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Wood filler in wood finishing

Wood filler  
Filler is a finishing material that is used to fill the pores and grain. This filler is very useful to produce a closed pores finish in the wood or veneer with has big and deep pores. Oak, mende, teak and mahogany are some of the woods that often need filler to produce closed pores finish. The filler application is seems adding the process which takes time, energy and materials. But in the end, this filler application will speed up the process with reducing the number of sealer applications in the finishing process. The uses of the proper filler can reduce up to half of the sealer application to make closed pores finish to the wood with has big pores. While each application of sealer always requires good sanding and long drying time. The right filler applications will also reduce the occurrence of pinhole and bubble in the finishing. Therefore the use of filler to fill the pores and grain is highly recommended instead of application sealer or lacquer to excessive to close the pores and grain. 

The types of filler
 
Wood filler is made from a mixture of: bulking agent, resin, solvent and pigments for coloring if necessary. Bulking agents is a material that has very small shrinkage when it applied in the finishing process. Bulking agent is the material that serves to fill in the grains and pores. Bulking agents that are most widely used is ground silica which is pulverized to a certain size. The size of bulking agent will affect to the filler quality, the finer bulking agent the resulting filler will more be able to enter and fill in the holes and pores.
Bulking agents are then mixed with a resin that has function as a binder that will bind the bulking agent. The type of resin is used that determines the type of filler. The resins are widely used are: oil, varnish, urethane or acrylic. If necessary into the mixture can be added pigment to give color to the filler. Pigment is used is the type of inorganic pigments, the most widely used is the brown or black color, although filler can be made in any color. The mixture bulking agent, resin and pigment then needs a proper solvent to make it in the in liquid or paste form to be ease applied with. The solvent used depends with the kind of resin that is used depend on the filler type.
There is lot of filler types available today, such as: acrylic filler, oil filler, water based filler, PU filler, UV filler, etc. Selection filler in the finishing process should follow to the type of clear coating that will be used for the finishing processes. For example if the finishing processes use PU clear coating, so you should choose a type of filler that suitable with PU clear coating. PU filler will be safer to be applied under PU system, although most of filler are designed to work with any kind of clear coating without any problems. 

Application of filler 
Filler is a very thick material and needed lot of energy and effort in its cleaning and applications. Filler also usually requires a long time for drying. Since that the filler application is quite hard process. The filler application has to done in the proper way, since the inappropriate filler application will create more problems in the finishing.
According to the application means there are 2 types of filler, the filler that is applied directly to the raw wood and the filler that is applied over the sealer or wash coat. Filler that is applied directly on raw wood requires a good sanding before continued with the next finishing process. Sanding is required to remove the excess filler in the surface, to produce a clean surface. While the filler that applied over the wash coat, his application is like a glaze. Filler is poured over the surface and wiped clean, and then the excess is cleaned with steel wool. Need to make sure that the sealer underneath the filler is thin layer, 1 layer of wash coat is enough. A thick sealer will cover and closed the pores and grain and avoid the filler to fill in the pores, make the filler application is not effective.  
Whatever filler type we use, filler always need good cleaning and proper drying before followed by the next process. Filler must be only left in the pores or grain. Filler that is smeared on the surface will create the bad appearance at finishing result and also highly risk to cause finishing problems. The filler also must be ensured has thoroughly dry before continuing with the next finishing process. The filler that has not dry is highly risk to cause finishing problems such as: the emergence of a white color in the pores and grains, adhesion problem, and also bubble or pinhole in the finishing.
Filler also need to be ensuring that he fill the pores perfectly, the miss of the filler application will increase the risk of pinhole and bubble in the finishing layer. For woods that have big and deep pores, sometimes we need the do filler applications.2 times to ensure the perfect filling.



  




Filler is poured and applied by knife




Filler is wipe and clean with a rag.

Applications filler in flat panel 

In the furniture finishing process, the filler application is usually only done for a flat surface, like a table top, side wall or other flat surfaces. To the complex shapes such as carved, bend or post form the filler is not necessary. The close pores looked is made by the sealer application, If there some open pores, it will not be visible in the curved form.
For board production in large-scale and large amount, the filler application is done with a special machine.
Board is inserted to a line with a series of roller coater for the application of filler and an oven to speed drying time of filler. Out of these machine series these boards can be directly taken to sanding the rest of the filler in the surface to produce a flat and clean fulfilled board.

Pet Studio Sonoma Mahogany Furniture Pet Bedroom Collection 

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