Sanding Sealer recommendation

[calambert]

Need a suggestion for a sanding sealer for plywood fins which can then be sprayed with Dupli-Color primers and paint which are lacquers.

TIA

 

[Nathan]

A lot of people use watered down Elmer Carpenters Wood Filler. It works great, is easy to sand, and doesn't emit toxic fumes like AeroGloss sanding sealer.

 

[GlennW]

I use the AeroGloss. As far as the fumes, I use it only in the garage or outdoors and it's all good!

Glenn

 

[calambert]

Thanks guys. I have Elmer's on hand.

 

[GlenP]

Most hardware stores have lacquer sanding sealer, in a spray can or brush on can. It works fine on balsa and plywood. I think one of the common brands is called Deft. Is is a good base coat under lacquers.

 

[Trident]

I've never had any sanding sealers or primers interact poorly with lacquers. For primers, I've used everything from the cheap Walmart brands, to Rustoleum, to my favorite, Duplicolor.

My favorite sealer is Aerogloss, the downside is price. Deft Lacquer Sanding Sealer works well, the only downside I've found is that it takes more costs to fill grain than the dope sealers like Aerogloss. The huge upside is that you can get a quart of it for around $12.

Finally, you can also just use numerous coats of primer to fill the plywood grain. Use cheap stuff, and load it on heavily. Sand down well and just keep repeating. I also use primer to fill seams in body tubes. The secret is to sand down until you see the plywood or the tube, otherwise the seams or grain never go away. You want to build up these depressions until they are flush with the surface you are working on.

 

[g zilla]

Zinsser shelac sanding sealer

 

[Winston]

A lot of people use watered down Elmer Carpenters Wood Filler. It works great, is easy to sand, and doesn't emit toxic fumes like AeroGloss sanding sealer.

An entire thread about it:

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?126379-Grainy-Elmer-s-Carpenter-s-Wood-Filler-Max

My conclusion there, use this color change version because it fills and sands just as well as the slightly cheaper regular stuff, but has the advantage of changing color to white when it's completely dry: