Official Luthiers Forum!

I came across this filler product ( FAMOWOOD ) while Web searching for something else, and wondered if anyone has used it.

http://eclecticproducts.com/famowoodfillers.htm

Fred Tellier

_________________
Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

I use that for cabinets and furniture all the time. Good product. Dries real quick . Make sure to keep that can closed. If it gets too thick, I use lacquer thinner to loosen it up. Doesn't shrink either. I never thought of using it for pore filler.

Water based and does not shrink??? Hummm???? Not typical. The limiting factor then is color buy they have a decent variety.

If any one tries it let me know. Keep in mid what is considered low shrinkage in floor finishing may not be in instrument finishing. We tend to be a tad more picky. But we have on testimonial so give it a try

Its good for filling nail holes, but that in no way indicates it will work for pore filling.

We use the solvent based Famowood filler on our marquetry pictures to fill small gaps. Dries fast and doesn't shrink. I never thought about using on my guitars.....maybe will give it a try soon.

Cheers,
Dave F.

_________________
Cambrian Guitars

"There goes Mister Tic-Tac out the back with some bric-brac from the knick-knack rack"

The solvent based was what interested me actually.

Fred

_________________
Fred Tellier
http://www.fetellierguitars.com
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/FE-Tellier-Guitars/163451547003866

Fred I`ve used the solvent based famowood in cabinetry several times for filling small cracks and an occasional nail hole.It doesn`t seem to shrink but a little bit.The only thing it seems to dry extremely fast once it`s out of the can.As far as pore filling,I think it would be crumbly and time consuming compared to an epoxy which goes on in more of a liquid form.I say try it on some scrap,and then put a little finish on it and see what happens.Let us know.
James

_________________
James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

I've been thinking about it.
I'm going to try filling some Oak. If it can fill those crater's, it should fill anything. I think I'll try thining it by about half, it is pretty thick right out of the can. Will probably take 2 fills just like everything else.
I'll let you know how it turns out next week.

Steve

this topic has been running through my head for a while now...

while I think Fakowood would work as a grain filler, I would argue that its not a good choice...

it does grain fill sometimes annoyingly and this is why I think for full on grain filling it would work...I recently did some tables made of cherry plywood with solid wood banding (lower costs by far I can assure you), and I filled some flaws in the ply...unfortunately I learned that it also grain filled the area around the flaw (can't sand veneer too much now can one?)...I found this out during the finishing process and one can see the totally flat areas around the fills a long ways away...

as the above poster mentions, he is going to reduce the stuff by 50%....uh huh..well this is about what would be required...the problem with this is that it will take at least 2 fills (probably 3) as when Fakowood is reduced too much (and I've never reduced it that much, more like over reduced it when I add in a bit of acetone when it gets too dry to use) it leaves very little of the solids in the hole (grain holes here) after it dries...also (using knowledge I am currently dealing with) the over reduction I refer to (adding a tad too much acetone) stains the area of the wood around its application and can be a pain to get rid of....I can only imagine what reducing it by 50% would do ...

in summation, I think with fillers like the clear epoxies around (which make the woods looks oh so clear and beautiful) there is no use for Fakowood as a grain filler...I think it would destroy the beauty of the wood and also create a lot of work however it is used (a tad over reduced, severe reduction, or whatever...one thing is sure, it would take thinning out from its normal state to even begin to get into the pores of wood unless they were huge)

this stuff makes a mess. It dries too fast . It is designed for cabinets. There is no work time.

_________________
John Hall
blues creek guitars
Authorized CF Martin Repair
Co President of ASIA
You Don't know what you don't know until you know it

Have used famowood for years on cabinet work. Just recently tried a new product called Timbermate. It's even better, found it at the local woodcraft. it takes stain and dyes much better than even famo does.

Just my .02cents,
Mike

_________________
I'm outside looking in, just farther from the window than most.

Mike, if that Timbermate wood filler is the same stuff as they make here in Australia, then, yeah. It's great stuff. Water based, comes as a thick paste and needs to be watered down for best results. Sometimes you need a couple coats depending on the timber pore size (mahogany only needs one coat) and takes about 15 minutes to dry if it has been watered down - less on a warm day. I guess the extra water adds to its working time. You can then sand right away. I'll never go back to pore filling with CA or epoxy - especiallly 'cause I've become allergic to both of those.

Paul,

It is the same stuff brought in from down under, and I agree it's the best I've used in years.

Mike

_________________
I'm outside looking in, just farther from the window than most.