Filling cracks?

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EricRN

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May 16, 2019
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Hi all, I've had some blanks develop small cracks as they dry out. (Thought I did it slowly enough but I guess not. Any tips for acclimating blanks covered in wax?)

What do folks use to fill cracks? They are big enough where I'd need something pigmented. Clear CA, which I've used to stabilize small hairline cracks, won't work. I'd like something with a dark brown, not black, tint if anyone knows of something. Any brown died CA glues out there? Maybe starbond? Has anyone used that?
 
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For primary colors I like the master tints at Glu Boost. For wood looking fill I just sand a small pile off a board with 80 grit and push it in and cover with a very thin CA. Coffee grounds work well also if the cracks are big enough.
 
JohnU said:
For primary colors I like the master tints at Glu Boost. For wood looking fill I just sand a small pile off a board with 80 grit and push it in and cover with a very thin CA. Coffee grounds work well also if the cracks are big enough.
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Regular or decaf?
 
I haven't used the Starbond brown, but I have used the Starbond black, and it has worked well for me. I would expect similar results from the brown.

Your imagination is the only limit here though. I would suggest either CA or epoxy as the adhesive portion of the filler, but as for the rest, you could do a straight colored/tinted epoxy, any number of crushed/powdered natural materials or metals, fine sawdust from an offcut of your blank, or even fine sawdust from a contrasting or complimentary wood.
 
EricRN said:
Hi all, I've had some blanks develop small cracks as they dry out. (Thought I did it slowly enough but I guess not. Any tips for acclimating blanks covered in wax?)

What do folks use to fill cracks? They are big enough where I'd need something pigmented. Clear CA, which I've used to stabilize small hairline cracks, won't work. I'd like something with a dark brown, not black, tint if anyone knows of something. Any brown died CA glues out there? Maybe starbond? Has anyone used that?
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Yes, I have both brown and black Starbond and it works great for this application.

If I have a crack or chip out when turning, I'll use Starbond and dust from whatever I'm turning to fill.

Some guys will use crushed semiprecious stone for this application as @goldendj describes. There are tons of examples of this on YouTube if curious. I really like that application because it makes the pen pop, but the cost/profit ratio is tough.
 
So far the only significant cracks I have had to fill were in Black and White Ebony. Black CA glue worked great for me - it virtually disappears by blending into the colors of the wood. For bug/worm holes such as those in Ambrosia Maple I usually use Timber Mate wood fillers using either a complementary color (usually ebony) or one that closely matches the color of the wood. - Dave
 
goldendj said:
I usually use crushed turquoise to fill cracks & voids. I suppose I should be more flexible but I just like the look
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Lapis also works for a dark blue and red jasper, green malachite, and onyx. It has to be an opaque stone. Anything transparent the color just disappears when crushed. I use a 6" capped 2" threaded pipe for a mortar, and a 8" capped 1" threaded pipe for a pestle to crush stone. One of my blind turners made it for me.
 
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sbwertz said:
Lapis also works for a dark blue and red jasper, green malachite, and onyx. It has to be an opaque stone. Anything transparent the color just disappears when crushed. I use a 6" capped 2" threaded pipe for a mortar, and a 8" capped 1" threaded pipe for a pestle to crush stone. One of my blind turners made it for me.
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Check the internet for stone beads. It is the cheapest way to get stone for inlay.
 
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