Filling Voids – What works well?
Hi,
I’m building some Mission-style tables out of QSWO and have some tiny voids in some of my parts…tiny knotholes, spalting (probably not technically, but squiggly linear voids…), etc.
These voids are not any sort of structural threat and not worth scrapping the part…I’ve got some nice ray fleck figure going and want to use those pieces.
I’ve heard folks talk of epoxy, filler, sawdust and glue, etc. While I’ll place the ‘defects’ out of line-of-sight, I want to fill those voids so: #1, they’re flat/filled in and, #2, they won’t reject finish, etc…so they won’t be too apparent.
What have folks successfully used?
As always, advice is appreciated.
Larry Pile
Replies
One thing I've done in the past, to repair "problems" (some of which I caused ...) was to drill out the problem area and plug it with wood of similar grain. I run the grain in the same direction, obviously, to minimize the visual impact. If you've got a long, but rather thin, problem, you could make a template for your router and cut the problem out, and make a patch using the same template (using bearing bits). To me, this isn't hard work and the result, if done carefully, is almost invisible.
John
Larry:
In a recent FWW, there was an article on using epoxy for repairs of this sort. This year but not sure when.
Unless these voids are large, I'd finish the piece & fill with a matching putty or wax-based filler. I usually use Minwax Blend and Fill pencils, but non-hardening putty would be a good choice also. You could also use shellac burn-in sticks. Pick a color darker than the finished wood you're filling. Any filler you use before staining & finishing will stick out like a sore thumb.
i would say make a dutchman
use a router to cut out the area, maybe to 1/8 inch deep then cut a patch with similar grain and color to fit the area
sand smooth, and no one will ever know its there
Thanks to all. The "dutchman" it is....
As always, this forum is terrific! I only hope I can repay what I've gotten out of it....
Larry Pile
I have had success with a product called Envirotex. Similar to an epoxy, it's slightly more viscuous allowing it to flow completely into a void, and to allow air bubbles to escape. Once dry, it will be completely transparent.
tony b.
Larry,
You're going to use a dutchman to fill in little teeny, itsy-bitsy patches of tear out? Little patches in unobtrusive places? Man, that's way too much work for far too little return; it's like using an A bomb to get rid of a gopher!
There are many things I would try before I'd use dutchman--in fact, just for tear out, I would NEVER use a dutchman. They won't hide anything. A dutchman is much, much harder to hide than a little patch of tear out; even if you do nothing to the tear out, a dutchman will be many times more noticeable. A dutchman really calls--commands!--attention to itself; they stick out like a three piece suit at a 'Dead's concert.
For little patches of tear out the old glue and sawdust trick works great. The bulk of the 'filler' is the very wood you're working with, so it will take stain the same and will be the same color as the wood around it. Before Crazy Glue, I used fairly coarse sawdust and white glue that I'd thinned way down. Nowadays, of course, CA glue is preferred.
You can also use saw dust with shellac or varnish. Color the sawdust to match the stain and then use shellac or varnish as a binder. Simple, easy and works great.
Shellac burn-in sticks also work extremely well. With just a few of the right colors and very little practice you can make defects invisible--right down to the grain.
At your local big box you'll find an entire shelf full of wood filler--which is actually wood putty. It comes in many different colors so you can easily match the putty to the stained wood. Or you can get putty in a neutral color than will take stain. Or you can use artists' paint to color it. Or, see about felt-tip pens below.
There is also epoxy putty that is a cinch to use. You can color it with stain, artists' paints, dye or powdered colors. Or you can use it prior to staining, stain the whole piece--including the patches--see how well it matches, and then make any necessary adjustments with stain, artists' paints or wood-colored felt-tip pens (IIRC Minwax makes such pens in a rainbow of wood shades).
You can also use the felt-tip pens to color any of the materials you might use. For example, you could slap on some Bondo to fill the holes, and with three or four colored pens you can make your patches invisible.
You can also use wax sticks. They're cheap, fast and easy to use. Again, you can blend colors to get a perfect match; you can even add grain effects. To make them more permanent you can shoot a little lacquer or shellac over the top, and then put on a couple coats of your finish.
It's your choice, of course: you can do a great deal of work for a "patch" that screams for attention, or you can make invisible fixes quickly and easily.
Alan
alan
i agree with you that making a dutchman is a lot of work, and they do tend to stick out like a sore thumb, and i would only use one where it was really needed- a gouge in a piece that is too good to throw away
for small, hidden patches of tear out or knots, the sawdust trick is the way to go
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