Slightly OT: Filling Checks & Knots

[andy brumenschenkel]

I am just starting the joinery on a reclaimed oak desk, this will be a 2.5" thick top with 4" square posts. It will be a pretty rustic piece as the reclaimed oak is in pretty rough shape in some places.
I posted here because this will be my first project with M&T using hand tools. I have used 2 part epoxy with a powdered black dye to fill checks before. Does anyone have any other recommendations for a filler? Any preference on a black filler or stay clear?

Thanks

[Todd Burch]

My preference is usually black. The local audience I have here (SWMBO) would freak out if any color I was using in the house wasn't beige or otherwise neutral.

[Jim Koepke]

I usually save sawdust from the wood I am working and mix that with clear epoxy to hide the glue lines.

Mostly I use the crosscut sawdust since the rip saw dust has bigger chunks.

jtk

[Greg Wease]

I also prefer black because it looks more natural than clear. I add a few drops of Transtint dye to slow-cure epoxy. This allows more time for air bubbles to evacuate before curing. Fill proud of the surface and scrape rather than sanding flush after it dries.

[jeff . whitaker]

CA with a bit of lamp black... or go with the clear...it tends to blend in and be a bit harder to see with the finish

[Terry Beadle]

Turners use used coffee grounds, dried, and some times ground finer. Mixed with ebony saw dust and I doubt you can get a blacker fill material.

Mix with glue or epoxy. Over fill the hole(s). Wait 24 hours for full catalization of the glue. Planes, chisels, scrapers and sand paper to finish.

[Ryan Griffey]

I started using graphite powder/epoxy while building kayaks. A large container is fairly cheap. I now use it for furniture work. It is very fine and black.