Hi,
My fence has developed a few large knotholes right at eye level and I'm hoping to find a way to patch it.
I can't find the knots (am I spelling 'knot' right?), I guess they landed on the neighbor's side.
Any suggestions? My first thought is wood filler, but I don't know if a large knot hole will just distort and pop out the filler when the weather changes.
Thanks,
Carmella
you sure they're knotholes? a drill will do the same thing....
yes.
That is unlikely to work. I'd either cover the hole with something or more likely replace the picket.
If you can paint or use a solid stain over the patch, some Bondo will work nicely. Find it at an automotive parts store. Mix up about a golf ball size (or however much you need to fill a knot hole) and mix in the curing agent (pink stuff) until the whole mixture is the color of the little mixing paddle you get with the kit. Patch quickly - once it's mixed you have about
3 mins to use it before it sets up.You can use less of the curing agent to give you a longer working time if needed. I've cut it back by 50% and the Bondo still cured and I've seen no ill effects.
Place a backer on the other side and affix it temporarily in-place while you spread/push the Bondo into the knot hole from the other side. Once its slightly over full, cover with a piece of light cardboard (like a playing card or cereal box cardboard) and hold it against the Bondo to keep it from sagging out of the hole. You only need to hold it for about a minute (or less) for the Bondo to set up. Let it dry (cure) overnight and the next day, remove the backer piece, the cardboard and sand it smooth or use a wire brush to work in some graining.
The backer piece should be something that the Bondo will not stick to, like a wax coated piece of scrap, wax paper covered piece of scrap, Formica scrap, melamine scrap - you get the idea. The cardboard may stick but will clean off when you sand it. The color is pinkish, so you need to paint it or stain it to match your fence.
The Bondo does not expand or contract but wood does so you may have to drive a couple of small brads into the sides of the knot holes if you think the patch will fall out. If you're painting over the patch anyway, just feather the edges out so the patch is slightly larger than the patch while its still soft and workable and that will hold it in-place.
Bob S.
I think you should just use the bottom of a tin (coffee or soup) can and nail it to the fence. Won't look real nice but it sure brings back memories!
Allyn
Maybe just replace the fence boards w/ the knots? They're cheap and I'll bet its easier than most other methods.
-JBB
If you are serious and this isn't a troll, it is a very simple fix using some epoxy thickened with microballoons and cab-o-sil.
Take a piece of scrap wood slightly larger than the knot hole, say a piece of cdx plywood, covered with some clear shipping tape and temporarily cover the back side of the hole attaching with some screws. (Epoxy doesn't stick to the shipping tape).
Mix some epoxy, then thicken with microballoons and a little cab-o-sil to thicken enough so it will hang on a vertical surface, then butter the hole shut.
A couple of days later, remove scrap of wood, sand both sides flush and paint if required.
When that fence has turned to compost, those epoxy plugs will still be there.
HTH
SFWIW, I have spliced a lot of plywood sheets together using the above technique and then covering the joint with some fiberglass.
I guess the real question to ask is, what's your neighbor look like in a bikini? Maybe the knot holes are okay where they are . . .
Well, let's just say I'd rather not see them in one... :)
Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.
I don't really have a "can I work on your side of the fence" type relationship with the neighbors, so it looks like it'll have to be hanging stuff over the holes for me.
-C
*smile*...inquiring minds want to know.... Feel free to post to alt.binaries.pictures.woodworking
Well, there IS a way to do it that does not require going on THEIR side of the fence (although if it is your fence, you should be able to do so without pestering them). 1) Cut a square of cardboard slightly larger than the hole. 2) Punch a couple of holes in the center and put a loop of twine through them. 3) roll the cardboard slightly so it will go through the hole. 4) let it unroll, and use the string to pull the concave side flat against the fence. 5) Tie the string around a small bar that will span the hole on YOUR side and pull it tightly enough to lock everything together, without pulling the cardboard down into the hole. 6) Fill hole with appropriate spackling as mentioned elsewhere. 7) when filler is dry, cut off the string flush with the surface of the filler, sand, and move on. Let the neighbor worry about THEIR side of the fence. or... Ignore THEIR side of the fence. Simply cut some decorative patterns out that are slightly larger than the knotholes. Nail them over the holes, and, scatter a few more along the fence in random places, so it looks like a design decision, rather than a repair. Move on. Regards Dave Mundt
Interesting point... Do you even know your neighbors on the other side of the fence?
I just realized I've lived here for... Five years I guess. I have no idea who else lives here beyond the two closest neighbors. There are other kids in the neighborhood, and they don't play with my kids. They ride the same bus, but don't even know each other. When they see each other riding bikes or whatever, they avoid each other.
Of course, I don't know any of the kids' parents either. I know nothing whatsoever about any of them, other than having a vague idea which cars go to which houses.
I leave a huge bowl of candy on my porch on Halloween, with a path lit to it and everything very inviting and friendly, and nobody has ever taken any of it.
We don't let our kids trick-or-treat at the other houses, even if their lights are on, since we don't know any of those people.
We live in strange times. Whatever happened to the Welcome Wagon?
Of course, being a hermit, I like it this way just fine. I'm supposed to be the exception though, not the rule. I guess we're all hermits today.
Probably comes from living in a society where you have to be prepared to move halfway across the country next month if you want to keep your job. It's pointless for most people to bother putting down roots.
Hows your artistry?
Paint eyeballs on small thin boards. Nail the eyeball side to the fence over the holes.
replying to Grandpa, jimbust747 wrote: Make sure fence is dry. Apply a patch of selotape over the knot hole on the outside of the fence. Go inside the fence with skeleton gun with silicone sealer in and gently pump some silicone into the hole until it's full. Wipe over with scraper and leave for 24 hours now you can remove selotape all done . Use brown silicone for a neater job.
Grampa has since "bit the big one" and gone to his Maker...note: the thread you're replying to is nearly 13 yrs old.
Easiest and cheapest, replace the picket. $3
Bob Villa wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@googlegroups.com:
I'd complain to the newsserver that's sourcing these, since they're basically just spam for Homeowners hub, but I doubt it would do any good.
Mebbe we should all sign up over there, and post lots of random pointless posts with "homeowners hub are spammers" in our sig lines.
John
I think that is backwards. The H Hub is posting or acting as a gateway to the servers and they probably have little or no control over it. If you managed to get one account closed, minutes later they would have another.
Ed Pawlowski wrote in news:8pudnar6iuUq5TvKnZ2dnUU7- snipped-for-privacy@giganews.com:
It's H Hub itself I'd like to get blocked. The only reason they're acting as a gateway, as far as I can see, is to spread their URL around. That arguably falls into the definition of spam.
John
replying to Carmella, Paul wrote: I just finished covering a half dozen large knot holes with pieces of tin cut into the shape of leaves. They rust and blend in nicely.
replying to Paul, McKenzie wrote: That's a good idea where did you got the leaves please any chance of a photo?
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