Thanks a lot for not just saying I use this and that, but also explaining why and how things work. So great!

Great information you put out today Chris. Thank you 😊

This is an incredibly informative video. Answered all the questions I could come up with. Instant subscribe! Thank you.

Another great informative video, thanks Chris.

Think of it like this - you have pot holes in the road, rain falls, goes in, the gravel in the hole absorbs the rain. A sanding sealer would be like using a lacquer spray can to lacquer the pot hole, so no rain water can be absorbed underneath the road. The hole is still there, it's a hole, but it's surface is sealed. A grain filler is like dumping some concrete into the pot hole and filling it completely so it's flush with the road. A sanding sealer seals the pores so the dye/stain process is controlled. A grain filler then fills the pores themselves.

Though it might seem obvious now, your comment about "sealing" and "filling" made all the difference in the world. Thank you!

Hi.Thanks for a very informative video. Good to get some insight.

I think: this is great information. Best explanation I've seen on this topic, so far.

your videos are fantastic thank you !

Really great stuff!! Thank you!!

man this is some good explanation skills, thank you!

Your information was very clear and informative. Thank you for sharing your expertise and making this video.

Super informative as always, thanks!

Great content! Thank you Chris!

you've answered a lot of my questions. I'm probably going to paint a solid body color or 2 this weekend

Awesome info, thx for share.!

My weapon of choice for a clear coat is lacquer, so usually the first one or two coats seal the wood and dye/stain. It has worked well so far on about 6 guitars I have built. I usually use dye and for woods like ash or mahogany, I use your joint compound based filler with great effect.

Thanks, very helpful

So helpful!

Good info. Thanks.

Thank you 🙏

Pretty interesting to 👍Thank you !

So a sanding sealer can be used as a "wood conditioner" prior to staining for even application of the stain? I've been watching all your finish videos lately getting my process down on paper before I attack some scrap wood, so this video is perfectly timed!

Great video, but when do you apply the tannin blocker? What are the specific steps 1-5 before painting?

damn you a good explainerer. extremely helpful. thank you!!!

So if doing a 3 color burst, would it be best to use grain filler first, lightly sand, stain and then use sanding sealer? Wha's the best prep route for a solid paint color so the grain doesn't show? Thanks!

Thanks!

I was under the impression using all water based products, multi colors of dyes first (a burst), clear sanding sealer next, clear grain filler third, then clear lacquer or a Tru-Oil type product. I know Tru-Oil is not water based, but last on top. Is that okay or not right? I don't wat to "F" this up.

Can you use a grain filler on products requiring food safe surfaces like charcuterie boards , then apply a varnish like general top coat or Tung/walnut/mineral/orange oil based coating followed by beeswax?

Is a tannin blocker necessary if using darker dyes with high gloss finish ? Very informative video BTW. Thanks

Mr Chris thanks alot for the inspiration! I was actually looking for a way to make the wood grain coloring effect, i wanna try add colour to a grain filler on an intensely brushed wood to show more grain, Would you suggest using it after applying grain sealer and then a stain colour base before using the grain filler? On what stage would you suggest brushing the wood!

should I use the aqua coat grain filler before or after applying minwax tung oil finish?

My Guy!!

Great video as always! I’ve been watching your videos for years. Since about the time you left the guitar builders group on Facebook. Have you documented your workflow, concerning these products, from start to finish. I’d love to see that video. I’m going to head over and purchase a few plans. Have you given any thought to offering step files or 3D models of your plans? I’d be interested in those as well.

I'm sure you've done experiments using wood conditioner to prep the wood before, so what was your experience like with it? Did you find that the sanding sealer method you use works better?

Hello, Thank you for the informative video. Just a question: do you treat endgrain differently, especially for a wood that drinks more, like mahogany, if you want a more uniform colour ?

So a sanding sealer always consists of for example lacquer, vinyl or shellac, together with zinc stearate? How can the oil penetrate through the layers of sanding sealer?

As an alternative to the grain filler, could I use wipe on poly mixed with mineral spirit immediately sanded back? In this case the dye has to be added to the mix or applied before, or after? Many thanks!

Ok, so if I'm doing a blonde finish on a vintage telecaster, after sanding the wood say to 320, then I use sanding sealer, then lacquer color coat, the sanding sealer again, THEN grain fill, sand flat and let cure. Last, I lay down my gloss clear coats??? Please let me know if I've got it or not. Thx, Robert

Hey Chris do you have another discount code for the CrystaLac Store? The old one doesn't seem to work anymore.

Wished I would've found this channel years ago. Would've saved me a lot of time and money following people's directions on forums. Not a great idea, as now I have sand and refinish about 3 or 4 guitar projects from over the years!

I am using Sapele for a guitar body that I plan on staining dark red with Craftnique #2 and#8 (40 - No 2, 1 drop #8 per oz of applicant). I have sprayed on 3 coats of Crystalac Sanding sealer and have a question: Is there any benefit to sanding the sealer down to a smooth coat without sanding it to the grain, and instead just level sanding the sealer lighter with P-600? I did a test run of with and without a full sealer coat on both mahogany and scrap Sapele and found that staining over a coat of sealer looked nicer (to me) than sanding it down to the grain pore level. Your thoughts on this? Any issues with this approach? BTW, this is the LAST time that I use Sapele as it seems to generate some funky grain tone fluctuations that look "splotchy" (not a sanding issue, trust me), where I have never had that issue with Mahogany.

Hey Chris, what do you think about buying a budget electronic spray device? Or is there a great advantage of using a air compressor?

