Filling voids in burls

DeadboxHero

DeadboxHero

Joined
Mar 22, 2014
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What do you guys use for filling cracks and voids in the pretty burl woods?

Epoxy? CA? Pigments to dye the glue? Thick glue or thinner glue? Putty?

I've been avoiding using wood for this reason. Seems like more work on tope of work.
 
I run thin CA first with a few applications to go deep and find all the veins...then gap filling CA, or if a dark piece of wood some tinted epoxy (G Flex). Often, it will take several rinse and repeat applications as you sand down through the wood.
 
I don't use much burl wood for that reason. I use curly wood all the time(koa, Tasmanian blackwood, maple, ringed gidgee, walnut) and don't run into that problem as often. But if it does happen I'll chuck the handle or try to pack it with wood dust and then gap filling CA. Then sand and repeat until it looks good. That's the risk with woods but some people only like knives with natural materials
 
Depending on the severity, if it’s not too bad I’ll do “wet” sanding, and do so at the low grits, and work my way up. Liberal amounts of Danish or TruOil, 120 grit, let dry, and do that same all the way to 800 or 1200. If it’s deeper than what I think wet sanding will take care of, I’ll mix wood dust of the same species and epoxy, fill the gap, proceed with sanding. If it’s just simple straight grained wood with little figure I won’t bother doing the “pore filling” wet sanding. If it’s a nice burl or figured wood, I treat it like a custom rifle stock and take my time.
 
For big voids, people use tinted epoxy or Alumilite. I prefer to use tse a thin epoxy like clear coat or bar-top. Use epoxy dyes.

For smaller voids/cracks, use various thicknesses of CA.

For wood with lots of tiny voids and cracks, like Buckeye burl, it is simplest to wait until the handle is shaped. When about 95% done, seal with CA. Wait about 60 seconds and sand with 120 grit. The swarf will fill the voids/cracks. Repeat as you get close to the final shape. The last coat should be a full soak down with thin CA followed by re-sanding with 400 grit. From there you can just go up the grits as normal.

TIPS:
Put the wood on waxed paper when doing the filling ( especially with CA). It may run out the other side and glue your wood to the table top. ( Don't ask how I know this :) )
When using CA give it a starter coat with thin CA to penetrate the wood and seal it a bit. This will allow the subsequent thicker fillings to stay in place better.

Aside:
I saw a coffee table made from a slab of burl wood most folks would just throw away. It was full of big voids. The maker had laminated a piece of thin plywood on the back side, and then placed things in the voids like acorns, small seashells, dried insects, seeds, and tiny pinecones. He then filled the voids with clear resin and sanded the surface down. The top and sides were then coated with a bar-top epoxy. It was a really neat table.
 
When you guys say CA glue, do you mean ordinary superglue off the dollar general shelf or what?
 
Randy3000 said:
When you guys say CA glue, do you mean ordinary superglue off the dollar general shelf or what?
Click to expand...
No, there are several brands that are better than what you are referring to. I use the CA'a from Bob Smith Industries, but as I said, there are others....get mine on Amazon....the knife supply companies have good CA also.
 
Carterwhopkins said:
No, there are several brands that are better than what you are referring to. I use the CA'a from Bob Smith Industries, but as I said, there are others....get mine on Amazon....the knife supply companies have good CA also.
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Isn't it all just cyanoacrylate? What's the difference?
 
I have used instant coffee. use a hammer or something else to turn the instant coffee into powder. First put in super glue, I buy mine at Walmart, then put in the coffee powder, then cover with more super glue. It is black and makes a good contrast.
 
I use many layers of CA + CA accelerator, lithographic gold powder, not hiding the crack, but showing it in its full glory Kintsugi style.

Pablo

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NiQqyaI.jpg
 
PEU said:
I use many layers of CA + CA accelerator, lithographic gold powder, not hiding the crack, but showing it in its full glory Kintsugi style.

Pablo

zLW3lgK.jpg

NiQqyaI.jpg
Click to expand...
I've done something similar with fine turquoise sand.
 
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