# Filler



## Maurice (Sep 24, 2004)

I recently dug out an old piece of a branch of a pear tree that has been hidden away in my garage for 40 years and turned a little bowl from it. (haven't done much turning but really interested now).
Anyway, there were a lot of deep surface cracks which add to the beauty but I would like to fill them with something that will make it look really good.
I would appreciate any suggestions.
I do a lot of router worlk and really appreciate the help I have had from this forum.
The best.
Mo Adams


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

Hello Maurice, you can fill it with CA glue and dust from the wood or what a lot of turners do is mix up epoxy with coffee grounds and fill the voids and let it set and sand, then finish. Hope this helps. 

Corey


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## Maurice (Sep 24, 2004)

Wow!!
A reply within 10 minutes!
Many thanks, the coffee grounds ides would give great contrast which is what I would like.
Thanks again.


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## bobj3 (Jan 17, 2006)

Hi Corey

"coffee grounds" = ? , I have been putting them on my worm garden , now I need to mix them with glue huuummmm do they get hard as the wood ?

Bj


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## challagan (Feb 7, 2006)

I dont know if it is as hard as wood...some wood probably... but it definitely makes a great filler. You can also pack the cracks with coffee grounds and then drizzle thin CA glue over it and let it soak in. I think the epoxy and coffee grounds is the hardest of the 2 tough.

Corey


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Maurice when I sand the bowl and see I have cracks I save the dust from sanding. I mix 5 minute epoxy and add Denatured Alcohol till it has the consistancy of milk. I add the sanding dust to what I call the epoxy cocktail and fill the cracks. Let this dry for a couple of hours till good and hard then sand. The sanding dust matches the bowl or whatever you are turning but you can still see where the crack is but it gives it character. I use this most of the time. If you want highlights in the bowl or whatever you can use coffee grounds, sometimes I use brass filings which I save when making clock parts. You can also buy crushed stone inlay, crushed stone powder inlay, Inlace metal dust, or Inlace if you want to decorate but it is to expensive for me as I am cheap. Another thing I will do sometimes is to put CA or super glue on and while it is wet I will sand the crack to mix the dust in without the lathe running. Then I will run the lathe at slow speed while sanding. This will fill the crack and take off the excess glue. Hope this helps.


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## harrysin (Jan 15, 2007)

I have seen VERY EXPENSIVE furnisher made from Australian timbers like Jarrah and Marri where the cracks have been filled with clear epoxy to enhance the natural timber rather than attempt to hide them. Just another idea.


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## Joe Lyddon (Sep 11, 2004)

BernieW said:


> Maurice when I sand the bowl and see I have cracks I save the dust from sanding. I mix 5 minute epoxy and add Denatured Alcohol till it has the consistancy of milk. I add the sanding dust to what I call the epoxy cocktail and fill the cracks. Let this dry for a couple of hours till good and hard then sand. The sanding dust matches the bowl or whatever you are turning but you can still see where the crack is but it gives it character. I use this most of the time. If you want highlights in the bowl or whatever you can use coffee grounds, sometimes I use brass filings which I save when making clock parts. You can also buy crushed stone inlay, crushed stone powder inlay, Inlace metal dust, or Inlace if you want to decorate but it is to expensive for me as I am cheap. Another thing I will do sometimes is to put CA or super glue on and while it is wet I will sand the crack to mix the dust in without the lathe running. Then I will run the lathe at slow speed while sanding. This will fill the crack and take off the excess glue. Hope this helps.


Bernie,

Very clever / NICE solution! You have also Extended the 5 min. to 120 min.! That is good to know. Reduces the problem of air bubbles too... yes?

It seems like I've read all of the labels, etc. on how to Thin / Cleanup and have missed them... NOW, that I know that it MUST exist, I read some more... I found the cleanup instructions! duh... Yep, Denatured Alchohol does it!

Question: I have used Transtint with 5 min. clear epoxy and it seemed to work OK. Do you think it would still work OK if thinned like you did?

Thank you...


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## karateed (Feb 7, 2006)

I'm certainly not an expert but I did mix white glue with sawdust from a darker wood, don't remember what....but it looked pretty sharp when all said and done. I just stuffed the concoction in with the thin edge of a screwdriver, let it harden overnight (just to be sure it was going to be hard enough) and turned it next day. The wood I was turning was a junk piece of alder, but it came out pretty well for a first effort.

I had no idea what I was doing when I did this but sometimes when you try things they actually work out.....

KarateEd......


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## BernieW (Sep 12, 2006)

Joe Lyddon said:


> Bernie,
> 
> 
> Question: I have used Transtint with 5 min. clear epoxy and it seemed to work OK. Do you think it would still work OK if thinned like you did?
> ...


If you are just going to color the epoxy I wouldn't thin. I just found that if I thinned it with DNA and then add sawdust it worked better because the sawdust stiffens it a bit. I worked it into the crack with a small screwdriver.


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## Maurice (Sep 24, 2004)

Many thanks for all those suggestions for my cracks.
I really appreciate all the help I get on the forum.
In fact i've got enough ideas to use one in each crack in the bowl!
hmmmm, what a great idea!!
Thanks again.
Mo.


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