Treating Cracks and Small Holes in Woodturnings - Pt2

[@DKWalser]

Great tips, Mike! Another suggestion for repairing cracks with CA glue: CA glue has only modest gap filling capabilities. That is, each 'thickness' of CA glue will reliably bridge a gap only slightly wider than the natural thickness of that glue. Picture how thick the glue is when it comes out of the bottle (or picture the height or depth of the pool it would form when poured on a level surface) that is basically how thick a crack the glue can repair. If you're trying to repair a crack wide enough to easily slip a piece of paper into, medium (or thick) CA is called for. The problem is thicker glues have enough surface tension that they may not flow down to the bottom of the crack. To avoid this problem, apply thin CA first. The thin CA will help 'wet the surface' of the wood, allowing the thicker CA to flow to the bottom of the crack. You can help ensure this result by adding a couple of drops of thin CA on top of the thicker CA once it has been applied. HTH.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Great tip, thanks, David!

[@MikeWaldt]

Some excellent tips there Mike, I especially like the the one about sanding sealer around the crack area before filling and "CA ing" Great video. Cheers Mike

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Funny how much stuff we pick up the more we are around woodturning and woodturners. And we hear and think "Duh, that is so obvious how come I never thought of that?" Thanks for commenting, Mike.

[@johnwallace4408]

A timely video. It seems like lately all I am doing is repairing cracks! SAFE TURNING, John.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

"Life is too short..." Safe turning my friend.

[@humbertoaraica8055]

You are verry good to me man, keep it up.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

I appreciate that!

[@rjford]

Another great video series Mike, Lots of good tips. Richard....

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thank you my KZbin friend.

[@wesmcbryde4140]

Mike, as always, great subject, content and presentation. Your tips are always helpful. Thanks for sharing!

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thanks, for that Wes!

[@douglaswood6002]

I'm new to the turning world and have been enjoying it. I have a lot of spalted curly maple with bug holes. Your video just gave me some good ideas to try . Thanks

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Glad it was helpful. Thanks for your support.

[@billy19461]

Thanks for sharing your tips and tricks!

[@keawoodturningstudiohawaii1183]

Excellent video Mike! 2 thumbs up!!

[@seantonnesen1636]

Great ideas Mike. I have used brass filings from a key cutting machine at my locale hardware store. They are glad to give you some at no cost. It looks real nice in bark inclusions and cracks.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Nice! All we have nearby is home improvement stores and they cut a lot of aluminum keys.

[@davidmorgan7522]

Great video Mike! When I'm filling cracks, etc. I keep a small water coloring brush handy to push the filler into the crack before gluing. That way I don't spread as much filler all over the place. Thanks for sharing! Take care, Dave

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Good idea, thanks for sharing!

[@stevenjobbins2600]

Mike you and a few other guys with there own channels have helped me so much. I only started turning just before Christmas and also I am a para so turning from a wheelchair as usual brings another whole set of challenges but you have helped me so much. Please keep your tip tricks and techniques coming as they are helping me more than you can imagine so thanks very much.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

So happy that my content has been useful. What lathe are you using? Are using conventional tools or carbide?

[@stevenjobbins2600]

@@MikePeaceWoodturning I am using an old EMCO DB-^ Austrian built lathe that has been adapted so it sits much closer to the floor to give me a better seated position ans I am also using traditional tools I also should add that i'm in the UK Mike

[@stevenjobbins2600]

EMCO DB 6 sorry

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

I can only imagine the challenge of turning seated. I guess many of my smaller spindle projects are easier to turn seated than a bowl.

[@terrytenley9327]

Hi Mike.. I like using epoxy with the coloring mixed in and let it set up a little then fill the void.. Depending on the crack I often open them up a little with a carving tool then force the epoxy color into the voids.. After patching I sometimes put a wide blue tape over the area to keep it from running. I use a epoxy that is quick setting and it’s 5 minute set.. The slow set super glue can be mixed with saw duct in a paste and forced into holes or cracks too.. thanks for the tip. Your ways are great to use.. 👍☺️

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thanks for sharing!

