Good Quality Wood Filler

Bigmuz7 · 19 July 2009, 11:25

Last year I made a large picnic table out of a felled pine tree that lay for about 7 years , thinking this would be long enough for it to be seasoned, I set about making it, it had to be light enough to be lifted by oap's but heavy enough to seat six, I wasnt so concerened about the structure but the top was finished to a high standard, well, after a year inside and despite being glued, bolted and stopped, the pine has shrunk a little, which I thought it might do, leaving about an eighth inch gap between the top boards, and I need a good wood filler light in colour to fill these, it needs to be water proof and hard wearing, something similar to stuff I've seen on teak decking, any ideas chaps ?

Rogue Wave · 19 July 2009, 11:50

would you not be better running a beed down it with a router and putting in a fillet of wood?

If not Heres a link for filler

http://www.woodfillers.co.uk/ or try the axminster tools website

Mollers · 19 July 2009, 11:53

If the splits are significant, I'd use P38 (car body filler), after sanding give it a light stain (the filler will take the stain), then re-seal the whole issue. I find most wood filler pretty rubbish and only suitable for indoor use.

I've just brought an old GP14 sailing dinghy back to life for the kids. The ply deck got a fair bit of wood filler followed by 4 coats of International yacht varnish, lookin' good.

Rogue Wave · 19 July 2009, 11:59

http://www.axminster.co.uk/category-Fillers-206896.htm

beware this site can make you poor!

Dirk Diggler · 19 July 2009, 12:08

Brummer

Bigmuz7 · 19 July 2009, 14:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rogue Wave

would you not be better running a beed down it with a router and putting in a fillet of wood?

I hadnt thought of that

it would certainly work, I left the outside table edges natural as the side of the trunk for rustic effect , so the edges arent straight, and therefor not useable as a guide, never having user a router, how would you keep it straight in the groove ?

Ofcourse it would mean buying more power tools

......

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirk Diggler

Brummer

i'll go check it out

Rogue Wave · 19 July 2009, 15:03

Routers are cute. clamp a stright edge down the work and just cuddle up to it. If the taxman is paying for it Hitachi Metabo Elu Porta cable are all top tools. practice first!

iandl · 19 July 2009, 20:01

what Mollers said would be practicle you could also colour match it ....if your stuck take a run out to Shotts ....i still have a dozen or so routers and a few hundred cutters and various templates and jigs and i'll show you how to use one safely. I used to do some really fancy dovetail work with a router and won another router with this wee table.

I

Rogue Wave · 19 July 2009, 20:06

Thats a very stunning bit of craftsmandhip! I hope to be in sc hotts quite soon and would be grateful for a few lessons

Bigmuz7 · 19 July 2009, 20:32

That looks very nice Ian

and thanks for the offer

( hope your keeping better these days too

)

I think you guys have tempted me to 'pimp' it up, and I'm gonna use some mahogany I rescued from a transpoprt crate would you believe which was made of the stuff

, and came from the far east, I cant believe they use a good hard wood like that for shipping stuff, it was a long crate so should be ok

It will add a nice bit of colour too, especially once the varnish soaks in

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollers

If the splits are significant, I'd use P38 (car body filler), after sanding give it a light stain (the filler will take the stain), then re-seal the whole issue. I find most wood filler pretty rubbish and only suitable for indoor use.

You kinda said what I was thinking about wood fillers , but I never thought of using body filler

.. very interesting to know

iandl · 19 July 2009, 21:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bigmuz7

That looks very nice Ian

and thanks for the offer

( hope your keeping better these days too

)

come along anytime .....feeling ok but getting another op soon

soon as i get some hair back they want to lop it off again. my head will look like a map of bonanza soon

still it has given me time to sort out the rib .....nearly finished all the wee jobs that needed done ....i struggle with the the big jobs cause my helper is now gone

no kids left to parent still trying to adjust to that as well.

I

Rogue ....drop me a pm when your coming

Bigmuz7 · 03 August 2009, 12:47

Well I know all you guys like to see a job in progress so .. thanks to Rogue Waves' suggestion I finished the job

Real easy to do, despite the fact Ive never used a router

Pic 1 shows the split, and the router cut above it,

Then in pic 2, I got some rectangular strips and knocked them into the gaps with glue, I found a router bit that was 1.5 mm smaller than the thickness of the wood strips for the cutting, so they went in good and tight

planed then sanded off the old varnish

Then Pic3 finished and ready for varnish

I've also discovered polyurethane varnish .. good stuff and it dries in about an hour

.... we'll see how well it wears and lasts

Mollers · 03 August 2009, 13:32

Disappointed that you didn't 'plod' it up with a big wodge of body filler.

Bigmuz7 · 03 August 2009, 18:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mollers

Disappointed that you didn't 'plod' it up with a big wodge of body filler.

Yes .. and attack it with an angle grinder for good measure

.....

alystra · 03 August 2009, 23:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by iandl

what Mollers said would be practicle you could also colour match it ....if your stuck take a run out to Shotts ....i still have a dozen or so routers and a few hundred cutters and various templates and jigs and i'll show you how to use one safely. I used to do some really fancy dovetail work with a router and won another router with this wee table.

I

I like that