Thread: grain filler for mahogany acoustic

Hi All,
I originally posted this in the Finishing forum but it was suggested I move it to here.

I'm building a mahogany acoustic guitar from a Stewart Macdonald kit. I intend to spray the guitar with Mirotone 3220 pre-cat lacquer. The mahogany has a fairly open grain which I would like to fill to get a glassy finish. I tried the Walnut colour Timbermate on a piece of scrap but I don't like the result. It has a purplish hue from some angles and it dulls the look of the timber. Timbermate's mahogany coloured filler looks way too red so I haven't even tried it.


Bunnings sell a waterbased filler called Red Enz in a walnut colour. It is less purplish and more brown than the Timbermate. I'm going to give that a go.

Mirotone make a walnut coloured spirit-based wipe-on/wipe off grain filler, but it only comes in 4L cans. I see Wattyl make a spirit based neutral colour wipe on/wipe off grain filler that comes in 375g cans, but you have to tint it yourself.


I could buy the Stew Mac filler, but cost would be over the top with postage.

I guess I could also skip the grain filler and build up layers of Mirotone and sand it back until the grain is filled. I will be getting a 4L can so I will have plenty of product.

I only have one more small piece of mahogany off-cut, so I don't have the luxury of trialling a dozen different products/techniques. Can anyone suggest a suitable product or technique? Thanks