Filling Voids in Amboyna Burl

[pgfitzgerald]

I'm in the process of turning a pen out of Amboyna Burl.

On the clip side, I've got one hole that I can see *through* and a couple small holes that I'd like to fill. The grain surrounding the holes is very, very dark brown. I think I might need to fill them with tinted epoxy. (I've never done it before, so I'm not quite sure how to go about it. )

On the tip side, I've got one void that I'd like to fill. The surrounding grain is also very, very dark brown. This one might be small enough to slurry, but I'd like to try and keep the lighter wood dust out of the void.

Tips anyone? :wink:

Paul

 

[Dario]

Use some of your shavings and thin CA. If you want darker you can use coffee grounds and thin CA.

Try saving some of your shavings...different colors can be very useful at times.

 

[pgfitzgerald]

Use some of your shavings and thin CA. If you want darker you can use coffee grounds and thin CA.

Coffee grounds??? Simply ingenious! One question though... fresh or used?

Try saving some of your shavings...different colors can be very useful at times.

I've just started hanging on to some. How do you store them? Air tight container or no?

Paul

 

[Dario]

Coffee grounds??? Simply ingenious! One question though... fresh or used?



I've just started hanging on to some. How do you store them? Air tight container or no?

Paul

Paul,

Fresh or used will work...just make sure it is dry.

Breathable container is better. Air tight is okay IF you are 100% sure it is dry...otherwise you may have mold problems. DAMHIKT.

Note that wood changes color as time goes by or as it is exposed to UV light. Some do much faster than others though.

When filling you don't have to match the color...sometimes a contrast actually works better. Example, I love using red amboyna shavings on Blue spalted buckeye holes.

 

[wdcav1952]

Paul, if you are like me and don't drink coffee, you can powder some charcoal. I have a couple of pieces of anthracite coal that I crush and use. If you can't see through to the tube, simply filling a small void with CA gives some remarkable depth to the pen.

 

[jkeithrussell]

Crushed stone inlay; epoxy colored with pearlized pigments; or the other ideas mentioned above.

 

[hughbie]

i actually have a small container with dried used coffee grounds....after i let them dry for a few days spread out, i then ran them through a coffee grinder and pulverized it to a powder...that makes for a wonderful inlay material..
good luck with whatever you use...can't wait to see it

 

[marcruby]

I was just reading something about Japanese artisans who use resin and gold dust for repairs.

Marc

 

[pgfitzgerald]

The coffee grounds worked great, but I'll pulverize 'em next time. :biggrin:

Paul

 

[PenPal]

Hi

No Coffee in our house but some Ebony offcuts and turnings.

I bought a vintage Coffee grinder and grind by hand the timber I wish to use as fillers, keep them in labelled jars. Recent turnings gave me a quantity of African Blackwood, Mallee Burl and Huon Pine Burl.

Using CA and wood dust and sometimes shavings a feature can be carved using a Dremel Tool. Recently made a Bag Pipe Chanter cover using African Blackwood with a natural twisted grain void carved the new owners initial in the void that was around an inch or so irregular shape. Using the Dremel faceted in miniature interesting patterns that became shiny black. The Chanter is African Blackwood mounted in Ivory of some great age.

As a result of the great reception that literally took this guy out he commissioned two more, one is being delivered by hand tomorrow by him in Japan made of Broad Leafed Mallee Burl to his Scottish born Band friend and the other in ancient Huon Pine Burl for his Japanese Band friend. In the short flurry before he left for Japan this guy Bought two pens for the Professors at his University in Osaka.

That one void became an asset treating it this way both for him and for me.

Have fun Peter.

 

[Chris Bar]

Have used a coffee grinder to pulverize shavings and sawdust from each blank wood type and color used, and keep in separate medicine bottles. Tapping the container brings the larger stuff to the top which can be spooned off to get the fine powder. Sprinkle the powder on the void and lightly pack by tapping with wood pencil (gotta be a wood pencil, plastic does not work :wink and hit with thin CA. Wife cannot spot the repaired areas, so I am safe. If area is sufficiently large, fill with tiny solid pieces of acceptable color and then pack with powder, and then the omnipotent CA.