-
Beware of Counterfeit Woodturning Tools (click here for details) -
Johnathan Silwones is starting a new AAW chapter, Southern Alleghenies Woodturners, in Johnstown, PA. (click here for details) -
Congratulations to Peter Jacobson for "Red Winged Burl Bowl" being selected as Turning of the Week for April 29, 2024 (click here for details) -
Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.
Too Big for CA glue?
- Thread starter Dan Blankenberg
- Start date
Dan, your piece of spalted sycamore has to much decay along the crack area on both sides. What will end up happening is the glue will wick out into this softer wood and will create a visually different effect that does not look appealing when finished.
Dave Landers
Beta Tester
That's a pretty big crack. For me, that would be on the fence, but leaning towards firewood.
The spalting looks kinda nice, but also looks a little on the soft/puny side.
If I decided to keep it, all I would attempt would be filling the crack with epoxy (I'd probably add a drop of India ink to the mixed epoxy). It'd take some effort to get it down into the crack. Then, after a little turning, take it off and fill voids. Rinse and repeat...
But it's pretty long, so it would really look like a crack filled with black epoxy. And if it's punky, the epoxy might not hold (well, the epoxy would hold, but not necessarily the wood it's attached to). So I'd likely pass.
Here's a seasonal idea: Fill it with epoxy, enough to keep it together while turning (but watch it closely). Make a bowl with even walls and no foot. Then cut it in half and throw away the piece with the crack. You now have a manger for a turner's nativity scene
The spalting looks kinda nice, but also looks a little on the soft/puny side.
If I decided to keep it, all I would attempt would be filling the crack with epoxy (I'd probably add a drop of India ink to the mixed epoxy). It'd take some effort to get it down into the crack. Then, after a little turning, take it off and fill voids. Rinse and repeat...
But it's pretty long, so it would really look like a crack filled with black epoxy. And if it's punky, the epoxy might not hold (well, the epoxy would hold, but not necessarily the wood it's attached to). So I'd likely pass.
Here's a seasonal idea: Fill it with epoxy, enough to keep it together while turning (but watch it closely). Make a bowl with even walls and no foot. Then cut it in half and throw away the piece with the crack. You now have a manger for a turner's nativity scene
Thanks for the heads up on this. Didn’t consider completely losing the CA by wicking away into the material. Great point. I wonder if a thick Starbond with the accelerator using the build up method would assist with this??
Thanks for the guidance on this one. Much appreciated, Dave. I love what you did with the half bowl.
- Joined
- Feb 28, 2021
- Messages
- 1,231
- Likes
- 1,091
- Location
- Roulette, PA
- Website
- www.reallyruralwoodworks.com
Nope. Way to brittle, it'd be like trying to turn glass - more likely to shatter into pieces than hold together CA glue once cured is quite hard and not very flexible so even if it held together, if the wood moved, it'd most likely rip apart the punky spalted areas. Crack like that, I'd consign to firewood, unless you want to save it back to experiment with things like pewas or copper wire stitches/staples or some such...
In addition to an epoxy fix it looks like some wood hardener would be useful too. I have found PC Petrifier by Protective Coatings in Allentown, PA really good. It is a water base urethane product that has no odour and does not discolor the wood. Really good on this type of spalt softening.
Thanks for the great ideas on other avenues for this piece.
First things first when deciding to save junk wood….
Is it worth your time and effort? Is the wood important (do you like its potential?) or do you have a market to sell it?
If no, toss it. If yes, continue reading…
Soak it in wood hardener (minwax works well and is readily available $12/can…) that piece might take a whole can (maybe a can and a half)
Once hardened, decide if you like the crack as is or if you want to highlight it. (You cannot hide it). If you want to highlight it, carve out the crack a little more with a dremel type tool and act like a dentist getting into a cavity… get rid of the softest part of the “cavity” until you get to somewhat sound “tooth”
Decide what you want to fill it with
Coffee grounds and CA glue?
Colored epoxy?
Plastic beads?
Different colored sawdust?
Small cross sections of twigs?
Milliput?
There’s a million options…
When you turn it, stay out of the line of fire and take tiny cuts with the sharpest gouge you have. Wear a face mask. Sometimes the best tool for something that punky is 36 grit sandpaper to start…
Only you can decide if it’s worth the effort and expense. Almost EVERYTHING can be saved. That’s all I do, is save crappy wood. I’m a little nuts, though.
What about a few butterflies? If you are set up for it, stabilize it and then butterflies? Non-functional bowl?
Mike, thanks for the tip, I’ll get some ordered to experiment with.
