If I use a grain filler on red oak, will it markedly change the
appearance and color of the final finish compared to the appearance if
I had not used a filler? This would be for kitchen cabinets I'm
building from red oak. I want the color to match some other furniture
I built and plan to use the same finishing sequence. Seems like
filling the open grain of the oak would be more sanitary in a kitchen
but I don't want to drastically change the way the finish looks or
disguise the wood species. Thanks

Mike in Arkansas wrote:

If I use a grain filler on red oak, will it markedly change the
appearance and color of the final finish compared to the appearance if
I had not used a filler? This would be for kitchen cabinets I'm
building from red oak. I want the color to match some other furniture
I built and plan to use the same finishing sequence. Seems like
filling the open grain of the oak would be more sanitary in a kitchen
but I don't want to drastically change the way the finish looks or
disguise the wood species. Thanks

try clear grain filler. that's all I use now when I want a level oak
surface.

Dave

Mike in Arkansas wrote:

If I use a grain filler on red oak, will it markedly change the
appearance and color of the final finish compared to the appearance if
I had not used a filler? This would be for kitchen cabinets I'm
building from red oak. I want the color to match some other furniture
I built and plan to use the same finishing sequence. Seems like
filling the open grain of the oak would be more sanitary in a kitchen
but I don't want to drastically change the way the finish looks or
disguise the wood species. Thanks


http://www.compliantspraysystems.com...ain_filler.htm

"Mike in Arkansas" wrote in message
oups.com...
If I use a grain filler on red oak, will it markedly change the
appearance and color of the final finish compared to the appearance if
I had not used a filler? This would be for kitchen cabinets I'm
building from red oak. I want the color to match some other furniture
I built and plan to use the same finishing sequence. Seems like
filling the open grain of the oak would be more sanitary in a kitchen
but I don't want to drastically change the way the finish looks or
disguise the wood species. Thanks


there have been advances in grain fillers in the past few years . Used to be
the procedure was to sand out stain apply a clear washcoat and then apply
the colored grain filler . The filler had to be lightly sanded to remove the
excess on the surface .The problem was often the sanding removed all or part
of the underlying stain making for a blotchy finish . Trying to be safe and
not sand too much on the other hand often ended with the grain being
obscured by the remaining filler on the surface .

Now new fillers have emerged which are water based that will take stain as
well as the parent wood . So the procedure now is to sand out apply clear
filler sand out [as much as you like] again leaving the filler in the grain.
then apply stain and finish