Grain fill required?

[dbeltrami]

I am building a TLA-1F. The body is Ash with a Flame Maple veneer top. I will be using Dingo Tone to stain the body. Can anyone tell me if I need to use a grain filler on the Ash body?

[dozymuppet]

Hey there, no you don't *have* to grain fill, however using a tinted grain filler can accentuate the look of the grain through the stain.

Grain filler won't necessarily "fill" the grain though, if you're after a smooth finish. To do that, you'd want to use a sanding sealer. (Words are weird).

However, you also don't *have* to use a sanding sealer. If you're finishing with Tru-Oil, for example, eventually enough thin layers will also fill the grain.

There are multiple ways to skin the cat. You might actually be fine with a grain texture to your finish, rather than a smooth glossy finish. It all depends.

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[dbeltrami]

Thank you @dozymuppet. This is my first build and I'm learning qiute a bit. It's actually quite hard to work out what to with so much conflicting advice on the web.

I'll be using DT Bondi Blue on the Flame Maple top and a DT natural stain on the back and sides. I'll like idea of the tinted grain filler to accentuate the grain but would like as smooth a finish as possible.

Would you have a recommendation for me on how best to proceed with preparing an Ash Body?

[Sonic Mountain]

Ash has a very deep grain so if you want a smooth finish then grain fill will be mandatory. There are many ways to skin this cat, but you will probably want to use some kind of sanding sealer, Feast Watson do one that is available at Bunnings. Some people use shellac and even superglue (CA), still others use Timbermate wood putty (also available at the big green shed).

Personally, for natural/stained finish I usually use polyurethane as a top coat, this is quite good at grain fill with a couple of applications. Any really deep areas I fill with CA after staining between coats. I have also used automotive acrylic clear with good success, but I don't feel like it ends up quite as hard as poly. The flip side is that it's a lot easier to polish to a mirror finish. That said, gloss poly gives a very nice finish out of the can and so can be an easier way of getting that real gloss look.

Other people use things like Tru Oil and wipe on poly and get excellent results, but I haven't used either so I'll let them chime in.

The big thing to be careful of is making sure any fillers and finishes are fully cured before extra application or blocking back and buffing. They can initially look great, but as the products continue to cure they can sink back into the grain and make it apparent in the finish.

Patience is a major part of building, ensuring your prep is as good as it can be and spending lots of time watching paint dry will give you the best results.

[dozymuppet]

Personally, I'd grab some Timbermate grain filler from Bunnings for the ash body. There's a bit of sanding required, but it will do what you want it to do. I've only used the ebony filler, but if you're planning a natural look, you might want something other.

I'm only working in my first veneer top at the moment, and I won't be using grain filler for that, as it's too thin to handle much sanding.

Edit: I posted this not seeing Sonic's response. He has more experience in these matters