# Body is getting sanded down, what's a good grain filler to use?



## -=Sc0rch=- (Mar 28, 2010)

Ok builders, I have this Ibanez S320 guitar that has a crappy factory finish on it. Current finish is a thin matte black paint and you can see see/feel the grain in some areas. Body is mahogany and I plan to sand it down and repaint it. The mahogany grain is quite an open grain wood and wondering what's a good grain filler that's easy to use and sold in canada.


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## Mike Potvin (Apr 30, 2009)

You have all kinds of choices, depending on what you want to spend, and whether you want to buy locally or if you're willing to order. You can use plain old drywall compound that you can find anywhere. You might be able to find Timbermate at a hardware store or lumber yard. You could use 2 part epoxy that you can find almost anywhere. or you can order "official" grain filler from a few places. Wood Essens is in Saskatoon, but they also ship from Oakville and they carry a lot of finishing products. http://www.woodessence.com/

Try some of these on scrap to see what you like best.

Mike


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

I have used Timbermate on mahogany .. but you will have to colour match it ( most stores just stock the natural) to the wood .. and or stain that you are using.


Wait .. your repainting it? I would just go over top if you aren't stripping it to show the wood. Fill the areas needing grainfill now with epoxy.


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## Jimmy_D (Jul 4, 2009)

shoretyus said:


> I have used Timbermate on mahogany .. but you will have to colour match it ( most stores just stock the natural) to the wood .. and or stain that you are using.
> 
> 
> Wait .. your repainting it? I would just go over top if you aren't stripping it to show the wood. Fill the areas needing grainfill now with epoxy.


That's for sure, there is no point sanding off all the black and opening up the grain again - sand until it's uniform and smooth, fill the grain and any dents and start hosing on the material.

As the guys have noted already, if you're spraying a solid colour then you can use anything found locally as a grain filler, drywall compound, latex wood filler, bondo, whatever.


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