Epoxy and Fillers

We use epoxies on our projects everyday. With the different styles of rustic furniture we build, there will come a time when the perfect piece of wood might have a knot or split that needs to be filled.

At Refined Rustic Furniture we have been experimenting with different epoxies and fillers for a while now. We’ve found that Ecopoxy is a superior product for filling. Whether it’s a specific brand or something more generic epoxies are a great product for the woodworker. Ecopoxy has a number of quick and medium drying liquids that will work very well for woodworking. These epoxies can be sanded and will provide a clear see-through look. If you don’t want the epoxy patch to be clear then simply add dye/stain to the epoxy or even sawdust. Once the colour is decided just mix and apply.

We use 2 hour epoxy or 30 min epoxy depending on the application and time available. When applying these liquids make sure to wear gloves and use a fine tip bottle or wooden stir stick to work into the cracks and crevasses. Ecopoxy starts very water-like and feels quite thin in the beginning. This is good to get deep into the wood pores and adds to the dimensional stability. After a couple minutes the epoxy will begin to set up. It will warm up when it begins to thicken.

Filling knots with clear epoxy will create a window into the wood despite it being flat and smooth. Ecopoxy brings very rich characteristics out of the wood and when used on bark and live edge pieces, the epoxy will have a glossy marble effect. Epoxies are a first choice when using salvaged wood since so much of the slabs can have splits and open knots with holes all the way through. When this happens we tape the bottom of the slab and just start pouring the epoxy in until full. Ecopoxy will fill the void and even strengthen the wood preventing further splitting and degradation. Holes should be somewhat overfilled and allowed to dry with a bit of a bubble over the flat surface of the wood. Once dry the Ecopoxy is sanded flush. When sanding Ecopoxy it’s recommended that you sand lightly in layers. You want to avoid heating the epoxy with the sandpaper since this will only gum up the sandpaper and you’ll be replacing papers over and over again. Sand with a rougher sandpaper around 100-150 grit to start. Once the epoxy is almost perfect then finish with a smoother paper over the whole board.

When filling grooves and splits in a slab make sure to use clamps and other tension to close what you can and then fill with epoxy. Our Ecopoxy will fill, seal, and strengthen the split and prevent further runs in the wood.