it to dry, and sand it level with the surface of the wood. Grain fillers are fairly easy to use, but one thing does take a little skill and thought: getting the color right. And getting it right the first time is important. Most wood grain fillers won”t take a stain very well after they dry; whatever color of filler you stuff into the grain of the wood will be a highly visible and permanent change. Most grain fillers are either tinted to emulate the color of various woods, or come in an opaque “neutral” color. With an opaque filler, you’re almost guaranteed to need to do a little tweaking of the color to get the effect you want.
Crystalac Clear Waterborne Wood Grain Filler, on the other hand, dries water-clear, which can be a real advantage: You don’t have to worry about getting the perfect color, nor do you have to worry about getting every last bit of the excess filler sanded off: If you leave a little behind, you’ll never see it. Aesthetically, the color of the filler you use has a tremendous impact on the look of the wood. A clear grain filler on an open-grained wood has the effect of adding depth. If you want to experiment with colored filler effects, Crystalac takes any water or alcohol soluble tint.
Wood finishing is an art form, and the more you’re at it, the more you see that it isn’t an “after-thought”. It’s often the make-or-break point of a project, and can involve several steps. Adding wood grain filler to your finishing repertoire is a great way to bump your wood finishing results up to the next level. And fast, easy sanding, forgiving Crystalac lets you do it with exceptional results and virtually no learning curve.
I am building an oak coffee table. I plan to use a finish of tung oil, linseed oil, and poly (like Arm-R-Seal). How would I use this grain filler along with this type of finish. Which should I do first?
Thanks for the question. Crystalac grain filler goes under the final finish. Work it into the pores, squeegee off the excess, let it dry and sand with fine grit sandpaper. You can apply Crystalac to raw wood or over a stain or washcoat. It’s recommended for use with waterborne and oil-based top coats.
If you are new to a finishing procedure or type of finish, we recommend going through the entire process on a piece of scrap first. Bob Flexner’s Understaning Wood Finishing goes through the process in great detail, if you’d like a more in-depth look at grain filling.
I am finishing a buffet, purchased from unfinished furniture this time. Is there a product an amature can use to fill the grain and slight imperfections in the wood like wood grain filler.
Thanks for the question. Crystalac doesn’t require wood finishing expertise. It’s pretty user friendly. As an alternative, you could try Wunderfil. It comes in more of a “putty” form, but can be thinned down to fill grain. It also comes in eight shades, and can be custom tinted. Be sure to read the customer reviews for a few tips on how to get the most out of it. Hope this helps.
I want to reface oak cabinets and paint them white. I dont want to see the grain when I have completed the project. Is this product ok to use before painting with Cabinet Coat paint?
Yes, you could use Crystalac, but again, for what you are doing, Wunderfil might be a better choice. Part of what you are paying for with Crystalac is the fact that it dries perfectly clear, giving you control over the appearance of the wood and grain pores. Since you are painting the wood, using an opaque filler – like Wunderfil – is not only acceptable, but may help you to see that you have the grain adequately filled and sanded out to the point that there are no lumps of filler that will telegraph through the paint.
I am refinishing my oak table and the edge seems to be made out of a different type wood. Any idea what this is and what would be the best way to finish it. It seems to just soak up the polyurothane.
Without seeing the project, we’d guess the table top is an oak veneer over a substrate, and that the edges of the table are the substrate. The end grain of “lumber core” plywood would soak up a lot of finish, as would MDF (medium density fiberboard). If you’ve already started applying poly, the color is OK and you’re just wondering if it will ever stop soaking up the finish: it will. Just let it dry thoroughly and sand lightly between coats. It may take a few coats, but it will seal eventually.
I would like to get a mirror finish on my oak projects. I have used Crystalac but it seem to move away from the grain of the wood in some areas. I squeege it off perpindicular with the grain. I have put two coats on and it still does not seem to fill the open grain completely. I have stained the wood so I cannot sand the surface too much. Should I water it down and let it soak in on the first coat?
You could experiment with thinning the mixture a little, but it might just be a matter of perfecting your technique. You might have better luck if you squeegee diagonally across the grain, doing two coats in opposing directions (with a light sanding in between to knock down any ridges). Adjusting the angle of the squeegee could help as well. The goal is to work the filler into the open pores. If the blade is perpendicular to the surface of the material, it tends to just scrape off the filler without forcing it into the cells. Angling the squeegee downward will help force the filler into the pores, and will help you keep from dragging filler out of the openings in the process. I hope this helps.
