# Filling Grain with "Plastic Wood"?



## Sirnanigans (Apr 3, 2014)

Okay, last topic for a while, I promise. The final question I have that I cannot answer for myself is about filling the grain of my red oak frame. Just to preface, before I get the expected torrent of "use a real grain filler" responses, I want to say that I live a good 45 minutes from the nearest woodworking store, I don't plan to ever use the filler for a future project (so excess is wasted money), and the project is very small.

So I have done some searching around through my department at Lowe's (the paint department, conveniently) and couldn't find a single "grain filler" among the wood fillers and putties. However, I did recall that Plastic Wood is essentially solvent suspended wood particles, just like a slurry used to fill grain. *So, can I thin Plastic Wood with acetone until it's a paste and then fill wood grain with it?*

Unfortunately it doesn't come in ebony, and the method of staining I am using is iron buff, which relies on the presence of tannic acid. I doubt they care much for preserving the tannic acid in the wood particles when they make the stuff, so my iron buff will likely not work to stain it. I do, however, have an acrylic wood filler and a non-hardening Minwax Wood Putty that come in ebony.

*Although I doubt it, will an acrylic wood filler accept water as a thinner and then work as a hack-job wood filler on the cheap? Or, will Minwax Wood Putty fill the grain and accept a shellac top coat despite not hardening?*

Filling the grain is important to me because I desire a smooth surface, and the small size of the pieces (1in x 1/2in x 21in, for example) make the large red oak pores seem even larger.

Thanks for reading, extra thanks for responding!


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

If you are going to jury rig some pastewood grain filler I would go with the plastic wood. I'm not sure but I think the minwax has some wax in it. The plastic wood can be colored with a universal tinting color to the color you need. Also keep in mind that what ever binder they use in plastic wood makes like a glue stain on wood so you pretty much need to color the wood with the plastic wood in the same process. It will be difficult to stain the wood afterwards without using a dye. It dries very fast so you would need to apply it and squeegy it off quickly. After you get the filler applied and is dry there will be a certain amount of residue left on the surface. It will need a little sanding with some 180 grit paper to clean the residue off. 

If the project is very big I think it would be worthwhile getting some real grain filler. It can be ordered from Mohawk Finishing Products or you might find it locally at Sherwin Williams. The filler at Sherwin Williams only comes in a natural color but they can tint it for you.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

I think it will work OK. Since it is organic-solvent based, I have an idea for color:
Can you find any place close by which sells even student-grade artists' oil paints?
Lamp Black & Burnt Umber come to mind. Mix with some acetone to add to the wood goop.

My choices, too, are limited in a mountain village of 475, 2.5 hrs drive from a city.


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## mako1 (Jan 25, 2014)

If it were me I would use some of the sanding dust from the project and mix with shellac.You could thin with a little alchohol so it does not dry so quick.Seeing that it is small it should work.


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## Sirnanigans (Apr 3, 2014)

Thank you for all the replies.

Fortunately, I have daily control over a tint dispenser where I work. I could easily dump some straight lamp black and a touch of umber into the can (while nobody is looking, of course) to get the color.

The Plastic Wood should squeeze pretty far into the grain if I thin it enough. This red oak has some nice robust grain to it. In fact, the penetration of the iron buff stain is going to be very shallow; contrary to logic, the chemicals never seem to penetrate well despite being atomically dissolved in the water which should soak in. If I iron buff it first, it should make absolutely no difference for the Plastic Wood, and then I should be able to steel wool the residue off and iron buff again if I dig too deep.

In any case, it's awesome to know that the Plastic Wood is a possible way to be cheap and save some money and time when I want to. Nothing I could find anywhere on the internet even spoke of using thinned Plastic Wood to fill grain, and nor did anything warn against it.


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## Webster (Mar 6, 2009)

I've used a wood filler called "Timber Mate" to fill grain and had very good results. Thin it down with water to a slurry. 
What the difference between Timber Mate & plastic wood is, I have no idea. Suppose it would depend on the size of particles they are made up of, and the ability to accept color.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

You may get a weird coloring using Plastic Wood. You could just sand to a higher grit, and thin the topcoat and use it as a sealer/filler.








 








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## HowardAcheson (Nov 25, 2011)

I personally don't think tinting and using Plastic Wood will work. But it may. My strongest suggestion is to test it out on some scrap from you project or test it on an inconspicuous spot. It would be high risk to use it with out testing.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

There's plenty of tannin in oak for the steel wool/vinegar "ebonizing solution" to take with good effect.

Another thing to try is "fuming" with ammonia bleach (not chlorine bleach).
Get the wood water-wet. 1/2C ammonia in a container, in a garbage bag, out doors.
Add the wood, do up the bag and wait = the longer you wait, the darker it gets.

These are centuries-old wood staining methods, 
things that modern stains just can't quite duplicate.


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## Bonka (Mar 24, 2011)

*Grain Filling*

+1 on Timber Mate. I love it. Making a slurry of it is the key. Go to Youtube and learn about it.


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## Civilian (Jul 6, 2013)

Robson Valley said:


> There's plenty of tannin in oak for the steel wool/vinegar "ebonizing solution" to take with good effect.
> 
> Another thing to try is "fuming" with ammonia bleach (not chlorine bleach).
> Get the wood water-wet. 1/2C ammonia in a container, in a garbage bag, out doors.
> ...


Is there enough tannings in ash to get a dark black effect?

Jon
Northern Michigan


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## 4reel (Mar 3, 2013)

*order it*

I got my filler through Amazon. We are also rural and I used UPS for a lot of woodworking things.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Civilian: I do not know the direct answer to your question.

a) test with a piece of ash scrap.
b) apparently, there is a trick with strongly brewed tea which adds
enough tannin to get the ebonizing/iron acetate to work well.
Somebody posted pix of the result on birch = good.
I've heard/read comments about it but have no direct reference.


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## Civilian (Jul 6, 2013)

Robson Valley said:


> Civilian: I do not know the direct answer to your question.
> 
> a) test with a piece of ash scrap.
> b) apparently, there is a trick with strongly brewed tea which adds
> ...



Will try the scrap test first. Bought the ash as rough, and now creating the wood sizes I need. I am trying to match the big box black finish my kids like. Ugh!

Jon
Northern Michigan


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