Aqua Coat Water-Based Clear Wood Grain Filler Gel, Fast-Drying, Low Odor, Low VOC, Sandable, Stainable & Paintable, Easy Water Cleanup, Glossy Finish, 16 oz

Applied with a body filler spreader, this stuff goes on smoothly, dries quickly to a completely clear finish, sands to a fine white powder with no clogging of sandpaper, and cleans up with water. Grain filling is uniformly excellent. I’ve used this only with shellac- and water-based finishes, so I can’t comment on its use with oil based finishes. Most highly recommended.

The Aqua Coat Water Based Wood Grain Filler Gel has been a game-changer for my woodworking projects. This fast-drying, low-odor clear wood filler is not only effective but also environmentally safe, which is a huge plus for me. I've used other wood fillers in the past, but this one stands out for its non-toxic properties. It's a pint-sized powerhouse that I can always rely on to fill in those pesky gaps and imperfections in my woodwork. Craftsmanship has become a pleasure with this wood filler gel. It seamlessly blends with the wood grain, leaving a flawless finish. The fact that it dries quickly allows me to proceed with sanding and finishing sooner, saving me valuable time on my projects. The low odor is a breath of fresh air compared to other products I've used, making my workspace much more comfortable. In a world where environmental consciousness is vital, I appreciate that Aqua Coat has created a product that not only works exceptionally well but also prioritizes safety for both users and the environment. This wood filler gel has become a staple in my woodworking toolkit, and I can't recommend it enough to fellow wood enthusiasts. It's a must-try for anyone looking to enhance their woodworking experience with a top-notch wood filler.

I've read the reviews, which are for the most part pretty positive. A few folks had trouble but most did not. My experience with Aqua Clear is generally good. It's not a magical "practically does the job for you" kind of product. It is a grain filler, if you've worked with oak then the need for grain fillers should be somewhat familiar. This product works but it does what it does progressively. It's a water based product so when you apply it the grain in the wood will "rise", that's normal with most woods. After application and a suitable drying time you have to sand it. Some complained that if you use sand paper you sand right through it. That is perfectly okay, the majority of the product is supposed to sand off leaving the product in the "lower" pores and grain. You build the product on the wood through successive layering until you reach the smoothness you are looking for. For very porous woods the directions suggest sealing with an unwaxed shellac first to seal the wood. I can see that as helpful. Sealing wood is not an "effortless" process, no matter what you use. Aqua Clear isn't cheap but it does work if you use it correctly. I use an old PETCO rewards card as an applicator and I give the product ample time to dry. It takes several coats to get the degree of smoothness I like.

First off I will say I don’t use this product as intended. I am a taxidermist and I use it to fill places I can get stuffing or foam into. It works really well. It’s thin enough to go through a needle and can be injected. I really love working with it. It’s also very easy to clean up.

The best thing about this filler for me was its soft gel texture. It's not so loose that it flows but not so viscous that it's hard to spread. I applied it easily with a shop towel, working it into the grain with a circular motion. It dried quickly - I typically gave it 45 minutes but could have probably sanded sooner. One mistake I made was that I applied/sanded 3 coats of filler before any seal coat on my finished piece and that prevented some of the end grain in particular from absorbing my finish and taking on the darker color we see when we apply our first coat of finish. That left my piece a bit splotchy until I gave it a vigorous sanding and then re-applied my wax oil finish. My plan for future will be to apply a coat of shellac or finishing oil, then proceed with the Aqua Coat filler until smooth before putting on my final finish coats. I've always found the texture of filler to be a pain - too runny or too stiff - and this product really hits the sweet spot for me.

So this stuff works great on some wood, but for others it does not work so great. The one thing I love about this stuff is that it is a clear gel that can be tinted and is easy to spread and work into the grain. I used a transtint mission brown in the grain filler over the general finish dark cherry stain and my goodness does it make the grain pop. It was absolutely beautiful. So thats what I like about this stuff. What I do not like about it and the reason I gave it 5 stars is because it just does not work very well on heavily coarse grained woods such as red oak and ash. Works great for fine grain woods such as maple and sycamore though. Now if the manufacturer stated that this product was not good option for heavy grained woods. Then this would be a 5 star product, but you are led to believe it will be great for any type of wood and that is just not the case. This stuff will will with heavily grained woods, but it is a time consuming process, because you will have to apply 5 or 6 coats of the stuff. Maybe more with an hour of drying and sanding in between each coat. So your project is a fine to medium grain wood then I say go for it. This stuff will work great for those. If you are working with heavily grained wood though. Then look for something else as there are better grain fillers out there for this type of wood.

I have used this stuff for a while now on several projects and it's excellent. Fills the pores very well after a few coats and helps make the top coat smooth and deep looking.

Changing the wood color to very weird color. I don't recommend it at all for guitar marketing!

Used to grain fill cedar neck and rosewood back and sides on a guitar build. Approximately 3 coats required, each lightly sanded before re-applying. Subsequent varnishing came out glass smooth.

For those that are looking to use this product...I can tell it works. I just finished doing a complete kitchen change over from 1980's yellow stained oak to white. Did many drawer fronts, as well as over 20 door fronts including 3 double size pantry doors. For all of this I used almost 4 containers. I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome. Barely a grain shows through when we looked at it from every angle in the direct sunlight. Before tackling the job I used a couple of extra door fronts as test pieces to make sure I got the best results. The first I did two coats of aqua coat clear, then primer, then two coats of milk paint and a final clear finish all applied with a paint sprayer. There were still some grains coming through. The next try, I used three coats of aqua coat clear. The fist coat very liberally applied like you'd apply car wax. Then the next coat a little less liberally but use it, and then third coat a light finish. Of course leaving time between coats to dry and sand. Sanding couldn't be easier. Then primer, paint and finish. They look like they came fresh white from the factory. I couldn't be happier with the outcome. The extra effort was definitely worth it. From one wood worker to the next.....You know that sometimes it just takes that extra step....

Good product