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Rangate vs Knottec wood filler systems.

Joined
Oct 6, 2022
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Location
Brenham, Texas
Looking for feedback on these high-temp (nylon?) adhesive knot filling systems. Both systems look like they are primarily designed for working in the flat and come with aluminum iron and "mouse plane" Has anyone tried them on a bowl/lathe specific repair?

Both systems use a high wattage "hot glue" gun to apply the filler. Both systems offer multiple color options. Both are said to cut, sand, and finish like wood.

Rangate
Looks to be a high quality kit. Filler sticks are much more expensive at $65 / package.

Knottec
Similar quality kit to it's competitor and slightly less expensive. Filler sticks run about $15 / package.
 
Joined
Oct 15, 2015
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Location
Smithville, MO
I bought the Knottec thinking it would be handy for some filling applications on turnings. It is intended for flat work and is great for that. When dealing with curved surfaces it's a little more challenging. The key to making it work is being able to trim the fresh glue after you have cooled it down with the aluminum heat sink. It cuts very smooth on a flat surface. On a curved surface a hand plane like the one they sell has it's limitations. On outside curved that is really gradual you can make it work, on inside curved not so much. My best attempts to cut on curved surfaces have been using a straight edge razor blade laid flat and using both hands to guide it on the surface without gouging the wood. When the glue is trimmed flat there is really no sanding necessary which is a good thing as this stuff does not sand especially well. Hand sanding is your only choice as any heat generated will make it slightly gummy.
If you are filling a large deep voids keep in mind the the glue will shrink slightly when it cools so you need to overfill and press it in with the heat sink to avoid this. You are better off to have 1/16" overrun on the surface as the tool will cut it smoothly.
I need to experiment more with sanding this stuff as my first attempts were less than stellar. Perhaps using abraidanet style paper would work better. If I can work that out I'd like the system better. This stuff is approved by the flooring industry so the adhesion and durability is plenty good enough. If it sanded better this stuff would be the bomb. You really don't want to let the glue gun drip on you as this stuff is really hot, don't ask me how I know that.
Even though the stick prices are high it goes a long way and you can save all the scrap and re-use it. On small voids and repairs you can use your wood burning tip to melt the small pieces of scrap and work them into a void .
 
Joined
Feb 16, 2021
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Parkersburg, West Virginia
I went to YouTube and watched videos on both. They seem to work about equal. For that reason I would go with the Knottec because of the price point. I would be interested to see how it works on a bowl.
 
Joined
Oct 6, 2022
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Location
Brenham, Texas
I think an auto body hand anvil would take care of pressing in the filler on a curved surface.
 
Joined
Aug 14, 2009
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Peoria, Illinois
I don't like the plastic look of that kind of patch, same goes for just tinted epoxy. I prefer used coffee grounds mixed with epoxy. It has a much more natural look with some variations of color.
 
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