Of coffee grounds and CA...

[Fred Perreault]

I have noticed several posts where turners are using coffee grounds and CA glue for bowl blank repair. Myself, I have only been using specie matching sanding dust and CA for repair, but I find it usually makes a marginally attractive repair. It seems that the dust and glue, no matter how I try, doesn't seem to cut it. I use thin CA, and try to get the repair material into the crack as far as I can. After turning and sanding, the repair cross section shows the sanding particles in more detail than I would like. In many cases it is not a major issue, but I was wondering how to use coffee? I am thinking for knots in particular, or dark cracks.
Do you use de-caf or caffeinated?
Ground fresh beans or instant coffee?
New coffee or previously cooked/dried coffee.
Cheap coffee, or top shelf?
Thanks for your time.....

[William Hutchinson]

This discussion may answer some of your questions.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=143470&highlight=coffee+grounds

[David E Keller]

I generally use epoxy and coffee or blackwood shavings. I have too much trouble with the CA bleeding into the surrounding wood. The link is a good one, and double D gives a nice review of coffee options.:D

[Curt Fuller]

I have a hard time with CA and coffee or sawdust because the workability time is so short. It seems like coffee actually works as an accelerater with CA. Like David, I like to use epoxy but I've also found that using plain old Tightbond II that I use for every other glue job works well when mixed with coffee. It seems to dissolve just a little of the coffee into the glue for color and turns and sands and finishes nice after it's had a couple hours to dry.

[Gary Conklin]

David, the bleeding can be cured with a simple wipe of Shellac on the surrounding area of wood. Also if instant coffe is used it will dissolve a bit and color the CA.

[Bernie Weishapl]

I quit using CA quite a while ago. I now use epoxy with whatever medium I want to fill the crack with. 5 minutes, errr..... well maybe 30 minutes and can be finished.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Fred - you didn't mention how large the cracks are. If they are fairly tight - another option is that you can wet sand using whatever your final finish is going to be. Just work up a slurry and force it into the cracks and it does a great job of blending everything in.

[Frank Van Atta]

David, the bleeding can be cured with a simple wipe of Shellac on the surrounding area of wood. Also if instant coffe is used it will dissolve a bit and color the CA.

You beat me to it. I always put on a coat of shellac before filling cracks and have had no trouble with bleed through.

[Karl Card]

I think I do it differently. I fill the gap with med or thick ca glue. Then I push the material into the crack or hole. Then I put some more ca on top and rub it in.. Let it dry and cure over night and then sand then coat with lacquer or whatever you are using. I have only done this with spalted maple so far and it has turned out nice. But everyone has a way that works better for them and that is ok to.

[Allen Neighbors]

I generally use epoxy and coffee or blackwood shavings. I have too much trouble with the CA bleeding into the surrounding wood. The link is a good one, and double D gives a nice review of coffee options.:D

David, to keep the CA from bleeding:
Before you CA, use a Lacquer Wash, consisting of 65% Lacquer Thinner/35% Lacquer. Wipe it on the piece, Blow it out of the crack, wipe it off. Apply CA to the crack. Using rubber gloves, rub the coffee back and forth into/across the crack. Wipe it off. Apply more CA.
Keep repeating, until the crack is built up a little proud of the wood. Sand.
When you go through the grits, you will sand away the surface film of the Lacquer Wash, re-opening the pores of the wood. That way, you can then apply whatever finish you want to finish the piece.
I do it this way all the time, and use Danish Oil, later to sand with, for the final sanding.

[Fred Perreault]

Thanks for all of the suggestions and different procedures that some of the Creekers use. I have used thin CA glue lots of times with good resuls, but on occasion there is a nice piece of wood except for a split knot, or some other wider opening. When it is a small crack, sawdust works well, but it seems that for the broader gaps, the sawdust and CA trick doesn't always look right. A little color and uniformity seems missing. I will go the trial and erroe route for a while, and see what shakes out.
Thanks all