Need to fill a crack

[cpowell]

I have a few cracks I need to fill in a table I'm working on.

One of them is pretty open. Here's a pic:

It's probably 1/32 max width.

I have some filler that I can use but thought maybe epoxy would be better. How can I get a decent color match if I use epoxy? How do I go about doing it? Is it easy to scrape the excess off once cured?

I was going to tape off the bottom area, mix the epoxy then slather it on from the top with a putty knife or similar (any ideas?), filling the volume of the crack. Will that work?


Chuck

 

[CrealBilly]

Chuck, I stabilize stuff like that with thin CA, it wicks into the tightest places hit it with a mist of activator and snap the crack is stable.

 

[FredP]

what jeff said to stabilize it then epoxy to fill it. mix it with sanding dust, coffe grounds or whatever you please. stuff the crack, let dry and scrape or sand it flush.:icon_thum

 

[cpowell]

Chuck, I stabilize stuff like that with thin CA, it wicks into the tightest places hit it with a mist of activator and snap the crack is stable.

Can you give me more detail or point me to a good description of this technique? I haven't used CA yet and am not sure how to use it.


Chuck

 

[FredP]

CA [super glue] is just that. glue. it comes in thin thick and medium. thin CA is like water. just squirt some in and around the crack and let it dry or spray it with activator for a quicker set up time. [not needed realy] because it dries quick anyway. it soaks in and stabilizes the area. Then you can use thick CA for the fill up [instead of epoxy]. epoxy will give you more open time to add dust or other coloring as you wish.

 

[Bas]

what jeff said to stabilize it then epoxy to fill it. mix it with sanding dust, coffe grounds or whatever you please. stuff the crack, let dry and scrape or sand it flush.:icon_thum

+1 on coffee grounds

 

[Ozzie-x]

Chuck,
I guess you are talking about the crack in that knot. All of the advice above is great and will work fine. I've never tried coffee grounds but it will probably work. I have a container of ebony sawdust that I use for such things. Black would look good to fill that pithy core of that knot. The Ca glue is a great suggestion, and I've grown to use it a lot. Since you have been working with walnut a lot lately, you have undoubtedly discovered how splintery and chippy walnut can be. I keep super glue nearby to repair those annoying walnut splinters and chip outs. Just take the splinter or chip and super glue it back in place, it should match up perfectly. It's a good idea to hold it in place with tape rather than your finger, it's very awkward having a table leg super glued to your thumb. After you sand and finish it, the repair will be invisible. I also use super glue to repair splits that happen in brittle straight grain walnut veneer.

 

[walnutjerry]

Chuck---------I use the clear 5 minuute epoxy on places like that. If you are doing a natural finish, put the epoxy in after the first coat of finish. When dry sand it down flush, add another coat of finish and the epoxy is invisible-----no need to add anything to the epoxy.

Jerry

 

[Gofor]

Here is how I did it:

http://www.ncwoodworker.net/pp/showgallery.php?cat=1349

I used 5 minute epoxy mixed with walnut sawdust. I overlaid the void with clear packing tape and then sliced out the outline with the exacto knife. The blue tape just let me highlight the areas I was working. I used the chisel for excess removal about 15 minutes after application. If you wait too long, the epoxy gets very hard (harder than the walnut) and is tough to get smooth.

Go

 

[cpowell]

Re: Need to fill a crack...repaired now

Thanks to all the good advice here the cracks are all filled. I used CA glue, epoxy, and both on a few of the areas. It looks great.

Any thoughts on finishing? I have some arm-r-seal and waterlox...would love to spray lacquer but figure the poly varnish will hold up better. What would you use on a DR table?

Here's a pic of the ugliest crack after repair:

Final sanding is done and it looks great. Wish I could have gotten there with just hand planes and scraping but the wild grain wouldn't allow it - too much tearout.


Chuck

 

[CrealBilly]

Looks a lot more stable / better now.

 

[Travis Porter]

Re: Need to fill a crack...repaired now

Spray it. Either spray WB like DavidF has done, or hook up with Mike Shelley to show you the ropes on spraying the VOC.

I have only sprayed the WB Target Lacquers, but DavidF says the hard stuff for table tops and such sprays beautifully as well.

I do plan to spray the VOC Lacquers, just haven't had the opportunity as of yet.

 

[CrealBilly]

Re: Need to fill a crack...repaired now

Spray it. Either spray WB like DavidF has done, or hook up with Mike Shelley to show you the ropes on spraying the VOC.

I have only sprayed the WB Target Lacquers, but DavidF says the hard stuff for table tops and such sprays beautifully as well.

I do plan to spray the VOC Lacquers, just haven't had the opportunity as of yet.

Lacquer can make a guy feel real good about the world, although it ain't as good as a little walnut dust.