- Overview
- More Info
- Reviews
Clear wood filler dries rapidly for quick sanding! It’s great for exotic woods that are colorful, and it can be tinted with dyes or colors to match the wood. Makes an ideal wipe-on sealer for porous woods.
Technical Details:
- Just wipe on and trowel off with sanding between coats.
- Apply several coats on deep holes.
- It can be tinted with dyes or colors to match the wood.
- For best results, stain wood before applying filler.
- Minimal shrink formula.
- Quart.
- Caution: Avoid breathing sanding dust. Use an OSHA approved dust mask. Contains silica. Do no ingest. Keep out of reach of children. Keep from freezing.
What's in the Box?
(1) Quart CrystaLac Wood Grain Filler
|
| |
Customer Reviews and Photos for:
CrystaLac® Clear Waterborne Wood Grain Filler
|
Average Rating:
2.8
(18 customer reviews)
$31.49
Add your review...
|
|
|
1) Submitted by
Steve, from Holly Springs, NC
on 5/11/2012
Customer Rating: 
I didn't have much luck using a squeegee or putty type of knife so it sat on my shelf for quite awhile. One day I really needed something to fill in a top made of flat sawn Red Oak so I took it down, put on rubber gloves and applied it by hand and it worked like a charm. I put down large dollops and proceded to really work it in with my hands and then would smooth it out leaving a very light film all over and I then allowed it to dry over night. The next day I hit it with the sander and my pores were nicely filled. When I first used it I think I was filling the pores but when I would wipe it or use a squeegee to clean of the excess it would pull out the filler which is why this time I allowed it to completey dry and sanded off the excess.
|
|
2) Submitted by
Daedalus Wyss, from Salem, OR
on 7/1/2011
Customer Rating: 
Crystalac is very different from other non-water based grain fillers I have used. I thinned it a little bit with water, and spread it on mahogany with a brush. It seemed to fill all the pores really easily, and without much extra help from the brush, which is what I'm used to having to do. I left it on for 15-20 minutes. It stayed really wet for quite a while, maybe because I thinned it a bit. But after about 15-20 minutes it began to set up and became the consistency of pudding. At that point I troweled it off with a plastic scraper. The excess came off really easily without removing any filler from the pores. I was really happy with how cleanly it scraped, it didn't leave behind much for me to sand later. I let it dry for a few hours. Then I sanded away the excess, which wasn't much. And the sanding took me a lot less time than with other fillers I've used. I'm really happy with the results. I can't wait to try using dye for a colored fill!
|
|
3) Submitted by
Chris Fisher, from Maynard, MA
on 6/18/2011
Customer Rating:
As others have noted, instructions on product are worthless and I learned how to use it from the successful reviews here. I used two coats on my quartersawn white oak table top. It was applied with a plastic 3" putty knife which allowed me to force it into the pores. On each coat I made no attempt to leave excess material. Beyond that I did a light sanding with 320 grit paper and followed up with several coats of shellac. This product allowed me to avoid about 15-20 coats of shellac I'd otherwise do to obtain a piano finish. Although it claims to dry clear I can see it has an nearly imperceptible whitish hue. This stuff rocks!
|
|
4) Submitted by
Jon Smithson, from Chicago, IL
on 2/24/2010
Customer Rating:
I read the reviews but still decided to try this product. I started using it and had the same problems as everyone else, hard to sand, not filling grain at all, it seemed worthless. Then I figured it out and this product actually works really well. This is how I applied it. Work in small areas, 15" x 15", apply with a foam brush leaving a typical finish layer making sure it is pretty level. Then let it set up a little, maybe 2-3 minutes. Once it starts to get tacky, rub across the grain with burlap. I rubbed until it was almost dry. This forces the filler into the grain, it also leaves a very thin layer on the surface which makes sanding very easy about an hour later. After two coats, the grain on my walnut burl table was completely filled. Hope this helps some people out.
|
|
5) Submitted by
Greg Smith, from Navarre, FL
on 2/14/2010
Customer Rating:
After some trial and error (the instructions are pretty close to worthless), I managed to learn a few key points. Being thin bodied, it soaks in more than you would think. As a result, you can't be to quick to remove the "excess". I apply it liberally working it in with a rubber squeegee with an eye to leaving a thin layer proud of the wood surface. After about 45 minutes, you can remove any excess product with a plastic body putty spreader (it will be pasty at this point). You may also see dry spots where the original layer was too thin and completely soaked in to the wood. I take this opportunity to work the excess paste scraped from other areas into those dry spots. Using this technique has given me pretty much a complete fill in luann with only one coat. Wait at least 36 hours to sand (48 or more is better) and the sand paper won't clog as quickly. Like all fillers and finishes though, drying time varies considerably based on conditions. If your sand paper loads up rather than giving you a fine white powder, stop sanding and let it dry longer. All in all, it's a finicky product but produces results (a clear, stainable filler) that I haven't been able to get with other products.
|
|
6) Submitted by
Clare Chu, from Fremont, CA
on 10/17/2009
Customer Rating:
Did the job for me. You have to apply very very thin coats and scrape off most of the filler before it dries. Then wait to sand, so that you get a thin white powder residue. Of course I was not trying to fill a table-top to mirror finish, but just smoothing over some African mahogany that had the fuzzy stripes in between the smooth stripes. I got a smooth surface as a result with the grain still all there.
|
|
7) Submitted by
Carroll Evans, from Benton, KY
on 6/30/2009
Customer Rating:
Cons: Not enough instructions with the product. Plugs up sandpaper in seconds. Took too many coats to get to the advertised finish. Pros: Easy to use after some experiments. Easy clean up. Even though it took many application I did get the finish I wanted on a walnut cabinet. Over-all I did like this product better than others I've used but it looks like it could be a little thicker or pastier (if that's a word).
|
|
8) Submitted by
Rose Pickups Co., from Livermore, CA
on 5/22/2009
Customer Rating:
This is a tough one. It solved a problem I was having, but it was not as easy as it seems. Your sandpaper will gum up in literally seconds, so be prepared for that. The end result however, is what I needed, and that was a filler that was unnoticed.
