Aquacoat and water-based stains

[JohnH]

Has anyone tried using aquacoat under a water-based stain?

I'm stripping my LP jr again, and as I really like the colour of the water-based stain I've been using I'd like to use it again, but have had lots of issues with timbermate as a grain fill.

To get around it I had been doing the tru oil slurry method, which works but takes forever. I'm happy to do it again, but if there's a quicker to get the guitar flat way I won't say no

Any other grain/pore fill suggestions welcome

[Simon Barden]

No, but I can give it a go on a test piece of wood today for you. Aqua Coat happily colours with water based stain, and will then work with a spirit based stain on top, but I haven't tried it with a water-based stain over the top yet.

[JohnH]

Only if that's no trouble Simon?

[Simon Barden]

In progress. Applied some to half a piece of MDF so I can do a comparison. Just waiting for a couple of hours before applying the stain. Useful info for me as well!

[JohnH]

Thanks so much!

[Simon Barden]

Works OK.

Piece of MDF. Aqua Coat half on the right, with the top-half of that left unsanded (so thick Aqua Coat) and the bottom-half sanded back


Undiluted wood stain applied.


The thick Aqua Coat results are patchy, the sanded Aqua Coat area is fine, if just a shade darker than the no Aqua Coat area. Then again, the pre-stain Aqua Coat area is also turned a shade darker by the Aqua Coat. And any finish on the wood will turn it that bit darker, even a clear coat.

[JohnH]

Great news, thanks so much Simon. I'll order a tub next pay, and hopefully can finally get this LP together

[fender3x]

I will be very curious how the experiment comes out as well. <edit...oops! Seems I posted before I had read far enough> What I meant was, very interesting ;-)