Anyone else have tips?
I want to change my oak kitchen cabinets to a faux painted cherry wood look. (I do faux finishes and murals for a living) I was told to use grain filler on the center panela of the doors to rduce the appearance of the oak grain. Can I use wood filler instead or is the grain filler better? I was going to do that then prime the wood then do 2 coats of the paint faux finish. Please let me know
Since the finished faux painting will be completely opaque, then either grain filler or Wunderfil will work, and you might find the latter a little easier to work with.
I stripped the old paint from a quartersawn oak piece and would like to refill areas where the porous, softer grain was removed in the paint removal. I don’t want a mirror surface on the wood but neither do I want that just-stripped look that you see on refinished pieces. Can I use Crystalac to replace some of the open grain. Can I add color to the filler to cover and obscure any tiny pieces of paint (pink!)left in the grain? If I don’t want a perfectly smoth finish is burlap a better applicator than a squeegee? Thanks!!
Without seeing the piece, it’s hard to say for certain. Grain filler isn’t designed for filling large voids in wood, but for just a few fibers that softened up and got pulled away during the stripping process, it might be worth a shot. Even with a fair amount of tint mixed in to obscure the leftover pink flecks, the translucent effect might be more appealing than an opaque wood filler.
I am building a dining room table out of solid Walnut, the walnut I have has different colors between the boards it seems this wood was outside for several years when I re-sawed the wood, I got some pieces with black grain areas which is ok but was wondering if I should put a black walnut stain on the entire piece to try to get the color more consistent. I also want to fill the grain and have no experience with that process at all. I want the top of this table to be very smooth.
Staining the wood with walnut stain could help to even out the colors. If you’re planning to spray the top coat, you could use a layer or two of toner, which can be easily made out of thinned down finish and TransTint Dye. Toner may be more effective at evening out the color, but may tend to obscure the grain pattern more than stain.
A grain filler is typically advised for walnut when a glass-smooth surface is the desired outcome. Either Crystalac (mentioned above) or Bartley solvent based grian filler will work. Remember that Crystalac recommends staining before applying the filler, which can make sanding the surface flat without affecting the stain a bit tricky.
I am finishing an oak bar top and this is the first project I have used Crystalac grain filler. I am concerned about the trowel and brush marks that I can’t sand out due to the danger of removing the stain which I applied first. Will the diagnal brush marks be visible after I apply the polyurathane finsh coat, or will I be forced to sand it down and start over?
No matter how careful you are when you apply it, water-based grain filler usually requires sanding after it dries, which makes using it over stained wood a bit trickier. As much of the filler on the surface as possible should be sanded off. Dried Crystalac should sand easily, so if you are careful, you have a good chance of getting it flat without damaging the stain.
Our oak cabinets are covered with either shellac, varnish or polyurethane. Of course, I am hoping it will adhere fine to the "finished" surface if I clean and dry the cabinets prior to applying the grain filler. Is it necessary to remove the finish before applying the wood grain filler or will it adhere well to a cleaned finished surface? Thanks.
Renee – thanks for the comment. Your best bet would be to scuff the surface with fine sandpaper first. You’d want to do that anyway before applying a topcoat. If the wood is stained, be careful not to sand through the finish. Just rough it up enough to give the surface a little "tooth".
I recently bought a home with bleached/light colored oak cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms. I’d like to paint all of the cabinetry black and don’t want to see any wood grain in the finished product. My plan is clean, sand, prime, and paint each cabinet and hope for a modern look. Will woodfill help me to eliminate any woodgrain that might show thru the coats of primer and paint? Any idea if a matte black or satin black is more in style?
Thanks for any guidance you can give me.
Thanks for the comment. Yes, grain filler will help hide the wood grain of oak under a new coat of paint. It sounds like you have the sequence down. After you clean and lightly sand the cabinets, fill the grain and sand the filler flat. We don’t think you’ll risk a fashion faux pas with either a matte or a satin finish. If it’s a toss-up aesthetically, you will probably find a satin finish easier to care for.
Hi. I bought an old end table made of a very dark wood that has a grain to it. It has a flat top with wood-rope detailing around the edges and spindle legs. I want to paint it in the Victorian cottage style, which has a very smooth finish. Would CrystaLac be a good choice to fill the wood grain, even on the spindles and rope detailing? What would be the best way to apply it to such rounded and intricate surfaces?