// Editor's note:
Allow more drying time and sandpaper will do much better. See other reviews for more advice on this. //
|
|
9) Submitted by
Jim Johnson, from Morristown, NJ
on 1/16/2009
Customer Rating:
I can understand why so many people who have purchased this product were disappointed. The directions on the package are misleading. After finding out that it loaded up the sandpaper after the time recommended on the instructions, I let it cure for a full 48 hours prior to sanding aggressively with 220 grit and applying a second coat. After that, I let it sit for another 48 hours and sanded again. After 4 coats of wiping varnish, I got a mirror finish on a table top made of Honduras mahogany and walnut. I have had a similar experience on other projects. I recommend applying the first coat over a water based sanding sealer. True, it requires two coats of this product to do the job, but it does work well and it doesn't obscure the beauty of the wood like other fillers I have used.
|
|
10) Submitted by
David Gassner, from Lebanon, OR
on 11/15/2008
Customer Rating:
This product has saved a project more than once. A maple burl coffee table would have used 20 or more coats to get where it is now, if ever. It fills clear,hard, and ready to sand. Okay it's not easy, but there is no other product that can do what it can do. Don't let the poor ratings fool you, take the time to learn this product you will like what it can do for you.
|
|
11) Submitted by
Jim Gray, from Sonoma, CA
on 3/31/2008
Customer Rating: 
This one needs to go back to the drawing board. The concept it great - a clear wood grain filler that dries fast and gives an even base for a consistent, uninterrupted surface on multiple wood species table tops. Anything that takes more than 4 coats should be more paste like. It doesn't fill and it shrinks too much. I'm at 10 coats, (applied according to the website instructions, because there were no useful or detailed instructions sent with the product), and the pores are still there! There's a great need for this type of product if someone can get the formula right.
|
|
12) Submitted by
Woody , from Houston, TX
on 1/25/2008
Customer Rating: 
While the clarity of this product is good, the actual process of grain filling requires more work than the marketing would lead you to believe. I practiced on a piece of white oak and found that filling the pores to a "level surface" required several passes at filling and sanding. As this is a fairly thin product, you need to be careful about the product dripping over sharp edges or puddling, which are quite difficult to remove once cured.
|
|
13) Submitted by
Russell Tribby, from Mesa, AZ
on 10/14/2008
Customer Rating:
I have to echo the comments of the other users. I ended up applying two coats and should have stopped at one. The product did not fill the grain and left a coat of material on the desktop that has been a bear to sand off. The dried product clogs up my sander and there are streak marks still showing after going over everything with 80 grit. After all of this I can't say that it did anything to fill the pores.
|
|
14) Submitted by
Bill J, from Houston, TX
on 8/7/2010
Customer Rating:
When I first applied this product over a water-based brown mahogany stain, it took the stain off. I had to sand back down to the bare wood and start over! I applied the grain filler first. I appled two coats of grain filler, wiped accross the grain each time as recommeded in another review and then stained again. The results were pretty good with this process.
The instructions on the container and the website are worthless.
|
|
15) Submitted by
Tom, from Hermosa Beach, CA
on 1/31/2012
Customer Rating:
The problem with this product is that you cannot trowel/squeege off all of the filler before you set it to dry, After it drys, by the time you sanded off all of the crystallac you have essentially sanded down to where the filler did not reach to begin with. Also if you don't get all of it off and I mean all, you will have imperfections in your final piece after finishing. Nice idea but not practically possible. Try calling the number on the label sometime if you want some added entertainment/frustration.
|
|
16) Submitted by
Gary Hodge, from San Dimas, CA
on 2/17/2012
Customer Rating:
Fills fairly well disregard the instructions with a couple of coats. Let dry a couple of days before sanding. The problem is, it's very hard to get a uniform color on unstained wood. When you use poly or shellac slightly amber toned over a sanded filled surface, the hard clear finish must be completely sanded off, or you get a blotchy color. However, that much sanding cuts back down to the filled grain. I've only had some success using this stuff with Crystalac's finish coat product. If you don't really need a water clear finish, use a conventional filler and save yourself a lot of grief.
|
|
17) Submitted by
Eric Herman, from Pasadena, CA
on 6/7/2012
Customer Rating:
I tried trowel, I tried scraper, I tried burlap. With the grain, against the grain, wiped off after 3 minutes. Nothing usable. Don't waste your time.
|
|
18) Submitted by
Bruce HOrken, from Queen Creek, AZ
on 10/13/2007
Customer Rating:
I was not impressed. Maybe I need more practice with this product, but I found it didn't fill the grain all that well and was difficult to sand smooth without affecting the stain. I suggest removing all unused product from the wood surface to avoid any sanding. You have to do this quickly before it sets up or you get a sticky mess. I still ended up applying a multi-coat wiping vannish. It did better on natural wood, but still required a multi-coat wiping vanish cover.
|
Home  Finishing, Sanding, and Glues Gluing, Epoxy, Adhesives and Fillers Wood Glues and Fillers CrystaLac® Clear Waterborne Wood Grain Filler 
|
(0 Items)
