epoxy fill, how to bring it down, sand or plane

[chuck van dyck]

I’m currently in the process of filling 50 reclaimed white oak stair treads. I’ve found light passes in the planer is okay, but go too hard and it pulls some out. Im using west systems with the thickener.
Light passes to knock it mostly down and finishing with the drum sander is doing the trick.
When I fill to a smaller scale I usually just use the LN 102 or 15mm kote nomi. The little 12v bosch electric plane works well too. So basically anything that is gentle enough to not rip it out. Which is most tools I guess.

[andy bessette]

...I’ve found light passes in the planer is okay, but go too hard and it pulls some out. Im using west systems with the thickener...

The thickener weakens the mix, inhibits complete saturation, and prevents getting a good bond, unless you thoroughly prime first with neat epoxy mix.

[chuck van dyck]

The thickener weakens the mix, inhibits complete saturation, and prevents getting a good bond, unless you thoroughly prime first with neat epoxy mix.

Perhaps. But sure saves a lot of time and material. I’d personally rather not fully fill a 1/4” by 12” check/void in 6/4 material.

[andy bessette]

Parsimony is the enemy of quality.

[chuck van dyck]

Can’t argue but it’s not my money to spend and time is always in short supply.

[Kevin Jenness]

As Andy suggested, wetting out the void with straight resin/hardener before mixing in any thickeners will improve bonding and keep the mix from pulling out while taking no more time. Using a router as described above will put less stress on the fill when knocking it down.

[Phillip Mitchell]

I don’t do this much, but had to do it a handful of different times over the last year and always just sent it threw the thickness planer. Probably did 1/16” passes and had no issues at all. Maybe I was lucky. I used west systems slow curing and waited at least 24 hrs of cure times before planing. I did make an attempt to not have a bunch of extra epoxy so the high spot was maybe a 1/16” if that higher than the wood.

[Dan Hahr]

Like Phillip, I fill before finishing to final thickness. Planer does a great job of cutting it flush. Card scraper tends to get a thousandth or so low, as does a ROS. Flat block of wood with sandpaper works fine.

If it tears out or chips, just use some superglue or mix up some more epoxy.

Dan

[John C Bush]

When filling defects,splits, voids, etc. in big slabs it usually takes several pours and I usually overfill. I was clogging way to much sandpaper so I got a ski tuners Ptex rasp, mounted it to a wood block handle and it works great. My file style rasps have tangs and no way to hold them in the middle of a large slab and the ski tuners rasp have no tang and countersunk hole in each end to attach to block handle. they are sharp and aggressive and save both paper and time. on Amazon and IIRC ~~$27.00.

[Frederick Skelly]

I use a sharp hand plane.

[Dave Cav]

I generally use a Sureform rasp followed by the planer/widebelt/ROS.

[Daniel O'Neill]

Heat gun and card scraper to get flush. I have in some lighter colored woods had dark pigments dye the wood and had to sand a little to get past it.

This is it! The heat will soften it up quite a bit. Just don't overdo it.

[Bob Falk]

I have made dozens of charcuterie boards inlaid with epoxy.I typically run through my drum sander. Light passes with 60/80 grit and then finish with my RO up to 320. Only problem I have had is if the epoxy was not totally cured, as many have mentioned. I now wait several days before sanding and always use spray shellac on the wood before applying epoxy to prevent bleed.
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[Roger Feeley]

I guess I’m in the minority. I’ve used both sander and thickness planer with no trouble.

[Gordon Stump]

Yup, a thickness planer works fine. So does a stroke sander followed by a RO sander. Let it fully cure first. I fill from the back so there is not much to sand down.