Thanks for the comment. Any grain filler could be made to work. Since you are planning to paint the piece, the color of the grain filler isn’t an issue. So, you might consider using Wunderfil. Some people find it easier to work with than other fillers. It cleans up with water, and can be thinned to various consistencies (something you might want to experiment with for the curved rope molding). As for the application, you might not find a better instrument than your fingers. You could also experiment with “custom” tools. A thin strip of wood whittled and sanded into a shape that matches the contours of the molding would help you scrape off excess filler, especially in hard-to-get-at corners. You can also wipe off excess filler with a damp rag, as long as you are careful not to wipe too hard and undo the work you’ve done. Even if it seems tedious, doing a good job with the wet filler will save you lots of even more difficult sanding later on.
Hi. I’m refinishing red oak kitchen cabinets (currently golden oak stain), and I’m experimenting (unsuccessfully so far) with trying to get a tan-ish (versus gold/red) color and a more even stain color (less visible grain). Would grain filler be helpful? (or should I give up trying to make red oak look like it isn’t?!)
We just bought unfinished oak kitchen cabinets from a chain
hardware store. I want to stain them with a gel stain that looks heavy around the creases and lighter in the middle. I have seen this done on thousands of maple cabinets with glazes
and gel stains but want to know if the crystalac would help hide the grain before I stain? Does this product hide the grain enough for this type of staining? Thanks!
Thanks for the comment, Niki. You might consider using Wunderfil (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=2003). It can be thinned down to a consistency that would let you fill the pores to an almost completely flat surface in one or two coats. Unlike Crystalac, Wunderfil is opaque and available in several colors. You could buy a color close to the desired look, and even go so far as to custom tint it with universal tinting colors (available at most paint stores). Crystalac recommends staining before filling the grain, so it might not be the ideal choice in this case. As usual, we recommend experimenting on a piece of scrap before taking after your new cabinets. Hope this helps!
I am trying to repair teak and holly floorboards from my boat. Most of the boards have been fine – I stripped the old coating, sanded, and applied three coats of polyurethane for a protective covering. However, one of the boards has five deep gouges into the teak. I’ve tried filling it with wood filler but nothing will match the natural teak color. Any ideas?
Thanks for the question, Clay. It’s tough to get a good match with a filler straight out of the can, even for common wood species where premixed colors are plentiful. Famowood solvent-based filler might be a good choice. They used to sell a Teak filler, which you may or may not still be able to find. Currently, their “Oak” filler (as opposed to their “Red Oak” filler) is actually labeled “Teak/Oak” (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=18537), and would be a good starting point, even if you had to tweak the color slightly with universal tinting colorants (available at most paint stores).
Hi. I’ve just recently been introduced to my new toy store, Rockler! I just need more projects. My question is about refinishing builder standard golden oak cabinets. I want to paint them white. I’ve read about and plan to fill the grain on the doors and sides. I plan to use an oil based paint and do the work with a brush. You seem to lean to Wunderfil for this but isn’t it waterbased? And what impact will that have on finishing with oil based paint? Secondary question, am I too optimistic about a smooth finish with filling the grain and using a brush? Thanks for any feedback.
Kevin, thanks for the comment. Yes, you can use oil-based paint over Wunderfil. Just follow the paint manufacturer’s directions for surface preparation. As far as being too optimistic: it depends both on your method and your expectations. No matter how much care you take, the finished product will probably not look like it just came from a factory. But if you carefully sand the surface, clean it thoroughly and use a good quality enamel, following the manufacturer’s recommendations, you may be very happy with the results.
It sounds like a big project. You might consider a trial run. If you can lay your hands on an inexpensive subject – possibly a beat up cabinet or cabinet door from a building materials recycling center(?) – it would give you a chance to get a feel for the process and preview of the results.
I am building a white oak entertainment center and do not plan to stain it but I would like to get a “piano” finish. Would it be beneficial to use CrystaLac on the majority of the project and Wunderfil only where there are small imperfection? Beginner wood worker but highly motivated!
Yes, Crystalac would be would be appropriate for filling the grain, and Wunderfil for small chips, cracks, holes, etc. Here again, we recommend a trial run on pieces of scrap. It’s sometimes necessary to tweak the color of opaque filler (like Wunderfil) to get a good match, and the only truly accurate way to judge the color match is after all of the the finishing steps are complete.
When using Crystalac, what is the best thing to use as a squeege and is it best to apply with the grain or cross-grain?
I am trying to fill red oak grain with Crystalac. I have stained the wood with Zar oil based stain and have applied two coats of grain filler. I am not getting the grain filled. Do I have a compatability issue with the Zar? I sand aggressively as the Zar is very forgiving on restaining.
