Just purchased some curly cherry. In some of the curliest parts the grain is pretty tight and along the grain are some strings of pitch. In the very nicest part of a few pieces this phenomenon goes all the way through the 6/4 thickness and the wood is clearly “cracked” along the grain. There is no space in the crack, but the surface is slightly offset, so you can tell it goes all the way through. Is there any way to repair something like this, or otherwise stabilize a piece of wood like this for use? Your suggestions please!!
Thanks,
Abe
Replies
One approach is epoxy. Epoxy intended for fiberglassing is quite fluid, so it flows into cracks like that. It fills the airgap, and it ties the two sides together. You can leave the epoxy clear, or you can color it black or brown. In cherry, in a crack, black epoxy looks very much like a pitch pocket, and nobody ever notices it. I buy West Systems epoxy at a marine supply store named West Marine (http://www.westmarine.com). I got tinting color at an auto supply place.
To apply the epoxy, use masking tape to cover the crack on the bottom side of the board. Then pour a pool of the epoxy on the top on the crack. It will flow slowly into the crack. If the crack is wide, you can poke at it with something narrow to help the epoxy flow in. You'll see bubbles rising to the top of the epoxy as it flows into the crack. You may have to refresh the pool as the epoxy disappears into the crack. When the epoxy gets fairly solid, you can cut off the excess with a knife. Or you can wait until it gets really hard and just belt-sand it flat.
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