I got rotted spots, wood joints, etc, (Englich tudor- 5/4 type wood) and would like to use a weather-proof filler-type epoxy, ideally with some mechanical strength (which would proly exclude putties, etc), but I'll take what I can get, so as not to have to replace whole boards, etc. It will of course be painted.
I'm going to need at least a few cubic inches of this material. Is there a generic name for this stuff?
Any suggestions? Hopefully I can get it locally, a HD or sumpn, but internet is OK.
Is there a kind of hierarchy of exterior fillers, putties, epoxies, structural epoxies, ito strength?
Abatron makes architectural a wood rot some of which is intended for outdoor use. A bit on the expensive side but it works very well. Rot Doctor is another brand but Abatron seems to be the more recommended brand.
Short of that, I have used epoxy thinned with acetone to soak into a rotted spot with good results although I have not used it for outdoor problems.
From what I've seen-- and I haven't see it all, I'm sure; fillers, fill[but don't bond well]; putties stay softish; epoxies bind to the wood and get rock hard.
Structural epoxies? Haven't heard the term.
Someone will recommend a popular auto body filler. That company makes a wood filler. The advantage is that the wood filler isn't a sponge that rots out all the surrounding wood.
I like Rot Doctor. it is damned expensive. But it works. You only need to do the job once on a lifetime.
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I've used it on a 50 yr old wooden boat and on a 30 year old garage door. Worked great in both places.
It's a polyurethane based adhesive manufactured for the construction industry.
Apparently Loctite claims it's their product, but I've also seen it badged as "LePage".
I've used it on exterior wood (fence posts, etc) and it's the best non-marine wood adhesive there is. Because it comes in a caulking-gun cartridge (both the small and large size) it will fill any voids you can force it into.
It has the look and consistency of hot caramel or thick pudding. It LIKES to be applied to wet wood - it hardens because of the presence of water. (ie - a wet or damp surface, not soaking wet). It will expand as it cures - I think it forms small air cells or voids if it's used as a void filler.
If possible, use clamps on what-ever you're filling so that it doesn't force it open or distort it as it cures.
Word of warning: Try not to get this on your skin. I don't find it irritating, but it's a bitch to get off. I use lacquer thinner soaked into a small rag or paper towel to clean it off my hands and anything else that it gets on, and I do it immediately after I'm done working with it. Gasoline will also work as a cleaning solvent.
I don't know about painting - I think I've painted over it with oil-based paint in the past. It sets in about 2 to 4 hours at room temp, and it's practically fully cured after 24 hours - although if applied as a large gap-filler (more than 1/4" thick) then the center will take more time to cure.
It can be sanded after it's cured, but you may not get a smooth surface on account of the air bubbles that form inside it. But that's solved by applying a fresh (thin) coating of it to the exposed irregular surface and give it another sanding when that cures.
I saw some stuff at Menards the other day, purely by accident. There was a material to be applied to help dry out the wood, and then a finishing sort of stuff. It was in the paint and glue and caulking compund area of the store.
Polyester resin is a pain to work with for my 2c. It fires all at once or never fires. Epoxy is way more forgiving and will always eventually harden. Plus you can select a hardener to suit your working time needs. Only down side is epoxy is more expensive that polyester.
I buy from US Composites.
For penetration I add about 10% alcohol after mixing the resin and hardener. Epoxy will still work on wet wood but you get better penetration if you can dry it. I leave a fan pointed at it for a couple days.
For filler you can mix just about anything with epoxy. Chopped fiberglass, micro balloons, talcum powder, sawdust, etc. Again mix the resin and hardener first then add the filler.
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