I’m building a coffee table from solid Bubinga wood (African Rosewood) It is highly figured and have several spots of deep tearout that have occurred – planing & sanding them out is not an option given the amount of material that would have to be removed.
I’m planning on finishing the table using poymerised tung oil, and possibly a polyurethane over the top. I’m looking for suggestions of how best to fill these tearout spots. Suggestions in your experience are requested.
Thanks
Steven
Replies
Stevenr,
I did a table last fall from highly figured bubinga. I was lucky enough not to have any tearout. I did have to reshape the legs though because of my bad routing. Curves.
Since the wood is so highly figured is it possible to cut out a piece and make a patch. If your wood is like mine the grain shouldn't be too much of a factor.
ASK
Another option might be to use a contrasting wood (ebony?) to make some inlays which in effect take the place of the tearout. You'd have to add more inlays than you have problems to make the inlays symmetrical, probably.
John
Been in your shoes many times Steven, and no better trick than the epoxy trick. Just mix a tiny batch of quality epoxy and drip it into the bad areas, making sure to backfill after soak-in. Then sand flush, then finish. The clarity of the epoxy will not obscure the light refraction of the tearouts like filler will. Epoxy has great soak-in properties, which will darken and enrich the grain like the tung oil, so the match should be good. I use epoxy as my favorite sealer anyway due to this property as well as the fact that it is the least shrinking of all polymers, and is crystal clear. In the often heated argument over the best finish that "pops" woodgrain the best, I propose that epoxy sealer (West System with the 207 special coatings hardener) with clears over top (varnish, lacquer or 2K urethane) give the best possible "3D" effect of figured woods.
"The furniture designer is an architect." - Maurice DuFrenes (French Art Deco furniture designer, contemporary of Ruhlmann)
http://www.pbase.com/dr_dichro http://www.johnblazydesigns.com
Epoxy would be my choice. I'd probably even color the epoxy with some strange color so the blemish could be explained as being some kind of statement about your encounter with the wood.
Marc Adams mentioned that you could use a 5 minute epoxy mixed with some of the sawdust (powder) and make a patch.
What kind of epoxy would one use for this?
Michael
could you show a picture
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled