CrystaLacWood Grain Filler 16 oz Clear Matte Water-Based

A pore filler is NOT the same as a sanding sealer - a sanding sealer is applied so your final topcoats aren't drawn into the wood unevenly; for my application I used orange shellac but there's a whole variety of them out there. For that matter, sanding sealer is definitely NOT the same as a pore filler; pore filler is applied after the sanding sealer to fill the pores in woods like mahogany, oak, etc. There are oil and water-based pore fillers out there; from here on out this is the only one I'll be using. It drys 100% clear and really, really makes your final surface smooth and glossy. Because it's water-based I could just rinse my hands / tools off (I'd still recommend wearing gloves when working with it since it also does a nifty job of filling in pores on skin).I read the reviews, both positive and negative, before deciding to try this for a veneered bar top project. The reviews, especially the one from Chris Kemper, were much more useful than the half of a sentence printed on the side of the bucket. To reiterate and expand on his (very helpful) review:1) Shake this product well before you open it (you can shake it after you open it, too, but I don't think you'll be happy with the results or subsequent cleanup). It should be the consistency of sour cream2) Use a scraper to pull a small amount from the tub (I used an old Border's Bookstore gift card - it's good for something at least...). Work the filler into the wood against the grain in one direction, then in the opposite direction, then with the wood grain in one direction, etc. etc. The idea is to work it into the pores in as many directions as possible.3) Take one final pass over the wood to scrape up any extra - there will probably be a light coating on the surface but you don't want any obvious boogers or snail trails.4) Wait. Seriously. You can't rush this part. Go see a movie, take up extreme ironing, get a good night's sleep - whatever. You'll need probably 4 to 6 hours minimum (more if you really slathered it on) before you can move on.5) Sand. I'd use nothing more aggressive than 220 grit. The idea is to clean the surface off and scuff it up for another application, not to remove material.6) Wipe it down with a tack cloth / rag with mineral spirits / etc. Don't use water - this is water-based stuff and you could cause your initial application to roll out if you get it wet.7) Repeat the application / waiting / sanding / wiping process. At this point you can either make the call to proceed with finishing or apply another thin coat into the wood pored.I used multiple coats of poly afterwards and got a real "wet" look to my piece - definitely worth taking the extra step to fill the pores. The only thing I didn't use was stain (didn't need it for this project) so I don't know where in the process it might go (I'd assume before the sanding sealer and pore filler, but someone else may have a better idea).All in all, well worth the money and additional effort if you really want to make your project shine.

Works well and with wood stain too, just don't forget to wipe off excess before it dries. Dries hard so apply in moderation so you don't have extra sanding to do

Crystalac is a great company. good quality products, just good stuff :)

Easy enough to apply and sand but it does NOT dry clear. It looks milky when sealed over with lacquer sanding sealer. What's worse, after 6 coats of sprayed on finish the grain is still very open. TimberMate is far superior.

I have nothing but hateful thoughts for the makers who claim this dries clear. Contrary to those who say it dries white or cloudy, it does dry clear. But it looks white or cloudy!What do I mean? It is clear, but dries with a rough surface that disperses light the way a clear pane of frosted glass does. And it sands to a dispersive finish too! I only discovered it was clear when I clear coated it in the off chance it was clear with a dispersive finish. Under a clear coat is truly clear. But what sane person would bother to move on to a clear coat when they saw the product had dried apparently opaque, potentially ruining a project. I cursed the state of my project for days waiting for it to go clear.The manufacturer must know this confuses the hell out of customers, just look at the reviews here. And there is not indication that it takes 96 or 24 hours to cure contrary to several reviews.Clearly the makers of this product hold their customers in contempt, thus their choice to allow a live controversy about whether it dries clear to live on. In light of their contempt for me, I find I can do nothing but return the favor. F###! the makers of Crystalac.I also dislike the name. It suggests this product is a form of clear lacquer, which there is no indication is true. Why did they choose to suggest this falsehood? I hope the makers rot in hell as I wasted days of my life on the confusion their grossly incomplete disclosures cost me.And why is there no on-label link to an MSDS?.