Sealing, Grain Filling, Epoxy?

rachael21 | Posted in General Discussion on May 27, 2020 03:41am

I’m trying to even out the grain a bit on what I believe is a piece of pine while also filling in a couple deeper cracks with dark grain filler. Would it be better to seal the wood before the initial grain filler, or should I fill, seal and then try to do the darker filler? I also need ideas for grain filler brands because I’m so lost. I thought epoxy would work best for the deeper cracks, but I only have a tiny tube and I’m not sure how to dilute it. I’m making this into a small table for my plants and don’t want the cracks to get worse over time. I apologize that this turned into 500 different questions, but anything will help.

Replies

rob_ss | May 27, 2020 04:54am | #1
Wow - a complex question and bound to stir some controversy.

A photo of the piece would help.

I have assumed you have a board with a small split or several small knot holes.

First, make sure that the wood is dry.

You then face a choice - to sand your board almost to a finish before filling, or fill first.

I would apply thin CA glue to suspect parts of the project first, then fill with choice of filler (not more than 2-3mm thick per layer) and finish over.

Best not to use epoxy unless you have a really wide deep crack - it tends to stickiness and does not penetrate well.

I can't help with wood filler brands as you don't say where you are from but I would probably use something pre-mixed from your local home centre.
gulfstar | May 27, 2020 07:32am | #2
If it is more than hairline cracks epoxy will fill them properly. I use masking tape around the crack or knots and fill it with warmed up epoxy. Using a heat gun, a hair dryer works also, the epoxy turns watery and penetrates. You may need to add a some as it runs deeper in the crack. When you remove the tape you have an even thickness to sand down with a block.
concealed | May 27, 2020 07:54am | #3
What epoxy would you recommend? I am looking to do something similar on a job but not sure what epoxy to use.
gulfstar | May 27, 2020 08:50am | #4
1:1 ratio medium viscosity epoxy from marine supplies works best, could be had in car paint stores or hobby shops also.
rachael21 | May 27, 2020 03:15pm | #5
Wow thanks for all the replies! My cracks are hairline but go all the way through, but grain filler might be enough. I also left the bark attached for now because it’s in pretty good shape besides a large crack in the left side from the picture. I just painted some mineral spirits to show the stain of the wood because I’m not 100% sure what it is exactly.
rob_ss | May 29, 2020 04:09am | #6
What you have there is a very high crown cut off a log. It does look like a softwood to me. The bark looks like pine. Does it smell piney?

Is it dry? I know I said that before, but dry is important - those cracks are due to internal tension in the wood and they might well extend as the wood dries. It will also tend to cup significantly.

The bark is quite thick and quite a lot of what looks like sapwood there is also bark. That is prone to coming loose over time.

Glue will not make any difference to those cracks. They are best left alone, or if you are being fancy, locked with a big fat butterfly. This will not hold against much movement but will stabilise any unstable bits.

You CAN fill them with epoxy, but why? This is a nice board and it's for a plant stand.

I'm lazy so I'd probably use an oil based polyurethane to protect it and accept that the cracks are part of it's charm. This would also provide a degree of adhesion for the bark

If you want a totally sealed syrupy shiny finish though, you could paint on the two part epoxy suggested elsewhere. That will hold the bark on firmly and protect against water damage at the cost of making your project look like plastic!