I have built a 45" x 84" dining table out of random length mesquite. Mesquite has cracks, crevices, knotholes, pits, splits and just about every other cosmetic flaw. I need to fill them with something. I tried two-part epoxy but it just ran right through the cracks in the wood. I think I need some sort of putty that I can tint. I've heard of FAMOWOOD--both solvent-based and water-based. Does anyone know if FAMOWOOD can be tinted to match Mesquite, will fill the holes, sand smooth, and then look OK after I apply the Watco and the poly to the entire table?
My cousin has a business in south Texas that builds almost nothing but mesquite furniture. He uses duct tape to tape off areas that require filling that might otherwise run out. He then mixes a two-part epoxy (he uses System Three). He tints it black with black acrylic paint.
System Three makes various fillers and tints for their epoxies. They have wood dough, beads, etc.
Here in Arizona (Tucson anyway) most users of mesquite seem to just fill defects with black epoxy and feature them rather than trying to hide them with other tints.
Thanks for the feedback. The first thing I tried was taping the backside and then pouring in the epoxy/acrylic mixture.
a) Since the cracks and crevices run with the grain, sometimes for as much as a foot or more, they never seem to fill up.
b) The mess caused by doing it is unbelievable. Once the crack is full, it spills over onto the surface.
c) The filler will not absorb into the crack instantly. Instead, it just sits there and eventually oozes into the crack. Then, you have to go back and pour in some more. When the crack is full (and I have no way of knowing when that is) I pour on some more and it runs all over the surrounding surface.
d) Doing it this way is the messiest thing I believe I have ever done. It gets all over the tabletop, the work surface, me, and anything I touch during (and after) the process.
There has GOT to be a thicker, less messy, alternative. That's why I was thinking that FAMOWOOD, darkened with the acrylic, could be used like spackle. Has anyone tried it?
Try black tinted autobody filler-- it comes either with red or black hardener - it's been a long time, but a student of a friend made a checkerboard of cedar squares set into a frame. He just troweled the stuff in, let harden & sanded it off. If the only stuff you can find is the red tinted hardener, mix in some black polyester coloring powder. I can't remember where I got mine, but anyone who sells polyester casting resin (the clear kind) will most likely sell the tinting colors that are campatable. Phil
I use famowood. it's a good product, but not for filling big voids.
you might want to try a few things: wash coat before filling, either with sanding sealer or shellac. use a glue injector syringe. polyester resin may work better for you than epoxy. if masking tape isn't getting all of the cracks, go to laminating film.
Dick wrote: snip< There has GOT to be a thicker, less messy, alternative. >snip Thin is probably the best way to assure complete filling of the void. I suppose inlay would work, too. Tom
I don't think you want to use any of the fillers available to consumers. I think they're too soft. And I have strong doubts about making that stuff match the mesquite. Maybe I'm wrong on that.
The bottom line is that I've done exactly as you're trying to do. Only I began filling the cracks and voids before any machining began. It took me a long while to complete what became a very messy process. Yes, it oozed into the cracks. Sometimes it poured, but that was for the very large voids. In most of them, there was no need to bother with coloring the epoxy, The epoxy fill looks black there 'cause there's no light source. In the big one(s), a filler is needed to make sure it has a black appearance.
I had to go back several times to many of the voids and cracks to assure that they were filled. Some areas of wood were not actually cracked or had a hole, sometimes the wood was sort of punky, that is, it absorbed epoxy even though it looked "solid".
The filling was a time consuming pain is the a**. But in the end, it's all worth it.
After all that filling was done, then the machining began. Jointer, planer, yadda yadda - you know the drill.
BTW, with reasonable care and a good supply of tape and wax paper, there's no reason that you'll get the epoxy on yourself.
Also, for what it's worth, I used West System for my epoxy. I like their pump system of measurement.
The boards I filled ended up in my kitchen table. It's about 3 feet wide and 5 feet long. The apron and legs are hard maple.
I fill voids with a mixture of polyurethane glue and fine sawdust. I cover both sides with Mylar sheet and clamp between a pair of boards. As the glue expands it fills any voids I forgot. Since the glue is constrained from foaming very much the patch is very solid. The patch usually comes out a little darker than the wood. It sands and finishes well.
Can't help you on Famowood, but I've used a product called Apoxie Sculpt to fill voids in mesquite. It's a moldable two-part putty-like substance that works very nicely. It can be scraped, and it takes a finish nicely.
Dick Pewthers wrote in news:g9B2f.26439$ snipped-for-privacy@tornado.texas.rr.com:
Dick, I build a lot of furniture almost exclusively from mesquite. The best way to fill cracks is to use System 3 Epoxy (or equivelant). I buy it by the gallon and use the pumps available for the bottles. Here in Llano, wich is in Central Texas, I have found that the medium hardener seems to work the best for me in the summer. Fast hardener would be a better choice in the winter if your shop is unheated. I sand the bottom face of the board smooth and then use clear packing tape to seal the cracks. (Be sure they are sealed well!) After they are all sealed I turn to board over and space it up off of my table with some 1/4" square sticks, just in case I get a leak in my tape job my work piece won't stick to the work table. Mix the epoxy and pour it into the cracks. It has the consistency of Maple syrup & will run & run into the cracks. I use a propane torch to pop the air bubbles that form in the epoxy as the cracks fill. (Just wave the flame over the bubbles. DO NOT hold it on the same spot anywhere!) Generally it takes about an hour for me to get all but the largest cracks completely filled. I always pour a little extra in order to try to make sure that there will be enough to run into the crack if any more air is displaced from the crack after I have left it to sit. This will cure at a level above the surface of the board. I generally do this at the very end of the day, so it can sit overnight and cure. The next day I sand the epoxy flush with 80 grit paper then work up throught the grits to 150, 220, & sometimes 320 and 400. After that I use a few coats of a mixture of BLO/Tung Oil/Turpentine for initial finish. Then I shoot it with clear gloss lacquer with a Satin overcoat. A good waterproof finish for a table is Arm-R-Seal by General Finishes again gloss for the first coats then satin for the over coat (Help mantina clarity of wood). It is an oil poly mix and I sometimes use it after the BLO/LO/Turps coats are done. The only time I use colorant is when I am filling large cracks or holes. System Three makes this for their epoxy on a number of different colors. I mix my epoxy in 2 oz. dixie cups and stir with popcicle sticks and then just thow them away when done. The little plastic mixing cups and sticks cost too much. Good luck with your table.
1) Since you are dealing with mesquite, assume you want black epoxy.
Black epoxy pigment is available at reasonable cost, probably less than $20/qt which is enough to do a 500 lb drum of resin.
My guess is you don't need that much.
2) You can improve the "hang time" of epoxy by mixing in a little fumed silica (Cab-O-Sil and Aer-O-Sil are a couple of brands) with the resin and hardener to thicken before curing.
If you have cracks completely thru the mesquite, then tape the back side of the crack shut using some clear packing tape. Epoxy won't stick to it so it can be removed after the epoxy cures.
If necessary, tape the edges shut, then fill cracks.
3) Partially fill cracks and let cure, then come back and fill proud and let cure.
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