Thanks for useful tips and insight. Was thinking firewood and may still but some of your suggestions sound fun to try.
Not currently set up for it but a Turner up the road is, maybe I’ll discuss trying butterflies out. This would be a really nice experimentation piece for me at the least. It’s a nice size bowl, could be cool. Thanks!
Someone said "Life is too short to turn bad wood". I agree. If it was me, I would quarter it on my band saw and pitch it in the firewood pile. CA glue and a filler like sanding dust or coffee grounds is a waste of your money and valuable time. Wood grows on trees, you know. If you try to "fix" it and then keep it around, it will torment you forevermore. Out of sight and out of mind.
Nothing ventured then nothing gained as the saying goes. Just be safe and keep the speed down no matter which way you decide. If it’s thick enough then drill small holes across the crack and glue in small dowels or wooden meat skewers to hold crack together. Then fill the crack with some of the above suggestions.
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2004
- Messages
- 8,653
- Likes
- 5,017
- Location
- Lakeland, Florida
- Website
- www.hockenberywoodturning.com
One way to make it safe to turn is a Jerry Kermode method of using biscuits. Quick, simple, attractive, and strong.
If you have a biscuit joiner or can borrow one. Cut biscuits from a contrasting hardwood. Clean out the crack a little. Cut the biscuit slots paralell and perpendicular to the crack and deep enough so a biscuit will show on the inside. Glue the biscuits in with tight bond.
Let dry overnight.
The bowl won’t hold soup but will be fine for biscuits(edible ) and fruit etc.
The blank looks punky biscuits won’t fix that. And that is another decision as to whether it can be turned smooth.
Full article in summer 1999 journal
Last edited:
several pewas across the crack and then re-turn it. I think that’s been mentioned.
You could also cut out a curved decorative section where the crack is located and use pewas to join the two halves like the others have mentioned.
I'm getting better at that. I had a nice piece of elm that ended up having some large punky areas. I roughed it out, looked at the punky stuff (already starting to dry and crack) and pitched it in the fire. It's not that it wasn't worth saving, it's that the time required to save it could be better spent on a viable turning.
I'm late to the party, but Hell, No. That crack runs 95% of the diameter of the wood. And since it's end grain, it probably is similar on the opposite side.
The wood looks to Punky with a big crack and doesn't look savable to me.
I very much appreciate ALL the wonderful ideas. I hate to throw it in the fire, it’ll sit on a bench until one of your ideas come to reality. Thanks so much, everyone!
Appears to be a hollow-form and you've got some time / effort in getting it that far. Why admit defeat now? Why not make that log "be all it can be"?
- If it's not hollowed, now's the time. Depending on moisture content and diameter, leave kinda thick
- When dry, depending on crack width, use either the pewas as shown above, or black epoxy.
- To my thinking, G-Flex from WEST is ideal - work it into the crack and trowel it into the punky area - the stuff doesn't run and will cure down to 40F - System3 black pigment works great.
- Then cut it off with a really sharp gouge - be ready to do a lot of sharpening.
- When turning is done, apply a barrier coat and then apply a fast-dry black putty like TimberMate for, what is sure to be, a lot of touch-up
Good chance you'll have a piece to be proud of. If it doesn't work out, you'll be a bunch smarter for the effort.
- If it's not hollowed, now's the time. Depending on moisture content and diameter, leave kinda thick
- When dry, depending on crack width, use either the pewas as shown above, or black epoxy.
- To my thinking, G-Flex from WEST is ideal - work it into the crack and trowel it into the punky area - the stuff doesn't run and will cure down to 40F - System3 black pigment works great.
- Then cut it off with a really sharp gouge - be ready to do a lot of sharpening.
- When turning is done, apply a barrier coat and then apply a fast-dry black putty like TimberMate for, what is sure to be, a lot of touch-up
Good chance you'll have a piece to be proud of. If it doesn't work out, you'll be a bunch smarter for the effort.
I've used it for flat work but never for turning. I like all the PC products I've used. Thanks for the tip!
Well, since I received so much great advice here on this topic…. I figured I would let all know that I chose to keep the piece and try to make something of it. I did end up with an unorthodox shape from what I’m used to, but I’m pleased with it. The foot is larger than I would typically use, I wanted to keep it a little larger for added mass/strength while turning in the vicmarc chuck. Finished with 4 heavy coats of Watco. The rehydration from the Danish oil has strengthened the spalted material. Thanks again, ALL!
Attachments
Good save! You’ve accomplished something not many people would even try to do. That makes it worth it in and of itself.