Official Luthiers Forum!

What is a good pore filler and a source for jet black? I just tried Stew-Mac and I don't think I can deal with it. It is thin like water, and I cannot imagine that I can control it without getting it all over the parts of the guitar that I do not want that color. Also, it is hard to believe that it will fill on anything but a flat surface.

I like traditional oil-based paste wood pore filler and Behlen's Pore-O-Pac is a good brand. Tint it with UTCs (universal tint colorants) which come in all colors including black.

I have found pore filling to be the greatest challenge in achieving an acceptable finish. Some wood just seems to resist filling. I have used water based & the old standby oil based fillers & no matter how many coats i applied, I still ended up filling pores with the finish. (Spray, level - spray level, ad nauseum)
One bad experience with Epoxy soured me on that, but many people have excellent results. There is lots of info on epoxy fill in the forum library.
I am using a polyurethane finish on most of my instruments now & pore filling is a breeze. After the sealer coat, I use two coats (or three if the pores are really deep) of the polyurethane base. This stuff sands very easily without clogging your sandpaper. Once the leveling is finished, two coats of the high gloss top coat, wait 24 hours & buff out.
I hope some of the epoxy filler proponents will add a word or two here... I believe, if done properly, that Epoxy is the surest way to get a 100% fill in those nasty pores... Without having to change your finishing regime.
Good Luck!   Dan

Epoxy may be good for others, but I am allergic to it.

Has anyone tried filling the pores of a rosewood fretboard.
I tried it on a test peice once and couldnt get the colour right - brown is too light.

Maybe BLACK would be perfect.

A technique I might try is dabbing some varathane on...wipng it off...and then sand across the grain with 600 grit before the finish dries.

[QUOTE=Daniel M] I have used water based & the old standby oil based fillers & no matter how many coats i applied, I still ended up filling pores with the finish. (Spray, level - spray level, ad nauseum)
[/QUOTE]

Can this process work with French Polish too? I'm a bit handy with domestic DIY, but finishing guitars ain't like finishing a pine table!!!