Frustration, Futility, and Filling Fissures

[Jim Underwood]

Recently, I've had several go 'rounds with attempts at filling cracks with CA glue and Coffee grounds. It used to work...:mad:

Here's my process:
I put a little Medium CA glue in a crack, press the coffee into the crack (if it's big enough), and then top it off with some more glue. Then when it cures I'll come back and shear scrape or slice it off with a fine cut.

What's happening, is that I'll attempt filling a crack, but when I come back with the gouge or sandpaper, the "filling" is either all full of voids, or it's non-existant in the actual crack. I've even tried filling a crack up with the CA glue and hitting it with some activator spray, and that seems to make things even worse because it cures the outside instantly, and actually pulls the glue out of the crack..

And then I wind up attempting to fill the cracks so many times that I finally give up in exasperation, and just sand it all down, and put finish on the piece, cracks and all.

I can't tell if it's just not penetrating because of using medium CA glue, or whether it's just pulling back out of the cut or what...

I'm about to give up repairing cracks at all...

Little help here? :confused:

[Cyril Griesbach]

Jim, consider grinding the coffee grounds up to a finer consistancy and using thin CA. Also, If you give the wood a quick coat of lacquer or oil or sanding sealer around the crack before applying the patch the CA will not shine through your final finish. I hope this will help.

[David Walser]

Jim,

I was taught to apply thin CA glue followed immediately by some thick (and perhaps another application of thin). The idea was the thin would help the thick CA to flow more deeply and to fill all the voids. Seems to work.

[tom martin]

Jim,
You mentioned that it used to work and now it doesn't. I was wondering if it is the same bottle of glue. CA glue has a shelf life ...maybe yours has lost its zip

[Jim Underwood]

Probably the Franklins CA glue is ok. I just got it this fall at the IWF as a freebie. I usually go down to Lowes and buy the biggest bottle they have (which is less than an ounce).
Franklin's may be a tad thicker than the stuff I buy at Lowes.

I'll try getting some thinner glue and follow it up with the medium.

As for the finish... It appears that CA glue sticks to the wipe on Poly just fine..;)

How do I grind up coffee a little finer? I'm not a coffee drinker (it hates me) so I don't have any idea what you're supposed to do...

[David Christopher]

I spray laquer in the crack and let it dry then use this CA fill the crack then add more CA

[Jeff Nicol]

Jim, I have used 2 sanding blocks rubbed together with about 120 grit and the coffee inbetween. This creates a grinding motion and should make it as fine as you want.

When I fill cracks that are large it may take a few applications to get it done right wiht out voids. If you can get to the inside put some masking tape inside to plug the hole. I then use 5min epoxy to fill with what ever as a filler. It is thicker and the tape keeps it in the crack. If you need to make the filler a little thicker so you are sure that the crack is filled, take some more tape and make a little dam around the crack and fill it so the epoxy mixture is higher than the turned surface.

Experiment and find what works best!

Jeff

[Curt Fuller]

I usually rub the coffee into the crack, tap it in some, and rub it some more and then drip some CA into it. I've found that if I try to put the CA in first, the coffee acts like a super accelerator and it sets up instantly. That might be why you're getting voids.

[Marc Himes]

Jim, I have used coffee quite a bit and find that grinding it in a small electric coffee grinder as fine as I can helps to get the coffee in to small cracks. I am not sure if thin or thick glue is better but I use both, usually doing as you describe with thick glue for larger voids and following up with thin after pressing in the coffee. Larger holes need layering. The coffee grinder is essential IMHO. I still can have some irregularities in the surface but to me it makes it look more like a bark inclusion so I have put up with minor flaws.

Marc Himes

[Steve Schlumpf]

I use a coffee grinder and try to get the grounds close to a powder. Rub the powder into the small cracks and then hit with thin CA. Usually takes a few times to get the layer of grounds built up above the surface so you can sand flush. Other thing is that the grounds act like a sponge when you apply the finish. No big deal - just something to be aware of.

