Challenge for the creative.

[Rowan]

I have a challenge for the more creativly minded. I am currently playing with filling cracks with solder to add something different to the finish of a carved bowl. Problem is that the solder tends to ball and will not fill the fine cracks. It is solder with resin in it if this makes any difference. Has anyone worked with solder in wood and /or are there any "helpful" suggestions

[ubeaut]

I have seen pewter used with real good effects. I also believe it is easier to use but I think the fine cracks are going to be hard to fill with any metal.

You might try using foils. Like gold, silver, copper or brass leaf, etc. By foils I mean leaf. You apply glue to the cracks and when it is all but dry you press the leaf into the glue with a soft bristle brush. When set this can be sanded giving a metalic fill look to the work. It is also completely non toxic, which would have to be a plus.

Just a thought.

Cheers - Neil.

[JackoH]

Brass or copper filings mixed into casting resin and poured into the cracks may also be an option. Does anyone have any experience of this?

[Sandy Johnston]

I have used normal "fishing sinker" lead to be embeded within wood. The problem is that the molten lead will burn and discolour the surrounding areas. Also if there is any droplets of moisture the lead WILL spit back at you !!!

I had to undercut the area I wanted to fill (make a key) for the lead to sit in when hardend (lead shrinks when cooled), and allow the wood to be bigger than the finished size to sand off the imperfections - the burned makings.

All went well and the finished product was suitable for its intedned purpose. - Big fishing lure.

Be safe - molden lead is not good on flesh. Moisture and any molten metal is a bad combo.

Goodluck
Sandy across the ditch

[DarrylF]

Maybe try some ribbon solder - available at Dick Smiths etc. I'd try pushing it into the crack - cut to length then trim, bend & shape to suit. If needed, melt it slightly at the surface. Then sand flush.

[JackoH]

I have a friend (Ihave got one Doorstop!) who uses Bog which he colours with vege. dye. Neils would probably do it. Gets a good result, Different, anyway.
(Bog- The stuff that panel beaters use instead of panel beating to fill dents and dings in your jalopy.)

[Rowan]

Thanks for all the opinions. All ideas have been taken on board and will be used over time.

[BobGilmour]

Uhhm ... just found this thread ... so a few months late is better late than never.

Reminded me of a project I tackled a couple years ago ... similar aims ... but in reality was to recover a bowl piece that had bad cracks through the blank that went further than I had originally thought when I first went in.

I used aluminium. Get some ally flat bar and put a 36 grit or finer sanding disk on your grinder. If the cracks are really fine, then you'll have to go really fine on the disk. Don't use any wax on the disk.

Get some West System epoxy resin and #207 special clear coating hardener. Mix up enough epoxy to do the fills and then mix in enough aluminium 'flour' into the brew until the consistency looks about right to produc a solid'ish metal look. Separate a bit of the brew off and then down by about half or so with metho - preferably the 100% stuff ... although 95% will work (the 5%water will just bond with the epoxy hardener but it doesn't cause any drama with non-critical work).

Prime all the cracks with the thinned brew. Just enough to thouroughly wet them out. Then, let the epoxy mix stand until it starts to kick - ie get a bit stiffer. Once stiff enough to not run too much, trowell it into the cracks with a knife or whatever. If it runs out, just wait a bit longer. You can speed this up a bit by heating both the epoxy mix and the work piece. Just put it in the sun for a while ... but keep an eye on it. If you use West, it stiffens in a pretty linear fashion. Some other brands of epoxy seem to miss 2nd and 3rd gears.

You'll have to overfill all the cracks pretty well. But a word of caution. This is hell-bog! Once the epoxy reaches full cure, it takes plenty sanding elbow-scrubben-harden. Best to knock the overburden off with coarse paper on a machine as soon as it's sandable. Make sure it's hard though, otherwise you'll tear the epoxy, rather than abrade it.

Also, you'd want to do this caper at the 40 or 80 grit sanding stage of the main piece. Pinholing in the epoxy will be a problem, so be prepared to do some touch-ups with cyano as you complete the finishing.

Once the whole thing's polished, the aluminium shines and won't tarnish off cause it's encapsulated. If you do a coarse grind - 16# - the effect is pretty neat too. I imagine brass would work OK too. Would look a lot like gold I guess.

Oh ... now there's a plot. Use gold!!! Just grind down the missus's wedding ring .... ouch!! where'd that right cross come from??

Cheers,

Bob.