Replies

1. 
   flairwoodworks | Oct 06, 2008 03:36am | #1

   How about a sliver of mahogany from the edge of the same board?

   Chris @ www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com

    - Success is not the key to happines.  Happiness is the key to success.  If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer

1. 
   WillGeorge | Oct 07, 2008 03:26am | #3

   How about a sliver of mahogany from the edge of the same board?Good idea! All I came up with is fill the cracks with epoxy and use the other side as the face side!I have use epoxy with good success with some color added to it. I have many times hammered in some wood scraps (with glue) and turned out well. I just never thought of it as a reply!

2. 
   joinerswork | Oct 07, 2008 12:44am | #2

   KU,

   If you must use them as is, for legs

   1) turn the bad side to the inside of the table

   2) as much as possible, arrange for the cracks to be worked away, by the taper that many legs have.

   Filling with slivers may work for larger cracks, rubbing the small cracks with glue to fill, then sanding the excess glue away will fill with a glue /sawdust mixture that helps them blend in.

   Ray

3. 
   MKenney | Oct 07, 2008 06:10pm | #4

   If the cracks don't compromise the wood's strength, then you could use a burn-in stick before or after finishing the piece. However, if the crack is especially wide, deep, or both, use solid wood.

   This is my personal signature.
4. 
   AlanWS | Oct 07, 2008 06:45pm | #5

   Depending on the crack, the method Charles Neil shows in his video "invisibly repair a check" might work. It can be found in the "quick woodworking tips" category.

   http://www.antiquesbuiltdaily.com/tips.htm

5. 
   KUBasswood | Oct 07, 2008 06:53pm | #6

   Thanks for the tips.  They are much appreciated.

1. 
   KeithNewton | Oct 07, 2008 08:40pm | #7

   I got started using cyanoacrylate glue as a turner, but have found it to be really good for crack filling in wood that it too good to waste, because of surface checks. The thin, or fast as it is sometime marketed. It will flow into the finest cracks, and even permeate the cells around the crack. It does bridge and will just look like a streak in the wood after it is finished, since it is clear. If the crack runs out the edge or end, have the accelerator ready to shoot on it before it runs out. this will self dam the leak. Then resume filling. It sometimes takes several applications to get a fill. If the gap it wide, I may sand with medium grip paper diagaonally across the gap while it is wet, which works the dust into the gap. This will load the paper fast, but really works. CA is pretty expensive, but is worth it, if the wood it worth it. Oh, they sell a thicker gel, but I don't like it as well, in that it only fills the top surface, but not all of the way to the bottom.