Thanks for the comments. Bob – a plastic spreader works well for applying the filler. It doesn’t need to be anything special – an inexpensive plastic 6″ drywall knife, available at any hardware store, will work fine. The direction is up to you, but a couple coats at opposing 45 degree angles to the grain seems to work well. Harry – Crystalac can be used over oil based stains, but as with any water-borne product, the stain needs to be fully cured. In general, it’s best to let oil stains cure for a few days at least before using a waterborne products.
I would like to stain my light oak kitchen cabs darker, but I also want to eliminate a lot of the oaks large grain. You say to stain first, then apply the CrystalLac. I realize that it dries clear, but I am having a hard time understanding how the finished stain will look uniform. Due the the large grains in oak, won’t the stain be darker in the larger pores?
Thanks for the comment, WannaBeWood. Crystalac recommends staining before using their product, but you are right – doing so can make the appearance of the grain pores more pronounced. According to finishing expert Bob Flexner, you can stain water-based wood fillers with water-based stain or stain with lacquer thinner as a solvent as long as you do it before the filler is fully cured. As always, we recommend experimenting on scrap beforehand.
Hi, I am in the process of remodeling my kitchen. We hired a local cabinet builder to make all new cabinets for the kitchen and new vanities for the bathrooms. I ordered them to be built out of Alder wood because
I do not like the look of a grainy wood. Well, there was a mix up somewhere and they were built out of red oak. Now my cabinets are here and hung and built beautifully but out of the wrong material. Is there
any way that I can make these cabinets look like alder wood or something with lil grain. I really don’t want to paint these cabinets but I want a stain look without all the grain. Thanks, any suggestions would be
greatly appreciated!
Thanks, Lisa – Oak and alder are very different in appearance and it would be a feat to make one look like the other. But by using a tinted grain filler and stain, you can tone down the appearance of the grain quite a bit. This can be a big job, however, so be prepared. The entire process involves too much to cover here. You might consider picking up a book on finishing (we frequently recommend “Understanding Wood Finishing” – http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=11436). Getting a few scraps of oak to practice on would also be a good idea. Good luck!
Hi Marie. You might be thinking of a pour-on epoxy finish, such as “Glaze Coat.” We don’t happen to carry it, but it’s fairly common and you may be able to find it at a hardware store. It’s clear and much thicker than varnish or polyurethane, so it will fill in shallow depressions in a surface. If you try it, be sure to follow safety precautions on the package.
I have an oak butcher block that has been finished with several coats of salad bowl finish (http://www.generalfinishes.com/retail-products/oil-base-top-coats/salad-bowl-finish). But the pores are not filling in at all. Can I apply a grain filler now, and then some more finish on top? Or would I have sand it down first (which I would prefer to avoid)?
Thanks for the question, Tony. If you scuff-sand the piece and use an oil based grain filler, you should get roughly the same adhesion that you are with successive coats of oil based finish. Now we’ll play the broken record: if you want to be sure, try it first on a piece of scrap.
I’m building my first workbench. It has a oak laminate top. Should I apply a wood grain filler to the oak for this type of project?
Vince – there wouldn’t be much advantage in filling the grain on your workbench, unless you want it to look really nice and are willing to go the extra mile to get there.
I put Crystlac clear water based wood grain filler on a mahogany table top that had been sanded but not sealed. It left streaks after it dried.
Is that typical if I haven’t stained the wood? Do you have any suggestions on how to make the finish even?
Thanks for your help.
Schueler – We could see that happening if there are ridges of grain filler on the surface. If the wood is not stained, you can sand it flat again using a sanding block and the streaks should disappear. Let us know if that doesn’t work – thanks.
The sanding took care of the streaking. Thanks for the help.
I have a large black walnut slab that I’m making into a dining room table. It is very figured, has super curl, and amazing color. Just sanded it is a show stopper. I want to keep it as natural looking as possible and only highlight the beauty of the wood. I want a completely smooth finish without any grain. On a test piece of wood, after four coats of varnish, I still see grain coming through the finish. Would you recommend that I use Crystalac Clear on the raw wood, sand and then apply my varnish?
Sounds like a nice piece of lumber – it’s good that you’re trying things out on scrap. You can use Crystalac on raw wood, but you might try a coat of dewaxed shellac first, followed by a light sanding, under the Crystalac. That may give you a better finished color. Let us know what you decide, and how it works out.