Colored filler and tear-out?

[Duffy Poindexter]

Just wondering....:rolleyes: Have you every used any type of colored filler when there was excessive tear-out (as in super punky wood?) I'd love to use something metallic, especially silver. Suggestions? What would you suggest?

Pics would be great!

Happy Turning!

[Steve Vaughan]

Might look interesting on extreme tear-out, I've never tried it on that. I just recently used some burnt sienna (I think that's what it was called) to color some epoxy to put in some large cracks I had in some historic pine I turned. It seemed to work out pretty good. And, I've also use key filings mixed with epoxy to put in cracks. That worked out really nice. For punky wood where tear-out can be a terror, I've always soaked it in some old lacquer I've had laying around. That or something similar will help with tear-out.

[James Combs]

Might look interesting on extreme tear-out, I've never tried it on that. I just recently used some burnt sienna (I think that's what it was called) to color some epoxy to put in some large cracks I had in some historic pine I turned. It seemed to work out pretty good. And, I've also use key filings mixed with epoxy to put in cracks. That worked out really nice. For punky wood where tear-out can be a terror, I've always soaked it in some old lacquer I've had laying around. That or something similar will help with tear-out.
+1 on the key filings. I have also used crushed simulated Turquoise. I used both of these as fillers and inlays. For punkyness I have used Cactus Juice(a heat activated stabilizer).

[Jim Burr]

+2 on brass filings! CSUSA and I'm sure other vendors have lots of stuff. I did a mesquite HF a while back that had a lot of fissures in it. Used some copper Pearl-ex powder mixed with black epoxy...really cool effect!

[John Keeton]

Duffy, IMO filling tearout with anything but clear filler (epoxy?) will just emphasis the tearout. Fissures, voids, bark inclusions, cracks - all of those seem to lend themselves to filling with a variety of substances. I think filling tearout with anything that draws attention to it would be unwise.

Just my thoughts.

[Prashun Patel]

The problem with a lot of tear out is that it follows the path of the tool. So, filling it in wouldn't look natural on the tear out I get.

Is it too late to stabilize the wood with a 'hardener' and then go at it again with a supersharp gouge or the 80 grit man's-best-friend?