Newbie stuck with a red gum slab

[MacS]

Here are the basic steps to working the epoxy putty sticks.

1- Cut off a piece of the epoxy stick. (note the resin and the cataylst)
2- Knead the 2 part putty until there is only color, push the putty down into the defect.
3- Flatten the putty.
4- Scrape off the excess putty.
5- Sand the putty level to the surface.
6- Your ready for finishing.

I hope this helps.

These sticks are a great repair tool to have around the home or the shop. They will cure under water, and can be used on interior or exterior work.

Wow, it worked..

MacS

[astrid]

I think that the poly you put on will be well cured by now. sand it back on the top and see how it looks.
I would asume that the crack on the bark goes all the way along and you want to fill it with somthing clear but colour tinted not asolid colour putty.

epoxy stix are easily available here, my local mitre 10 stocks them, but for the amount of filling you have to do their not cost effective.

If you want to just fill the top holes with a flat filler, good old builders bog
(the white one not pink!) can be coloued up with powder colour that you get in small quantities from your art shop. ask the sales person ,who in the small art supplers is usually very knowlegable about which powders to buy to get the desired colour.

mix up a small amount of bog and stir in the colour. PRACTICE FIRST!!
as it goes hard very fast.

If you want a clear but colored filler use same technique with good old two pack araldite, as this is a glue it will stick to what youve already put in there, it will sink in the middle so make sure you over fill the cracks.
if it sinks again you simply fill over and this time it will stay level as the first fill has created a barrier.
on the edges use gaffa tape to make a dam wall, use your blue tack to seal the bottom edge or the filler will run out of the bits the tape cant seal.
Practise first.
when either filler is dry it can be sanded smooth.

if youve never done a lot of filling. get an old bit of timber with lots of holes and cracks and practice.
this is more a matter of learnig how the filler flows and how fast it drys rather than any skill needed to fill a hole!

have fun
Astrid

[MacS]

Is using Epoxy Putty Sticks cost effective, would they be worth using on this project.

Yes, I think so, because their cost would be a kot less then paying some one else to do the work and then charging you for their time, labor, and materials to do this job for you.

I don't know anything about builders bog, so I can not make a comparison other then this, the epoxy putty sticks already comes in different colors, kneading is needed, but you will always get the same color.

Curing is guaranteed, there is definitely no shrinkage, to retard the drying of the putty stick, use a little alcohol on a spatula this will help you shape putty on the edges.

You do not need any kind of tape or any dams, one fill is all you need as there is no shrinkage, becuse these putty sticks contain no solvents.

Another feature about using the putty sticks is you do not need to move the timbers position, as you can repair it in the same place it is in now.

No practice is needed if you just follow the simple directions on the epoxy putty sticks label.

[astrid]

its used by really good haut antique restorers to replace missing bits in parquetry, so its not a cowboy solution, you can colour it sand it drill it and put a finish over the top

astrid

[rsser]

... and steer clear of BluTak to stop liquid fillers. DAMHIKT!

[astrid]

sorry, just guess ing at the blue tac bit
but if your using tape to seal off bark its not going to seal the bottom of the damm wall
I hope you get what i'm talking about.
so how do you do this

astrid

[MacS]

Neither, are epoxy putty sticks used in cowboy situations.

As an example:
The conservators at the Smithsonin use these same sticks on all kinds of furniture restorations, they are also being used by the exterior conservator restorers to save exterior steps, doors, windows, and wood trim from further decay and aging.

Normally, all repairs must be reversible, epoxies are not reversible, but its better to save the treasures then let them decay away, so they finally were accepted to be used where and when no other material will work.

[rsser]

Let's not argue over it, MacS. There's always more than one way to skin a cat.

[astrid]

as bark is uneaven, how do you seal the bottom edge of the wall?
any ideas
astrid

[davep]

Exactly, sealing the bottom edge on the uneven bark is our biggest challenge, although getting the poly off is surely another.

Okay if blue tac is no good damming sections, what about plasticine, some say that is the way to go?

Can araldite be sanded down okay?

Do epoxy putty sticks offer a clear product, I'm thinking not?

Sorry for the questions but all the advise is very much appreciated, thanks Dave.

[astrid]

i was guessing that you wanted the gaps filled with somthing resemling the natural gum in red gum.
so use a clear filler like araldit or clear epoxy and tint it
i understand the prob with sealing the bottom of the wall
can anyone help?
maybe you could dribble wax in and use a hairdryer to melt it off?

astrid

[MacS]

Ern,

Yea, that's why I add my options and opinions to the forum.

Dave,

No, they do not come in a clear stick, when a clear is needed we normally use the clear epoxy filler, which is like the clear epoxy glue. They come in 5 minute and 12 hour units.

[astrid]

you can sand araldite, plasticene might be hard to remove.remember kids and carpets. try melting wax on the outside edge of the tape at the bottom of your wall you can melt this off when finished. do a practice run
astrid

[davep]

Thanks all, yes a test or two is the go. Have to test if the epoxy will adhere to the polyurethane that we should never have put on. I'd much prefer to get it all off. Our paint shop, who suggested the poly, is now suggesting we use a citrus foam stripper, so potent that you need to use special gloves with it. A$17 for the stripper, A$50 for the gloves.

[MacS]

I just looked up "builders bog," it is a 2 component polyester filler, similar to the "Bondo Body Filler," which I am very familar with, because it is a sister company to the company I worked for 30 years.

Epoxies and Polyesters both have pros and cons, in this case I woiuld used the epoxy over the polyester, because polyester can not handle stress, it will began to crack or fall out of the repair.

Polyesters comes in different color cataylst, builders bog comes with a white catalyist, they also make a red and blue catalyst, most auto body shops used the red cataylst. Polyester can also be colored with the dry colored fresno powders.

In some cases either the epoxy glue or the CA glue is used to attach any loose bark, this is the first step in the repair process.