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Thread: Filling void on handle

  1. #1
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    Filling void on handle

    I have been away for a few years from turning. I decided to start up again and turn some Christmas gifts. I am primarily making small handles for kitchen tools. Some excellent wood that I have, has turned nicely but exhibits small cracks and very minor voids, into, but not through the wood. Am I correct that these can be salvaged by use of CA glue? If so, what thickness?

    Would a CA finish be appropriate for kitchen tool handles? If not, what shou7ld I use.

    Thanks!

  2. #2
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    You can use thin or thick CA in the cracks, and maybe on top of one another depending on the nature of the crack. Generally, thin CA for fine cracks as it runs into all the deep hairline crevices. Thicker for wider cracks with less run. If you rub sawdust in the crack while the CA is wet, it'll fill and color the crack. You can also use epoxies to fill. The putty type comes pre-colored, but this is really for bigger voids.

  3. #3
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    As for CA for a finish, I don't like it on large surfaces due to the fumes and expense. I recommend wipe-on poly for a tough durable finish that goes on fast and easy.

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by tom lucas View Post
    As for CA for a finish, I don't like it on large surfaces due to the fumes and expense. I recommend wipe-on poly for a tough durable finish that goes on fast and easy.
    these are small handles such as ice cream scoops, pizza cutters, etc.

  5. #5
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    I turn a few pens, including a lot of burls. For really small voids, i'll often use powdered turquoise, aluminum, copper, or lapis with very thin CA (Bob Smith Super Thin normally) which carries the powder deep into the voids. For larger voids, i normally use dry coffee grounds, saw dust, or open a tea bag--and use a regular thin viscosity instead of the super thin. Turned a mortar & pestle a while back to get the texture needed in the coffee or tea. Used coffee or tea grinds are fine as long as they are thoroughly dry.
    Usually adds an "artistic touch" to wood that might have been trash--but sometimes it just wastes a little time on the way to the fire pit!! Good to experiment early in the turning--if you don't like what you try first, you can turn it away and try something else.
    I'd fully agree with Tom on the finish--i use CA on most pens, but something handle sized or bowls--wipe-on poly, friction polish, mix of mineral oil & bee's wax--depends on what i think the wood is asking for.
    Good luck,
    earl

  6. #6
    The items you mentioned will typically be washed. I would not use any film finish on utility items exposed to moisture and heat. The wood will expand and contract and the finish will most likely fail and chip off. I would prefer a renewable oil finish.

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  7. #7
    Join Date
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    I have used 2-part 5 minute epoxy for filling in small cracks in some cutting boards recently completed. Visit your local big box store for some options. I got the J/B Weld brand.

  8. #8
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    When using CA to fil cracks, the thin CA will penetrate a long thin crack but will not build up very well. You can use thin CA first and then follow that with thick CA to fill. Packing sanding dust, coffee grounds, or wood shavings in larger cracks and then the thin/thick CA will fill larger areas. I like to spray a thin film of spray lacquer around the crack to seal the surface wood but allow the CA to penetrate the crack. End up with little or no CA stain showing after you do the finish sanding for the area and remove the spray lacquer.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Joe McMahon View Post
    I have been away for a few years from turning. I decided to start up again and turn some Christmas gifts. I am primarily making small handles for kitchen tools. Some excellent wood that I have, has turned nicely but exhibits small cracks and very minor voids, into, but not through the wood. Am I correct that these can be salvaged by use of CA glue? If so, what thickness?

    Would a CA finish be appropriate for kitchen tool handles? If not, what shou7ld I use.

    Thanks!
    Small, superficial voids can be filled by wet sanding with thin CA glue. Put some on some 220 or so sandpaper and sand the area. The sawdust mixes with the glue and gets packed into the void. Don't know about cracks - sometimes small cracks can gradually turn into larger cracks and nothing I know will stop that. If the wood was perfectly dry when turned that is less likely but still possible.

    Might be too late for your presents, but I've gotten to the point that if I see surface cracks before or after turning I discard it and start over with a better piece of wood.

    JKJ

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by John K Jordan View Post
    Small, superficial voids can be filled by wet sanding with thin CA glue. Put some on some 220 or so sandpaper and sand the area. The sawdust mixes with the glue and gets packed into the void. Don't know about cracks - sometimes small cracks can gradually turn into larger cracks and nothing I know will stop that. If the wood was perfectly dry when turned that is less likely but still possible.

    Might be too late for your presents, but I've gotten to the point that if I see surface cracks before or after turning I discard it and start over with a better piece of wood.

    JKJ
    What speed do you use when wet-sanding using CA glue?
    Thanks,
    Tom

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thomas Wilson80 View Post
    What speed do you use when wet-sanding using CA glue?
    Thanks,
    Tom
    Sorry, more detail: Sanding is always by hand and just right at the problem spot. Always put the thin CA on the sandpaper and never on the wood to avoid CA staining. I generally use several very small pieces of sandpaper since a piece can only be used once. I pick the grit as appropriate, usually 220 or so but sometimes fine or coarser. The times i’ve done this, usually for a chip or small spot of tearout, the repair was invisible since it’s filled with sawdust from the immediate area.

    Note there is a chance of gluing the sandpaper to the fingers but I don’t find that a problem.

    I didn’t invent this technique - I learned it from my good friend John Lucas, one of the most inventive and creative turners on the planet.

    JKJ

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