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Todd,
I just had the same problem on one I'm doing, but EIR. I left the pores and started the french polishing, and after it started getting shiny, I filled with med CA. Sanded back, and viola, pores filled! Started FP'ing, and looks great. It is time consuming to use CA, but it worked great.

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

Tracy, when you filled with the med CA and sanded back, what did you use to wipe it down with? Did you use the black
CA? If not, it sanded clean and didn't leave any white looking splotches?

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

I tried Z-poxy with basically no luck. Afterwards someone told me it was probably old. I haven't tried it again. My current process is to seal with 2 or 3 coats of shellac and then fill with CA, either medium or gel, depending on the wood. I don't color it, and there's no white residue. I don't use accelerator, because I ALWAYS use too much when I try. Remember, you're only filling the pores with CA, not sealing or finishing the guitar. On wood with really tough pores like Panama Rosewood I use one filling with gel, wait ~1 hour, the 2 with medium, ~30 minutes between coats. That's usually enough. I sand with a RO sander and 400 grit beween fillings. I wait overnight, a couple more coats of shellac. Another overnight wait, and then start finishing. I use nitro. I've done one guitar with EM6000, and liked it, but I'm waiting to see the long term durablilty.
Again, according to what someone told me, make sure your z-poxy is fresh. I see no need to strip if you want to use CA, just sand it and seal with a couple coats of shellac.

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I didn't mean to say it, but I meant what I said.
http://www.brackettinstruments.com/

Bill,
I'm using clear medium CA. I always use Naptha to clean after sanding. There are a few white spots in the pores, but very few, and the shellac melts them anyway. I haven't seen any issues so far with this method. In this pic, the back was z-poxied and french polished, and the sides were z-poxied, then shellaced, then filled with medium CA, then fp'd again:

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

There are little men in the pores pushing the epoxy out and snickering maliciously.

It sounds really frustrating, Todd. Wish I could help you. I'd be doing this big time if that were happening to me.

Malicious little men image notwithstanding, it almost sounds like static electricity or something like that is resisting the epoxy in the pores.

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Todd Rose
Ithaca, NY

https://www.dreamingrosesecobnb.com/todds-art-music

https://www.facebook.com/ToddRoseGuitars/

When using CA for pore filling, do you need to squeegee the areas flat like with z-poxy in order to work the CA into the pores?

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Doug Mills
Chicago, Illinois

I tried that with a credit card, and found it was too much work. I just put a glove on my hand and used my index finger to smash it into the pores. Then I wiped it off with a paper towel before it started to harden. I worked a 1/2 a side at a time. A little bit goes a long way, so don't flood it with too much. About 1/2 a dime in size is plenty to work 1/4 area of a side.

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Tracy
http://www.luthiersuppliers.com

Tracy thanks for that because I've been very interested in the CA method



Todd, thanks that it explains it in a way I can understand

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!

Todd,

I don't know what is causing this, but I've used the heating technique you describe on several
mahogany boats- I let the boards sit in the sun all day, then applied epoxy as dusk hit (part of
the "West System" technique). I think I remember you mentioning working on boats also, so
maybe that's where you have used it. Anyway, with as much epoxy as you've already applied,
I think I'd try that technique first.

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Gene

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason- Mark Twain

Gene,
It would probably help to use the shop vac and suck those little men Todd was talking about out of the pores.

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Bill Hodge


One does not simply, own enough guitars!