Filling in spalted wood...need help!

micah

micah

New member
Hey guys, I'm currently turning some x-mas ornament out of spalted Hackberry and I need to know what I use to fill in bad spots. And how.
Any help?
Thanks!
Micah
 
What do you mean by bad spots?

There is spalted then there is rotten! And it is a fine line between the two. Some use crazy glue mixed with water to soak the piece in before turning. It helps to hold it together if it is a bit over that fine line. I am not sure of the mix ratio. I scrap the stuff if it doesn't turn and finish well. Jimmie
 
Sometimes I patch wood with sawdust and glue. Which glue depends on the color of the wood. The best is if the wood has some dark colors then I mix with Gorilla glue and it looks like a pitch pocket. Also in some cases I cut a piece with the razor knife(correct grain) and glue/clamp it, then sand. These methods have saved many projects.
 
here is one idea....

go the the hardware store, where thay make house/car keys.

ask for the brass "sawdust" LOL. mix it with epoxy or superglue as a gold/brass colored filler!!
take a plastic baggie for them to dump the filings in!
 
Well, the gaps seem to be a little big to fill. I don't think that they were rotten, of course this is the first time I've tried any. I will probably just try out another piece and see how it goes.
If it comes to it, I will try filling it in. Maybe with the key shavings, that may look pretty cool.
Thanks,
Micah
 
If the surrounding wood is soft, you might want to put on some Minnwax wood hardener. If you can hold the piece level so it doesn't run out, then Devcon 2 ton epoxy will work. Make sure you're not using the 5 minute stuff though. The Devcon dries hard as nails and clear as glass. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif I carve wooden fishing lures, and I use Devcon for a clear coat. It doesn't work well where sharp corners or edges are involved though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif Dale
 
When I find cracks in the wood, I will usually stabilize it with some thin super glue. A lot of the times, as you turn the call down to size, the crack will either disappear or become much smaller. If it hasn't gone away, I'll continue filling it with the super glue. If the crack is still quite large, you can use epoxy mixed with brass filings, crushed stone, saw dust, etc. to fill the gap. Just be creative.

Paul
 
Better be careful making calls with spalted maple. Spalt is caused by a fungus that can be harmful for human consumption. I know that it is suggested not to make cutting boards out of spalted maple.........just a suggestion.......
 
Thanks guy!
I've been working with it a little as well as some burl wood and have been using CA to help with the fill-ins, and it's been working great...so far. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Micah
 


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