filling voids

[bjbear76]

I'm turning some buckeye burl and ran into a couple voids/inclusions. Rather than fill with CA, I'm wondering if I can use mica powder to add some color.
How well will it show up and how is the best way to apply it? Fill the void with powder and drip some CA on it? Or mix the powder with epoxy and then fill the void? Suggestions?

 

[bugradx2]

I've had better luck filling voids like that in layers. I've used shavings from the workpiece or powders. It depends on what I'm turning, void size and (honestly) my mood at that moment.

if it's just a single void and I'm turning wood I will try to pack it off with turning dust or chips in several layers with some CA glue liberally coated into the layers. If it's something where the piece has voids and cracks then I'm more inclined to use powder and just fill everything that way (in layers) because then it looks like a design feature instead of fixing a hole. With resin blanks I don't typically encounter holes because of the pressure they're cast under. The only exception to that is I've occasionally turned some things for fun that were not cast under pressure and it's not surprising to find holes or voids then.

Whatever way I choose, I do try to pack the piece off higher than the surrounding area so I can turn back down to level. If I'm not quite perfect packing off the void by the time I turn back down it's usually "right".

 

[woodwzrd]

You can use lots of stuff to fill voids. I like to use antler powder that I have saved from drilling antler blanks. I've also used I've also used wood shavings, charcoal dust, coffee grounds, and brass dusts. As Kent stated, the trick is to build it in layers so you get good saturation of the CA.

I like to sprinkle a little of the filler in the void and then tap the mandrel with the back end of a turning tool to help settle the filler into the void really well before flooding with thin CA. I don't use accelerator on the CA so it has a chance to fully cure rather than just skin over like it can sometimes.