Hi @HighlineGuitars, loving your videos, they've been very helpful on my first proper build where I'm looking to stain the body a rich black with lacquer on top. I just wanted to clarify, forgive me if I've misunderstood anything in the video, but you've recommended to use sanding sealer both before and after applying a stain, is that correct? I ask because there seems to be a lot of conflicting opinions online that sanding sealer should not be applied before staining as the stain won't penetrate into the wood that well?? You've explained it better than most and I feel like your reasoning of the fact that the stain will be more uniform makes a lot of sense but I wanted to double check. Thanks 🙏

So another channel uses simtech ez sanding sealer on fabric top guitars. They use simtech ez sanding sealer with a little bit of hardner in it. What Im trying to figure out is if its all the same? Its on Texas Toast Guitars fabric top part 2. I have sanding sealer and hardener but I dont have that simtech stuff

hey chris, great explanation i've seen you use solarez, aquacoat, and crystalac grain filler, which have you been the happiest with?

Do I need to add a grain filler to Solarez (grain filler) I can’t believe it’s not lacquer if I am not staining mahogany? Wondering if I add for one coat and not for rest?

Sir, can grain filler cover the soft parts of the wood to stop it from absorbing stains or dye? Sorry Im confused.

Got problem when spraying Sanding Sealer (Crystalac) over Dyed wood. It did not stick, fisheyed a lot (in fact I also got this problem on raw spruce top!). So I "seal" color or wood with one coat Shellac, and there is no problem after.

Would it be safe to say that, if I were to use all 3 products, with a stain,... I would 1st use the tannin blocker, stain, sealer, then filler? For an opaque finish... tannin blocker, filler, no sealer, then paint?

Is it true that after you finish with the grain filler and colour you have to wait more than a month before the sanding sealer cause the filler going to shrink??

What grit sandpaper should be used between applications of sanding sealer or grain fillers?

Hi, got a question, can you use polyurethane paint over lacquer sanding sealer?

would transparent white glue work as a grain filler? Titebond all purpose white is what I was planning on using, and trying to use it as a wood hardener on some real soft wood?

Great info Chris! You should consider running a guitar building class/school - I'd attend for sure! Question: is it OK to use grain filler on raw wood prior to sanding sealer? So steps would be 1) sanded body ready for stain/finishing, 2) grain filler then sand w/220, 3) sanding sealer then stain/dye/more sanding sealer and sand flat w/220, or if no stain/dye go to clear coating, and so on?

Hi Chris! Do they make a clear grain filler? I’d like to mix it with powdered turquoise to fill in some old weathered wood. Do you think I’d be better off with powder and epoxy for that? I’d like to avoid epoxy because it’s so laborious to sand. Thanks for anything you can recommend!

The most common wood’s with high tannin are redwood and cedar. Cedar being the most common guitar wood, acoustics. Shellac is a great sealer and tannin blocker. So two birds one stone. Not to over simplify.

Im currently building a guitar, ash body strat. I have settled on a water based dye color by folk art (same color you used on a guitar a while back, purple). My question is, should I use a sanding sealer, then dye, then grain fill? Or dye, seal, fill? Thanks in advance, love your content.

So. First sanding Sealer than stain it as you like and than sanding sealer again before you put on the grain filler? Sorry for bad english. From Sweden.

I've got a mahogany guitar body that I want to dye green using transtint dye. Do I apply the dye first then the solarez grain sealer or vice versa?

Do you know if CrystaLac incorporates their tannin blocker into the sanding sealer?

So, after watching TONS and TONS of your videos from you, I bought the crystalac instrument finish. I dont have a spray gun so I used a teklon brush as was suggested with their facebbok group. It did not level out like I was expecting. I'm using this to finish an acrylic design I painted on the guitar. I waited a week to let paint cure. I brushed on 6-7 coats, waiting 4 hours between coats. Tried to level sand after a week. Used rp500, p1000, p1200. Never could get it level with my design. I think I sanded the finish off in spots trying to get it level. I then used menzerna 3 in 1 polish with my screwdriver attachment sponges. Well, it looks awful : THERE IS NO SHINE NOW... AT ALL I just dont know what finish would be thicker where it could be level sanded. PLEASE HELP! I just want a playable finish! How about can spraying rusteolum? 2X ultra clear, how many coats and is that as durable as crystalac? I have 6 customers who want their guitars painted and I wont do them until I can get it right! This guitar I sprayed uncouple coats of 2x ultra to get the shine back and will be sending it back to Operation Art Strings which I painted an unplayable guitar for them at no charge. I'm doing my mothers guitar, soni need to get this finish nailed down. Sorry this is so long... I appreciate any insight you may have regarding this and keep up the great work with the videos! Thanks!

Hey Chris I’ve used sand and seal on my guitar body and when I have tried to sand it off the sand paper is just clogging up very quickly and it becomes hard and scratches the body and I just can’t seem to get it all off. Any ideas or tips ??

I have a quilted maple topped body that I'm planning on dyeing with Angelus dyes. It won't need any grain filler on the top. So, I should apply the dye and then, before any top coat, use sanding sealer?

Yep mind blown, couldn't work out the stew mac instruction of wash coats of thinned water base lacquer being applied prior to grain fill *if the same finish sinks what's the point? "sealers stop grain fill from being sucked into the grain is my take away

It's still confusing. So far, I've not found a reliable path from raw wood of various types, to the color of various types, to the topcoat. I guess I want something like the London subway map is to commuters. Starting here, going there, here are the stations you will pass.

3:55 mmmm...pancakes 🥞

Do people not know that "sanding sealer" is just dewaxed shellac?

impossible to follow with my adhd.

Sounds like you confused wood conditioner with sanding sealer! So confusing. Tons of products out there…oil and water based…now they have confused urethanes (in varnish) with polyurethane too.