Best external wood filler

[kevviek]

Looking for some advice, I searched but couldn’t find anything.

I built an outdoor table from spotted gum decking boards, but a few had imperfections that needed to be filled. I tried a powdered filler but that fell out, I then tried a 2 part resin but that only lasted about 12 months before it’s started peeling at the edges. I’ve had it under a cover for most of the year, but fully exposed for 2-3 months now.

What do people recommend?
88345C4A-D598-415C-A462-0421E6A936C2.jpeg330F6883-D197-4EC8-A7AF-4640F96C9CB2.jpeg

[jack620]

What do people recommend?

I recommend leaving the voids as is. There is so much movement in exposed timber that nothing will hold.

[kevviek]

I recommend leaving the voids as is. There is so much movement in exposed timber that nothing will hold.

Do you have any suggestions of how to remove the sharp edges - this is a dining table. Should I just cut it out?

[jack620]

Can you flip the offending board over? Or is it worse on the other side?

[r3nov8or]

Perhaps try a complete coating of epoxy? Flood the voids and coat the whole board too. Without an edge at which to be penetrated and peel, it may be more effective... Annual maintenance coats would provide some assurance

[kevviek]

Can you flip the offending board over? Or is it worse on the other side?

Stainless steel screws and the threads are stripped.

[jack620]

The threads or the heads? If it's the threads you should be able to pry the board off. If it's the heads, drill them out (use a cobalt drill bit and lube). Then replace the board. It might seem like a lot of work, but it will be easier than trying to find a long-term fix for the imperfections in the board.

[kevviek]

The threads or the heads? If it's the threads you should be able to pry the board off. If it's the heads, drill them out (use a cobalt drill bit and lube). Then replace the board. It might seem like a lot of work, but it will be easier than trying to find a long-term fix for the imperfections in the board.

It was actually a broken screw, the head was turning but not coming out, and I found it had sheared about halfway down. I removed all the other screws and levered/worked it loose. The other side is not too bad, not sure why I didn’t do it that way to start with.

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[mic-d]

The other side is not too bad, not sure why I didn’t do it that way to start with.

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The board was actually installed the right way round to begin with, with the heartwood up but it’s just spotted gum doing its thing, it can be very splintery and rot prone on the sapwood. If you replace boards do orient them with a smiley face on the end grain. Never mind about the one you’re turning over, that’s a good reuse of the board

[BobL]

I agree with the turning over of the boards but here's something interesting I found out recently. I hired a very fussy painter to paint the outside of our 100+ year old house. The painter is vey expensive but is a stickler for cleaning and prep which is one reason why I hired him and as there are lots of cracked gable boards there's lots of filling needed. Interesting to see that after a thorough clean he's using liquid nails as a filler as he reckons it lasts longer than anything else. Filling large vertical gaps requires patience as repeated application is needed and so far he's used 12 tubes of liquid nails. Of course it looks pretty ordinary unless you paint over the top afterwards.

[mic-d]

I agree with the turning over of the boards but here's something interesting I found out recently. I hired a very fussy painter to paint the outside of our 100+ year old house. The painter is vey expensive but is a stickler for cleaning and prep which is one reason why I hired him and as there are lots of cracked gable boards there's lots of filling needed. Interesting to see that after a thorough clean he's using liquid nails as a filler as he reckons it lasts longer than anything else. Filling large vertical gaps requires patience as repeated application is needed and so far he's used 12 tubes of liquid nails. Of course it looks pretty ordinary unless you paint over the top afterwards.

Which one Bob there are several types?

[BobL]

Which one Bob there are several types?

Good question.
The painters have taken a month off over Xmas/New Year but when he comes back I'll check.
Here was the state of play when he stopped mid Dc. He's finished the front gables, exposed rafters in the car port, and the front and back verandas, but not the windows or side and rear gables
gables.jpg

These under the front veranda rafters were near black from dirt and also split in many places and they came up a treat.
Rafters.jpg