[@stephenhopkins2449]

I have changed (lost) the detail trying to remove the excess CA from a turning. Never thought of sealing it first! Thanks Mike!

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thanks for commenting on this.

[@monophoto1]

Mike - another great video. Two comments. First, CA likes to bond with CA. When using CA, it is sometimes helpful to saturate the wood surrounding the defect with thin CA, and allow it to cure, before adding the powder and more CA. Second, two-component epoxy is sometimes easier to use, and is much less expensive, for repairing large defects. When using epoxy, it is necessary to blend the powder with the glue before filling in the defect. Ideally, 30-min epoxy is best, but most of us use the 5-min variety. A trick is to blend the powder with the resin component before adding the hardener. That way, the powder can be blended in completely before the curing clock starts.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Great tips, Louie. Thanks for sharing!

[@mitchellmanning7887]

Great topic,, thanks for sharing

[@paracordbraider]

Duh: I didn't even think about putting a sealer on the project to stop the overflow. Great idea.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thanks. Sometimes the best ideas are the simplest. If we know about them!

[@tlewisdean8645]

How about using low temp hot melt glue for a tinker's dam around the crack to stop the CA glue from running? This would also help contain any filler material.

[@drew.silverotter]

Well Mike, Drew of Silverotter Arts, Scotland. I appreciate your videos and content; you are honest and truthful just exactly what I like. Thank you for the tips on both videos very helpful. Btw how do I get a sticker from you, for my little shop? Blessings Mike

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Sorry, Andrew. I never got int that stickers thing.

[@Twotoedfarm]

Are these techniques food safe? As in could u use the bowl to eat out of still?

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Probably. Worst case you swallow a small piece of inert glue that passes thru. But bowl repairs are likely to not hold up in heavy use.

[@davisnewman8278]

Great video. Have you ever tried using epoxy on repairs?

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

I have used epoxy but it was quite a while back. I actually bought a black dye designed for use with epoxy. I just don't do many repairs.

[@kazadthebad9995]

Coffee grounds, nice tip thanks 👍

[@andydavidson4108]

I find it interesting that you never mentioned products such as Inlace. A while back I was lucky to get a coffee can full of fly ash from a local electrical generating facility. The fly ash is black and mixed with epoxy makes a great filler if you want to use a black product.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

It is coming. I have a turning friend who uses it a lot and has invited me over for some.

[@csle1962]

Cool!

[@prsearls]

When you first start out turning, crappy wood might be all you have or you don't realize it's crappy. Many of my early bowls have defects like cracks filled with epoxy. Since these are not for sale, it doesn't bother me. I'm getting more particular as I gain experience and but most of my bowls have some type of defect. Wood is not always perfect; defects just add character to a natural material.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

One person's trash is another's treasure. I try to avoid crappy wood and check for cracks before turning.

[@roberthornwoodturner]

Just a "tip" - if you use one of the micro tips on your thin CA it avoids a lot of the over runs due to much smaller drops delivered. As a side benefit, it does not need to be recapped as the glue does not set in the tiny delivery tube, I have left mine in that way for more than a month and is instantly usable.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Thanks for the tip!

[@roberthornwoodturner]

Really appreciate your videos!

[@jaysimmons2319]

I have had success using paste was around the crack to prevent staining

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

I will have to try that. May be quicker than reaching for a finish bottle.

[@grahamburford6450]

One problem with powdered brass is that over a period of time it will tarnish and lose that nice bright finish.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

I wonder how long it will take with a few coats of antique oil. I would think it would be like lacquered brass.

[@gdb1944]

@@MikePeaceWoodturning Have you tried PearlEx? (mica powders made by Jacquard - and others). Comes in a huge range of colours (about 50) and won't discolour with time. Maybe better than glitter powders? I live in UK and don't work for Jacquard!

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

I have not tried mica powders. I hear good things about them but have not tried them. Perhaps I will. Thanks for commenting.

[@knothead6436]

I think that any inclusion gives a lot of character to to a piece. I just try to stabilize the inclusion and accent the area as much as possible.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

If you can't hide it , accentuate it can be effective. No question that some inclusions can add character.