Polycrylic as a grain filler/sealer...

[the_best_of_fools]

Hi,

I've read on the internet that some people are using polycrylic (Minwax has some) as a guitar finish. It's also used as a grain filler and sealer. I was wondering if anyone here had any experience/advice to share w/ polycrylic? My main concern is compatibility over ash as a filler/sealer with acrylic lacquer (Dupli-Color in spray cans) and/or nitrocellulose? Is it relatively easy to get good results with poly?

Thanks,
tbof

[cdw2000]

I use it all the time over stain on furniture, cabinets etc. After using this stuff, I have abandoned polyurethane. It does not have an amber tint like polyurethane and it dries very thin and smooth. It looks almost like a rub-on finish when done.

But I have no experience using it as a sanding sealer under paint.

As far as ease of use - In my expereience it is very easy to get a great finish (on stained wood). I usually do three coats. Being waterbased, the first coat will tend to raise the grain so I go over it with 320 grit wet/dry sandpaper to smooth it out. I use 600 grit after the second coat and then no sanding or very lightly with 1500 grit after the final coat.

I'm not sure about using it to fill grain prior to painting though. Like I said, coats dry very thin and even after three coats you can readily feel oak grain through it. I like this for furniture/cabinetry, but I don't think it would work so well on a painted guitar body where you don't want to see/feel any grain.

These are just my thoughts from experience using it on cabinets. Maybe others have direct experience using it under a painted guitar finish.

Now as a durable finish over a stained wood body - I think it would work great!

[the_best_of_fools]

That's very interesting. Thanks. It seems that with poly one can obtain a nice thin gloss finish. I wonder how this would result tone wise.