Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Filling small knot hole in table top
Jerry Samsen
>I'm building a small table and the top is cherry. There is a small knot with a hole that would hold maybe two BBs.
I want the top smooth so having the hole is unacceptable.
Any thoughts on the best way to fill it? I hate to use wood filler since it will stick out. What I need is like a black epoxy since the knot is black. Any ideas on the best way to fill it?
Re: Filling small knot hole in table top
Jim Swank
>You could try coffee grounds - the finer the better. Pack hem in as tight as you can and use CA glue. That's a turner's trick. The grounds may not exactly match the knot, but will at least look like a small bark inclusion. Sand back flush when finished. If you're going to apply stain, do that first and touch up after sanding as needed.
If you decide to go this route, drill a small hole in a scrap and try it there first to make sure you'll like the results.
Re: Filling small knot hole in table top
Larry Clinton At Frankfort (Central)., Indiana
>I have been using the two part epoxy that Wallmart handles, comes in a double syringe. I have used both the 5 minute and the other 30 minute or whatever it is. I blend in some black Rit dye. (also bought at Wallmart). I like the slower type epoxy a little better as it gives it more time to flow out and has fewer bubbles. I have had to do a second coat on some knots due to bubbles showing up after sanding it smooth. I have been doing this fill work on my sons White oak woodwork. Looks quite nice after finishing.
Onsteadof trying to hide it
Don Henthorn
>Make it a design feature.
Do you have access to a laser printer?
Chad Pearson
>I use two part epoxy to fill little cherry defects. To make it black I use just a little laser toner mixed in with the epoxy. If you dig around in a laser printer you can either dump some out of a cartridge or just harvest a little around the inside of the machine with a toothpick (if you have any old machine it seems that enough collects in little crevices).
The stuff is amazingly black...I have filled a little aspirin bottle with it. I can't tell how much I have left because you can't really see the bottom...it sucks up all the light. Hard to describe but if you get a bottle of it you will understand what I am talking about.
Re: Filling small knot hole in table top
Dale Lenz
>I fill my knot "holes" and defects all the time with blacken epoxy, the 5 minute Devcon stuff in the syringe tubes and blacken sanding dust, see pic below. I take some fine sanding dust from, walnut, oak or cherry, has tannic acid in the wood. Add some iron filings to the dust, grind an iron nail if need be add water and mix. Set a side to dry out. Use a magnet when stuff is dry, add the blacken power to the epoxy mix and fill void slightly proud. When dry, file/scrape sand flush and enjoy your work. You are not hiding the void, but rather accenting the defect. It looks like a natural smooth and level mineral area in the wood that makes a negative into a positive.
I get quit a few comments on my wood's organic look. One of the plus sides, the blacken filler is free. I've made less than a half dozen batches in my 12 years or so of figuring this concoction out. I does not take much filler in the epoxy mix.
Re: Filling small knot hole in table top
Big Dave
>I've had a couple projects where I needed to fill the knots. But, unlike most folks here, I used clear epoxy (two-part type). When filling the knot, I used a toothpick to add the epoxy, working it into all areas while trying not to add any air bubbles. It turned out pretty well. Using the clear allowed you to see down into the knot and really added some character to the piece...
Two pennies worth...
Dave
Re: Filling small knot hole in table top
Barry Irby
>Reading the posts, You can see that there are two approaches to this, try to hide or desguise it and to "celabrate" it or make it a feature.
I have used both and have tried the coffee grounds, ground bark, brass filings, walnut on cherry, and on and on. I have used epoxy and CA (Cyno Accrylate) or Crazy glue.
Play around with this and as suggested make several practice runs. CA glue has some tendancy to affect the surrounding area. It soaks out into the wood and may show under the finish, especially if you are using oils or stains. So pick out another knoty pice of wood and practice the patch all the way trough the finish and let it set a few days. Maybe even put it in the sun to darken the cherry. You don't wnat a ghost of the patch showing up days or weeks later to haunt you. If you are going to lacquer the piece, thry misting a coat onto the area of the know to seal the wood and then make the patch and then sand it all out. Thsi may reduce the tendacy fo the patch to soak into the wood.
You have another completely different choice. You could install a butterfly or other inlay over the knot. These can be any kind of "plug" you can dream up or they can be something more artistic such as a leaf or bird or monogram made of veneer. You might even use a coin.
My favorite method
Lee Schierer, McKean, PA
>The way I fill knots is to mix a little dark colored wood stain with the woodfiller until I get the color I want. I then fill the knot with my stained wood filler and the knot looks like a knot. Once you sand the filler flush it is hard to distinguish from the real thing. The stained wood filler doesn't seem to affect the surrounding wood like epoxy or instant adhesive will. It also finishes with your regular finish with no problems.
Lee
Re: Filling small knot hole in table top
Jerry Samsen
>Thanks for all the suggestions. I don't mind the appearance of the knot. I didn't want a hole there. I'll try several of the coloring techniques you suggest. Thanks again.