From what I've gleaned from this and other finishing threads and my own woodworking experience, you can fill grain with various fillers, use a sand and slurry method, or build up and then level the finish itself (sure works great on checkering if you're not careful). I believe the last method was mentioned by a contributor recently and I have used it on furniture and cabinetry with higher build finishes. So far it is working although time consuming as this is a slow build finish. Sand and slurry fills I've done in the past (to 1500 grit)have not completely filled the grain and what they have filled is dark and pocky looking. When a contributor notes that a particular method is ineffective or wrong, I'd like to know why and have him offer a better plan to remediate the problem. HomelessjOe, I appreciate your observations, but they offer nothing in the way of fresh knowledge or real help. Someone else maybe want to offer some real guidance if it is indeed necessary?