Official Luthiers Forum!

I have a question on pore filling. There have been several threads discussing the use of egg whites as a filling agent. Has anyone had any difficulties in using egg whites or does it work as easy as it sounds? My first thought was to fill with Zpoxy but I have never used it before. I have read that the egg whites have been used for this purpose and as glue for many years. It’s just that somehow putting protein on my guitar just sounds weird.

Do you pore fill before or after final sanding?

Hint: It would sure be nice to have a pore filling video for the OLF.

Thanks

Philip

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aka konacat

If you think my playing is bad you should hear me sing!
Practice breeds confidence and confidence breeds competence. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in practice.

Not as weird as urea

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Jeremy Douglas

Robbie O'Brien did a pore filling video that is here and also at LMI's website. However that covered paste type pore fillers. As far as egg whites, I've only used them as sizing and not as a pore fill. It's something I was wondering about myself.

Steve

Hi Philip my friend - here is a link to the ANZLF forum and a good thread on using egg whites.

Thanks to Kim too for posting this a while back here!

http://www.anzlf.com/viewtopic.php?t=742

After reading about someones allergic reaction to Z Poxy I thought I'd try the egg white, I tried squegeeing it on which I wasn't very successful at, but what did do the job for me was some light circular sanding with 400 grit and creating a slurry with the egg white. that filled the pores very well.
I do believe though that I'll go back to the Z poxy.
Peter

After hearing about egg whites on this forum - I never heard of it before even after building guitars for 15 years - I am very intrigued and want to try it out. I'll probably order a side of bacon too and maybe some orange juice at room temperature

Funny though because when I first saw the term 'egg whites' I assumed it was some brand name of filler or something until I kept reading. Egg whites for real

I like the idea and I know most of my customers would too.

Egg whites have been used for both sizing and pore filling for centuries. In fact it is probably the oldest method of pore fills for transparent finishes with pumice a close second. Slurry filling is the way to go because the egg whites by them self will tend to bridge the pores even when squeegee is used. Plus they will shrink back a good deal.

Just like shellac with pumice the egg whites is the bonding agent and wood fiber is the major filling solid carried by the fill agent.

over the past 80 years or so man made products have replaced egg whites in most modern finish systems but all thing have their own attributes and advantages. It is not joke. it is a very viable means of both sizing and a great carrier for pore filling. Once again history teach us new tricks