Hi all,
I’m in the final stages of construction of a cherry bookcase with mitered base and top molding. The base molding isn’t perfectly joined; I also have brad holes exposed that I didn’t plan on being visible.
My plan is to shave and/or roll the miters together as much as possible – maybe I’ll even get them completely closed. If not, and for the nail holes (forgive me purists, I couldn’t help myself…), I’m planning on using a mixture of saw/sanding dust and the varnish I’ll be using for the entire piece. I could use glue, and since I’m not staining it, wouldn’t have to worry about the glue accepting the stain, but it seem that using the final finish material makes sense.
Assuming I do that, should I expect and plan for darker filler relative to the surrounding wood when it’s dried (in which case I’d mix a slightly lighter shade of filler), or since I’m not using any glue should I just match the mixed varnish and dust to the existing wood shade?
Thanks in advance for your advice,
Mitch
“I’m always humbled by how much I DON’T know…”
Replies
I am a big fan of "color putty" (the brand). I apply it after the first coat of varnish.
Have you tried it?
"I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
-- Bertrand Russell
Nikmeister,
"I am a big fan of "color putty" (the brand)."
I've never even heard of it... Does it come in single shades or is there some way to lighten/darken the color as necessary?
Thanks for the heads up,Mitch
"I'm always humbled by how much I DON'T know..."
color putty is great, you can blend it, mix it with other color putty. But don't use the stuff at home depot. Minwax makes a knock off of color putty and its not so hot. I think most Ace Hardware stores carry color putty.
It is a soft putty and will remain soft, so you will want to put it on between finish coats.
good luck,
jwinko
Like jwink said ......It is available at nearly every paint store, and comes in maybe 20 different colors, including black and white. Because it is a putty type consistency, you can intermix colors (by kneading it) to get whatever color your heart desires. Every other conventional wood filler I've used eventually "blows out" -- which means it will rise out of the hole you have filled, enough to be notieable. Color Putty works best if you apply after you have varnished the piece once, then top coat the putty with at least one additional coat of varnish.BTW, Color Putty will harden if stored in the container for long periods. It can be reconstituted by simply kneading, or if necessary, by also adding a very small amount of paint thinner."I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
-- Bertrand Russell
take an off cut from the piece you plan to fill. file it with a bastard file or sandpaper to get the dust. the finer the better. mix it with 5 minute epoxy till it seems kinda' dry like a thick paste. almost to the point where the epoxy will not take anymore dust. fill the holes or cracks or whatever needs to be filled. plane or sand smooth. this mix should not pull out match perfectly with a clear finish.
cheers,
lee
Lee,
Boy, do I have dust! And in several different shades, I might add. Most of it's from the portable belt sander and orbital sander, so it's pretty fine.
Just one clarification - When you said "this mix should not pull out match perfectly with a clear finish," did you mean that it will stay put and match perfectly (I sure hope so...)?
Thanks for the advice,Mitch
"I'm always humbled by how much I DON'T know..."
hey mitch, the epoxy mix will look darker in the hole then the surounding wood until it is finished. i've noticed that epoxy w/ dust does not darken as much as water based glues. i just made a major boo-boo today! had to make a small patch in a table top. i was pre-drilling the bottom of the top for the buttons and the drill bit caught and i went through the top. now this top is done being worked and is curly cherry. that wild grain makes any sort of putty patch stick out like a sore thumb. so i made a tinsy tiny face grain plug. resawed an off cut from the top about an 1/8"ish and chiseled out a plug. the hole was less then a 1/16". so far no one noticed it and i forgot it where it is. <G> any hoo play around with your putty before you make a commitment. one thing with epoxy is what you see is what you get. i mean the shade you mix when you apply it is the same as when it is finished. epoxy will not pull or shrink.best regards
lee
For small nail holes I use the putty that picture framers use. It's the kind that never dries. It comes in dozens of colors, just pick the one that matches your finished wood.
My strong suggestion is if you are going to use sawdust and epoxy or varnish is to test it first on a scrap piece; my experience is that sawdust will darken SIGNIFICANTLY and will show. I have used epoxy with coiloidal(sp?) silica (West System) and the slightest amount of sawdust and come close but you really have to experiment before doing the real thing.
If your cherry has pitch marks you can take advantage of this by making your brad hoes a similar color to the pitch marks. Really helps if you ues an exacto knife to cut a linear grove upto and beyond the brad hole. Makes it look very much like a pitch mark. The eye is drawn toward any perfectly round blemish such as putty in a hole.
Just another option.....
Roger
Staples Woodtone Putty is a latex that comes in a variety of colors that can be mixed to get the shades you need. Quite good at concealing all kinds of blems.....Aloha, Mike
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