Help With Grain Filler

[Tonar8352]

Can you use a dye after the filler is applied??

Yes you can use dye after you fill the grain.  But it will wind up looking like this Tele.  If you look real close you can see the light colored filler on the edge of the dark soft grain since the dye did not stain the filler very good.   The better route to go is to do it like Jack’s blue base. If you look at his graining all of the soft grain has the darker filler and it shows better.  I learned the hard way with this Tele, I never was happy with it so I’m redoing it in Copper Powder.

Do it this way.

1. Stain
2. Wash coat of finish.
3. Tint your filler to the color you desire the grain to show.
4. Shoot a couple coats and level sand.
5. Shoot your burst color if you are bursting at this point.
6. Finish coats to wet sand and rub out.

 

[dmraco]

Can you use a dye after the filler is applied??

Yes you can use dye after you fill the grain.  But it will wind up looking like this Tele.  If you look real close you can see the light colored filler on the edge of the dark soft grain since the dye did not stain the filler very good.   The better route to go is to do it like Jack’s blue base. If you look at his graining all of the soft grain has the darker filler and it shows better.  I learned the hard way with this Tele, I never was happy with it so I’m redoing it in Copper Powder.

Do it this way.

1. Stain
2. Wash coat of finish.
3. Tint your filler to the color you desire the grain to show.
4. Shoot a couple coats and level sand.
5. Shoot your burst color if you are bursting at this point.
6. Finish coats to wet sand and rub out.

questions:
what is a wash coat?
what after staining, you like thie finsh...can you use a clear filler??

 

[dilney]

Sorry to bump this old thread, but I have a related question.

I have an Ash/Alder/Ash strat body which I want to finish myself.

The impression I have when I touch it is that the ash is so smooth that it doesn't need grain filler, but I see that EVERYONE uses grain filler with ash.

So, my question is, should I "feel" the grain at all to know it needs filling?  Or the smoothness to the touch doesn't mean anything?

Thanks.

 

[jackthehack]

Can you use a dye after the filler is applied??

Yes you can use dye after you fill the grain.  But it will wind up looking like this Tele.  If you look real close you can see the light colored filler on the edge of the dark soft grain since the dye did not stain the filler very good.   The better route to go is to do it like Jack’s blue base. If you look at his graining all of the soft grain has the darker filler and it shows better.  I learned the hard way with this Tele, I never was happy with it so I’m redoing it in Copper Powder.

Do it this way.

1. Stain
2. Wash coat of finish.
3. Tint your filler to the color you desire the grain to show.
4. Shoot a couple coats and level sand.
5. Shoot your burst color if you are bursting at this point.
6. Finish coats to wet sand and rub out.

questions:
what is a wash coat?
what after staining, you like thie finsh...can you use a clear filler??

Per another Tonar post: "do not use sealer and when I spray my first coats I do a wash coat.  I really thin the finish heavy, like 2 parts of thinner to 1 part finish with a splash of retarder. "

On my build he's referring to: http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=4162.0 I actually used a real thin coat of nitro sanding sealer for the wash coat

 

[jackthehack]

Sorry to bump this old thread, but I have a related question.

I have an Ash/Alder/Ash strat body which I want to finish myself.

The impression I have when I touch it is that the ash is so smooth that it doesn't need grain filler, but I see that EVERYONE uses grain filler with ash.

So, my question is, should I "feel" the grain at all to know it needs filling?  Or the smoothness to the touch doesn't mean anything?

Thanks.

Not always; many times after doing filling that looks/feels like all grain is completely filled, once you shoot sanding sealer or lacquer on top of that you will see shrinkage into grain pores that were "invisible" to sight or touch before.

 

[dilney]

Thanks.