Stablizing a Walnut Knot

[Rich Aldrich]

Since I am into turning also, I get into both epoxy or let it be, depending on the piece. As far as epoxy goes, instant coffee mixed with the epoxy works well for a dye. Also mix sanding dust from the wood you are using with epoxy works well.

I like the inlays. That’s something I haven’t tried yet.

[jared herbert]

I have filled a lot of voids and knots in walnut and other woods with crushed turquoise mixed with epoxy. I use real turquoise not the imitation stuff. I really like the looks of it, it is very noticeable but not glaringly so. If I have two very similar turnings , one with a turquoise filled void and one without, the one with the turquoise will almost always sell first.

[johnny means]

One last suggestion, if you try the epoxy fill and don't like it, you can go to the plug alternative. On the other hand if you try the plug first and don't like it you can't consider the epoxy fill approach.

Great wisdom here.

[Michael A. Tyree]

Artistically or in the vein of keeping the plug/grain appearance "natural", I dislike the circular plug considerably! I'd do a plug from solid wood but shape it custom to fit the grain pattern of the work piece -> which I cannot see here. Glue and sawdust saved from a sander bag, etc., is more attractive than epoxy.
All in IMO, of course...

[Roger Feeley]

+1 on the colored epoxy.
But seal the knot first. I did a bunch of black epoxy without sealing first and some of the wormholes came out kind of fuzzy looking. I think the dye seeped into the wood a bit. I never had that problem with knots.

[Nelson Howe]

If you do epoxy, don't do 5 minute epoxy. More importantly, tape over the show side, flip it upside down and fill it from the back. This way the inevitable bubbles rise to the back side, and show side will be clear. I like clear epoxy. When you tape the front, leave space for extra that you can scrape flush when it cures. You may have to drill through the void front to back to be able to gethe epoxy in.

Nelson

[mreza Salav]

I use the saw dust of the same wood mixed with epoxy. I use west system and first wet the wood/hole with pure epoxy then mix enough saw dust to make it like a paste and fill it, let dry and then sand.

[johnny means]

We always use black epoxy. It actually seems to look more natural than trying to color match. Sawdust mixtures seem to stand out like cheap putty. Black looks like void, which the brain expects to see.

[Jim Becker]

I'm generally with Johnny on this, although my tint is actually dark brown rather than "black".

[jared herbert]

I agree with the cheap putty look. I have mixed in coffee grounds to good effect also

[Timothy Orr]

Here's a similar knot I filled on a walnut coffee table. Used System Three T88 with a couple of drops of dark brown Transtint dye. Overfilled it slightly then planed/scraped it flush. I think it came out nice and looks natural. If the knot goes through the board, make sure to put some tape over the backside before you pour the epoxy. Even though epoxy seems pretty thick, it will flow, especially the longer setting type like T88.

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Hope this helps.

Tim

[Doug Garson]

Here's a similar knot I filled on a walnut coffee table. Used System Three T88 with a couple of drops of dark brown Transtint dye. Overfilled it slightly then planed/scraped it flush. I think it came out nice and looks natural. If the knot goes through the board, make sure to put some tape over the backside before you pour the epoxy. Even though epoxy seems pretty thick, it will flow, especially the longer setting type like T88.

IMG_0431.jpg

Hope this helps.

Tim

Can't do any better than that.

[johnny means]

Few more black epoxy fills.

[Tom Bender]

The table I'm sitting at has a heart (made from Purpleheart)

[Steven Harrison]

I recently experimented with West System Epoxy that I tinted with Dark Walnut TransTint. I had a piece of walnut that had a knotty spot separating from the rest of the board. I didn't want to scrap it and thought it would make a good charcuterie board. I didn't get all of the air bubbles out, but for my first time ever using it I think it worked well to save the board and I like the appearance. I threw in a butterfly because I'd never done one and wanted to try it.

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