Replies

1. 
   BG | May 25, 2005 03:37am | #1

   Rick,
   You might find it easier to use shellac and sanding dust (not sawdust). Place a small amount of shellac in a bowl and add sut till you can form a soft ball....this is stainable and any finish will stick...

    

2. 
   mvac | May 25, 2005 03:52am | #2

   Rick,

   I recently had the same problem on one corner. I don't know how big the gap is, but mine was somewhere between 1/32" and 1/16". Instead of using dust and epoxy or oil or whatever other binding agent you might choose (and sanding dust is definitely the way to go if you choose that route), I jammed a shim from some of the offcut material (with glue) and trimmed it with a hand blade followed by a scraper. The scraper has the added advantage of "rolling" the edges together, so it actually looked pretty tight when I was done.

   I'm not sure if that might work for you, but I thoght it was worth mentioning. Good luck,

   Mitch

   "I'm always humbled by how much I DON'T know..."

3. 
   nikkiwood | May 25, 2005 05:39am | #3

   I've made a paste of the sanding dust and plain yellow glue.

   I've not heard of mixing dust with shellac.

   I'd try them both and see which one you like the best. Stuff with shellac might be too dark for your taste.

   Do be sure to use dust from your sander, and not sawdust.

   ********************************************************
   "I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there."
   -- Herb Caen (1916-1997)

4. 
   ron4 | May 25, 2005 03:23pm | #4

   As others have suggested sanding dust will work but you may get a mixture which contains some of the sanding medium. This may show up differently when a finish is put on. If you have a solid piece of the wood leftover you might want to consider using a file or better yet a rasp to get your wood 'dust'.

5. 
   hikingdoc | May 25, 2005 05:23pm | #5

   If the gap is pretty small (about 1/16" at the most) a quick and dirty fix is to take a burnisher or screwdriver shaft and rub the corners together.  It won't look quite as crisp but you'll probably be the only one to notice...

6. 
   WillGeorge | May 25, 2005 11:35pm | #6

   You may think I'm nuts.. Most folks do!

   If it were me I'd cut the miter with a good saw.. Tenon or whatever.. I'd slip in a shim of wood of contrasting type.. Cherry for yours.. Make it look like it was made that way...

   I NEVER make mistakes... Just big blunders.....

   I have done that and it looked nice... May be a little work matchin' the profile but.... Sanding and a scraper work wonders...

1. 
   mvac | Jun 08, 2005 04:47pm | #7

   Will,

   I like inventive ideas like that - thanks for the tip.

   And you're right - most people think you're crazy. :-)

   Yours in mental instability,Mitch

   "I'm always humbled by how much I DON'T know..."

7. 
   jazzdogg | Jun 09, 2005 06:56pm | #8

   Rick,

   If you apply the Watco with wet-or-dry sandpaper, you will create a slurry of Watco & sawdust that fills the pores as you go, leaving a glass-smooth finish.

   I have often helpted students fill minor gaps & imperfections using this method - although some gaps are simply too big for this to work.

   The method we teach starts with 220-grit, and progresses through 320, 400, and 600, each a day apart. After the oil has cured thoroughly (at least a week), apply wax.

   Good luck,

   -Jazzdogg-

   Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right.

   
   

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   Edited 6/9/2005 7:23 pm ET by jazzdogg

8. 
   Yogi | Jun 09, 2005 11:01pm | #9

   Sifting the dust for the finest stuff before mixing with a medium will help-