[Reed Gray]

I have never used the coffee. If you have a drum sander, run some black walnut through it, then tap out the hose on a piece of plywood. Presto, a lot of dark powder. I have also done this with a belt sander. You may even be able to find some one or some place who has one and you can raid their dust. I have one friend who used to bake saw dust in the oven to darken it. Depending on the crack, I always put some thin in first, and then the thick. If it flows through to the other side, then I hit that side with some dust to plug the hole. If it is a big hole, some times I put tape over the hole to stop it. Once some glue has settled into the crack (don't try to fill it all the way up at once), then I add some more dust, and then thin glue to penetrate the dust. The thicker stuff doesn't penetrate too well. I build the mix up proud of the surface and then sand it down. When I add more dust, always add more thin glue. Always keep some solvent handy.
robo hippy

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Like a few others here, the important thing is to first fill the gap with whatever you want to use, coffee grind metal powder etc and than fill with CA.
The better you fill the split the less CA you need and the more the fill material will show, rather than CA, HTH

[robert hainstock]

I will give you another way to go. I use an epoxy or sanding dust mix. Usually dust from the wood I'm working with. If I want to use a color, (coffee, inlace, whatever) then I just push the mix into the void with a putty knife. Since it is in a heavy liquid form, I make sure gravity is on my side while it cures. You can use duct tape for this operation to prevent runout. :)
Bob

[Hilel Salomon]

I'm certainly not in the same league as the real experts above, but not having used sealer until recently, all my blanks had substantial cracking, so I have been filling cracks most of the time. Bernie put me on to using coffee and epoxy and it works like a charm. The five minute epoxy works great. Steve is right about the need to have the coffee in powder form, but..... there is an alternative to using a grinder. Most Walmarts carry two brands of Puerto Rican espresso (one is Bustelo) and they come in very fine powder form. They are very cheap and if you want incredibly strong coffee, you can drink the stuff as well.
Luck, Hilel

[Jim Underwood]

Wow. Thanks for the replies folks. Lots of good info here. I'll give it another shot.

Since I'm so cheap, I'll probably use the sanding blocks idea. I'd thought of rubbing the stuff on the sandpaper, but didn't think about using two pieces of sandpaper... Imagine me sanding off the ends of my fingers, and you've got the picture.:o

And I'll get some thin super glue. Although... I've been real sensitive to it lately. :(It may be time to swear off of it, and get something less toxic.

[Ron Ainge]

Jim

I am not an expert at anything but I do use a lot of CA glue to fill check and cracks in my turnings. I agree with what Curt said. I will try to explain what I do, first I turn my peoject to the almost finished stage, then if the crack in not large enough to fill I use a Dremel to dig out a bit more of the wood so I can fill it and make the fill show. Next I was the area around the crack so that the CA will not stick to the wood on the outside of the project. Next if the crack goes all the way through the project I put blue painters on the inside of the turning to work as a dam. Then I fill the crack with my filler (in your case coffee) then I add thin CA and with coffee there is no need to use the acelerator because the coffee with acelerate the process by its self. I do not put glue into the crack first and I do not have problems with voids.

I belong to a club so I but glue in buld bottles of 16 ozs. at a time and I have never had a bottle go to waste on me. I do use a lot of it in my work and the cost is right when I buy it that way. The last time I bought the thin CA was about $18 for the large bottle.

I hope this helps

[Skip Spaulding]

Jim, Got to agree with Tom, may be the CA, I just ordered new CA I'm having the same trouble using real fine sanding dust.

[Tony Wheeler]

I go to a Starbucks and ask for expresso grounds the last they gave me a trash bag that weighted about 50 lbs the seem to be finer than your normal drip grind If I want finer I got a 10 spice grinder that will make it almost dust and the expresso grounds seems to be blacker

[Perry Higgins]

Jim,
I often use Folger's Instant coffee crystals. They turn to dust as you press them into the crack so no prep time required and then just hit the spot with thin CA. The crystals swell, fill the crack and I seldom have to do any touch-up applications.

[robert hainstock]

A source for fairly resonable 2OZ containers of various CAs. is WSI distributers in Mo. I've used it for over twenty years, and think it is the premiere proudct. I order two of each at a time as the extra stores in my fridge for a long time. Best luck.
Bob