# Finishing Heart Pine Table



## Ir0nRaven (Nov 29, 2016)

I'm working on the table that I talked about previously in the joinery forum.

I'm going for a finish described here for a live edge top. I know mine isn't live, but I like (a) the satin finish and (b) the filling of the holes / crevices.

Here's a mock up of the top, nothing glued, just clamped.










Glue up in progress. This is the bottom of the boards, which is why it looks like they don't align and there's a big chunk at the close end. Tops are joined nicely. Wife was thrilled I was gluing inside… it got really cold here in northern Florida!










Here's what I want to ask a question about. There obviously are many nail holes in this wood, and a few small cracks. I wanted some opinions on how to fill those. Black resin? Clear resin? What specific brands? Any weird strategies for application? Below are some close ups of what I'm talking about.









-









Thanks for any input!


----------



## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

If you don't like the all the imperfections then you should have started with boards that have none.
Or thicker then planed them down.
Filling them will not make them go away.
They have a nice color and look great for a rustic table.

Aj


----------



## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

Epoxy with a splash or two of black dye. You can use food coloring. Or red dye looks good too. I used epoxy and padauk sanding dust on a rustic toolbox made from 60 year old recycled yellow pine and it came out a dark ruby red. Looked good.


----------



## Ir0nRaven (Nov 29, 2016)

> If you don t like the all the imperfections then you should have started with boards that have none.
> Or thicker then planed them down.
> Filling them will not make them go away.
> They have a nice color and look great for a rustic table.
> ...


Err, sorry if I was unclear. I do love the rustic look. I love the nail holes, etc. But the table needs to be practical - can't have a bunch of places for food to stick in when we've got 3 kids under 5 eating at it three times a day. So i'm looking for a way to express the rustic look but seal or otherwise block the crevices / holes.



> Epoxy with a splash or two of black dye. You can use food coloring. Or red dye looks good too. I used epoxy and padauk sanding dust on a rustic toolbox made from 60 year old recycled yellow pine and it came out a dark ruby red. Looked good.
> 
> - Rick M


Thanks. I guess I need to just experiment with some different finishes on scrap. Any specific brand of epoxy?


----------



## BenjaminNY (Jul 24, 2014)

I would leave them be. It's not a walnut slab where black tinted epoxy will sort of fit in. Shiny black epoxy is going to stick out on pine.

Small tiny holes you can fill or plug, especially if you have off cuts with identical grain.

I would do a test with the epoxy on an off cut to see if you like the contrast.


----------



## Unknowncraftsman (Jun 23, 2013)

Kids always ruining things.Definaly fill the hole with epoxy you don't want to get any deadly gold fish crackers stuck in holes and cracks.

Aj


----------



## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

I think that I might just use a clear epoxy myself rather than dying it. That will sort of maintain the rustic look of the defects while plugging them up. Some epoxys set with an amber color but there are some clear ones so read the label. I recommend buying a 30 minute epoxy because it will allow time for bubbles to come out as it settles into the cracks. It also allows you to mix up larger quantities to fill multiple holes at once. I've used Devcon 2-Ton epoxy and like the results.

You will need to put some masking tape on the bottom anywhere there is a void that goes all the way through. Pour the epoxy as slowly as you can so that air bubbles don't get trapped on any irregular sides. One thing to consider is that for really large, odd shaped voids like knots and narrow cracks where you may not be able to see into all of the recesses of the void, bubbles may create out of these recesses. For these it might be a good idea to only fill the void half way and let it settle for a couple of minutes to see if any bubbles start to form (let them escape) and then add some more, let it settle for another couple of minutes and then top it off. This is to prevent the bubble from getting trapped lower in the void. If you see some small bubbles at the surface that don't seem to be breaking the surface, you can use a small torch to apply some indirect heat to pop the bubbles. Just don't apply the flame directly to the epoxy because it will scorch. When sanding, you may have to use a very fine sandpaper (400+) to almost polish it so that it is transparent when you are done. I recommend trying this on a piece of scrap first to practice and make sure you can get a look that you want.


----------



## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

> Any specific brand of epoxy?
> - Ir0nRaven


Nope. Whatever I had. The fancy kind like West Systems or whatever are more clear but it didn't matter for my purpose.

Sorry, these pics were taken with an old camera in poor light but they are the best I have.





















> Shiny black epoxy is going to stick out on pine.
> - BenjaminNY


That's the point. Although it won't be any shinier than the final finish.

I learned from filling holes on turnings that trying to match is futile with large defects. Better to go with something that contrasts and looks intentional. Black fits into any wood. Other colors can look good depending.


----------



## BenjaminNY (Jul 24, 2014)

If you are going to fill the holes I would recommend not leaving the epoxy clear. Tint it black, it should look better.

Again, do a side by side test. Drill two holes in an off cut, fill one with black tinted epoxy and one eith clear and see which you like best. Good luck, the table is will be gorgeous either way.


----------



## LittleShaver (Sep 14, 2016)

I filled holes using a casting resin I found at Hobby Lobby. Placed some colorful stones in the void and then filled with the clear casting resin. Sanded well and polished out easily to clear.

The previous advise about plugging and holes on the bottom and using heat to get the bubbles out is spot on. A heat gun is a little easier to control than a torch.

Table has been in use for 7 years and still looks good.


----------

