Aqua Coat Water-Based White Cabinet Wood Grain Filler Gel – Fast Drying, Low Odor White Wood Filler, Sandable & Paintable for Interior & Exterior Repairs, Upgrades & Restorations – 16 oz

This product works exactly as designed, producing excellent results. It is a little time-consuming, and all the application tips were invaluable. We actually had to reapply primer and repaint, because we used primer that did not have good tannin hiding properties. A big shout-out to AquaCoat's customer service. When I noticed the oily blotches coming through the paint, they actually called me the very next morning in response to my email. They really talked me through the issues and went above and beyond. They left an outstanding impression, and more importantly, their advice about the primer was the trick.Our bar was made with heavily grained oak that we had stained. We wanted a solid color as part of our basement renovations, and this wood grain filler was a must.A few comments:- as recommended, light sanding is key because this product sands more quickly than the surrounding wood. I overdid this a few times and had to reapply the product. Less is more here.- use a high quality primer!- several coats works best versus trying to put on too thick of any one coat; it dries fairly quickly though- protect surrounding surfaces but you can clean up dried on product with warm/hot water and a little elbow grease- watch the instructional videos (youtube) and read the application instructions carefullyOur bar turned out excellent. The attached shows the original product application, my reapplication of primer and the final paint from two different angles.

Initially, I made the mistake of ordering their clear gel version of this product, and attempting to put it on top of a coat of BIN primer. It instantly yellowed and cracked. Avoid the clear gel unless your topcoat will also be clear; it uses a different chemical formulation and isn't as effective as the white product.If you are painting old oak cabinets white, this is the grain filler to use. See my picture for a result of what my cabinets look like after three very fine coats. Here is my advice to getting a perfect result:1. Apply using a spreader--Amazon recommended the Dynatron 358 Spreader 3-pack from 3M and they are fantastic and absolutely essential for proper application. The flexibility of the spreader and fine edge makes it easy to "push" the grain filler into the recesses of the grain, and using the long spreader it is very easy to scrape off the excess leaving a perfectly flat finish.2. Apply VERY THIN COATS. You're only trying to fill the voids, nothing more. Aqua Coat recommends three coats and I've also found that three coats seem to result in an almost perfectly flat surface. No, it's not as flat as MDF, but that's why you're still going to want to apply two coats of primer and a high performance white enamel cabinet paint with good leveling characteristics. Do not cheap out on your topcoat! These are cabinets, and they demand a high quality topcoat like General Finishes Pigmented Poly in White (if spraying), or their Brushable White Enamel (if brushing). Spraying is always preferred.3. Between coats, hit it with a 3M scotch-brite pad (I use the purple "very fine" variety) to remove the dust nibs and scuff the surface enough for the next application. Literally a quick pass is all it takes. Then, remove the dust you just made with compressed air or a damp rag. Compressed air is better as you don't have to wait for it to dry. You don't want to apply this product to any damp surface.4. When you're using the spreader, initially apply the gel perpendicular to the grain, to "push" the material into the grain. On your finishing pass, use the longest spreader possible and go with the grain. This will ensure your spreader is riding on the highest material and you'll get the best results.5. If you see cracking once dried, it means you applied too much. I had some very minor cracking in the corners where the cabinet center panel met the rails and stiles. It's tough to really fish out all that build-up, but I didn't stress about it because I will be running a thin bead of caulk around the entire center panel. This is a best practice when painting previously stained cabinets. White is incredibly unforgiving and you'll notice every tiny gap if you don't caulk ahead of time.6. Your time is valuable. Don't waste it by grain filling the back of the cabinet. Focus on the front, and where the grain runs the deepest. I didn't even worry about the rails and stiles because I observed the solid oak in those areas to be quite flat already. Plan ahead of time for how many coats of primer and paint, and do a test to see just how well your grain is hidden. You might discover you don't even need to grain fill certain parts of your project.7. Those who are complaining about how small this tub is... Again, you are only filling the voids and most of the material you are scraping off and putting back in the tub. I ended up doing 35 cabinet doors and only used half a quart.If you have additional questions, call the U.S. manufacturer at the number on the back of the can. A human being quickly answered and was able to give me plenty of pointers.

The aqua coat was much easier to use than wood filler when I was painting my kitchen cabinets that had a heavy grain pattern, but it did not work quite as well.

I had those dated oak cabinets with black granite. My kitchen felt dark. Rather than spend $50k for new cabinets, I elected to spend only $500 for paint and new hardware. I had one problem: the oak grain.After watching numerous YouTube videos on filling the grain, I stumbled upon a Paint channel where the only thing used is AquaCoat. I decided it looked simple enough and fast drying enough to risk.I AM GLAD I DID! I followed the directions exactly. I had already degreased and prep-sanded my doors when this arrived. The first coat went on smooth. I used an old credit card and wore latex gloves. It does get sticky. I lightly sanded when it was dry- maybe only 40 minutes after application. Added second coat. I felt the second coat wouldn’t give me the results I wanted. I went ahead with a third coat on just my uppers. Go against the grain when filling, imo, for best results.I did my final 340 grit sand very lightly. Then I applied BIN Shellac primer. You’ll need that. Don’t stick with just a water based non-sealer because you’ll end up with orange streaks down the road. Without turning this into a cabinet painting how-to, I finished my project. In total I used AquaCoat 3 coats on uppers (2 on lowers). I didn’t grain fill the boxes. Just the doors. I used 2 coats of a bonding primer that I sprayed. Then I used 2 coats of BIN before using the paint. I wanted a thorough base coat. I used SW alabaster in Emerald Eurethane. I waited 2 days in between coats and 5 days before hanging the doors so they’d harden a little. If you hang them too fast, you’ll have paint failure. I’ve now found special order cabinet paint like Renner and milesi I’ll use next time. But the SW on my doors has hardened and looks wonderful.This project is not for the faint of heart! It is time consuming. Your hands WILL hurt! Many people spend extra for new doors. I didn’t commit $2k for new ones. I was quoted $5500 by pros to grain fill and paint my cabinets.Since this isn’t my first time painting cabinets, just my first time painting oak, I knew I could do the job at a fraction of that quote. The $500 I spent included both primers, paint, palm sander from harbor freight, new high quality Purdy brushes and rollers (don’t use cheap stuff! It’s your kitchen!), sanding blocks and pads from Amazon, and new hardware right here off Amazon, AquaCoat from Amazon, and 2 new light fixtures. You cannot see ANY grain on my doors where I used this stuff! I didn’t do the backs of the doors or frames. Grain is visible there.My kitchen is transformed! I feel happiness in my kitchen. It feels modern. This review was written 6 months out and I’ve had no product failure.Watch as many videos as you can find. If you have oak bath vanities and you’ve never painted cabinets, I recommend starting there. It’s a smaller project where you can hone this skill. I also painted my oak vanities using AquaCoat.My project kitchen took a few weeks to complete. I worked alone. My husband watched me because he had no prior experience like I have. You will hurt. You’ll get tired. And you’ll become impatient. Don’t be that person who wants to rush through. Any paint or product failure will be from impatience.