# How to fill small voids before finishing with mineral oil and wax mixture?



## Niuhi (Jul 7, 2020)

Aloha -

I'm a brand new woodworker on my first project - a crib for our new grandson. The crib's slats are hard maple and even though I made MANY extra slats, after planing and initial sanding I still have many with small voids or pits (most about the size of a dull pencil tip, but some with slightly rough edges). For both aesthetic and safety reasons, I would like to fill these voids before finishing.

My daughter-in-law was consulted on the finish (that's her part of the project, in fact), and she's selected a mineral oil and wax mixture as being a more natural and - in her mind - safe option. (Yes, I am aware and informed her that any wood finish is non-toxic after it fully cures, but….) Let's assume that I won't be successful in changing her mind.

I've searched the Internet and several forums for an answer to the question: what product(s) can I use to fill these voids that will either also accept the mineral oil/wax finish, or compliment the finish's sealing of the wood? Additionally, assuming that it will get gnawed on by one or more babies, is non-toxic?

I was wondering if Rockler's CrystaLac® Clear Waterborne Wood Grain Filler might be suitable?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions or advice!


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## LittleShaver (Sep 14, 2016)

What wood are you using? Might help get you a specific recommendation from the smart people here on LJ.


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## Niuhi (Jul 7, 2020)

Hard maple.


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## metolius (May 26, 2016)

I am not sure of the best approach for your situation, but definitely don't execute without first testing solutions on sample pieces so that you know exactly what to expect and how to get there.

Maybe adding a picture of the offending voids could help


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## CWWoodworking (Nov 28, 2017)

Famowood. I'm sure the have a maple.

What color/finish?


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## Niuhi (Jul 7, 2020)

Here are the offending voids. I can only do so much sanding without thinning the wood too much. I say that because eventually these would sand out I'm sure, but I just don't have the thickness of wood to do that.

The maple is natural, and won't be stained or otherwise colored: it will just get the mineral oil/wax finish (eventually).

Thanks for the reminder about test pieces…I need to set some aside to go with the crib when it's ready for my daughter-in-law to finish!


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## CWWoodworking (Nov 28, 2017)

Make a new slat.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> Make a new slat.
> 
> - CWWoodworking


This.

Something like slats I would have cut a few extras when you were first cutting up the raw blanks.


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## farmfromkansas (Jun 16, 2019)

I use my sander to take lumber to finish thickness, as the planer leaves voids. My lumber is local grown, and gnarly grain, so the only way to make it smooth is a sander, not a planer. Helical cutterheads help but do not completely stop the pulling out of gnarly grain. You can use 60 grit to get close, then switch to 120 grit.


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## CaptainKlutz (Apr 23, 2014)

I do not know of any filler that is considered 100% safe for consumption?

The Crystalac has shellac which is ok to eat, but it also has silica. While eating small amounts of silica won't hurt you, breathing in silica dust causes lung cancer and tuberculosis? 
Most of the non-transparent fillers use talc or calcium carbonate as filler. The problem is not the filler, it is the impurities that come with it. Some mined filler deposits have been known to emit excess gamma radiation. No one publishes data for 'edible' fillers?

Another challenge is the mineral oil finish. Saturation of excess oil can de-bond most any filler. In order to test a filler, will have to soak your test sample for long time to ensure permanence?

Personally, I would just skip the filler? Would not use filler anywhere that can be chewed. Just sand smooth any defects and add the finish. If you want filler, then need to change the finish schedule.
IMHO - A crib is not fine furniture. It will get chewed, sprayed with water, defecated upon, disinfected, and generally abused. It is nothing more than half a cage to keep the monkey from getting hurt worse than if they get loose. :-0)

Highly suggest you avoid mineral oil finish on crib. It never dries, and the surface will always be greasy and waxy. Sister insisted on same finish for changing table I made as the 'wive's club' said it was 'safe'. She keep getting oil on her work clothes while changing the kid. It was sanded down and covered with polyurethane before the next birth.

Suggest you have your DIL investigate Tried and True Original Wood Finish. Used it for a couple of rocking cribs and it works well. Easy to repair after being chewed on. Just sand, re-coat, and gift to next lucky family. My bother's kids have been passing one around for 2 decades now, and it still works/looks great.

Best Luck.


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## CWWoodworking (Nov 28, 2017)

> Make a new slat.
> 
> - CWWoodworking
> This.
> ...


Not me. I get my boards from the perfect tree and I obviously don't make mistakes. 

OP, if you consistently get those results, you may want stop a 1/16 thick and finish it up another way. Drum sander, hand sanding, card scraper, etc.


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## PCDub (Sep 24, 2017)

(doesn't anyone read the initial posts? this isn't the first time I've seen questions asked where the information was included in the ORIGINAL POST-such as OP said "hard maple" and "I made MANY extra slats" then was asked "what wood?" and told "make extras"...) ????


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## CWWoodworking (Nov 28, 2017)

> (doesn t anyone read the initial posts? this isn t the first time I ve seen questions asked where the information was included in the ORIGINAL POST-such as OP said "hard maple" and "I made MANY extra slats" then was asked "what wood?" and told "make extras"...) ????
> 
> - PCDub


I'm going to assume that the OP explored the option of the extra slats since he is asking about fixing this one.

If this is the best of the bunch, make a new one.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

I can't offer a idea on a filler but you could possible feather it a bit through sanding. After that build up with multiple coats of whatever finish is used sanding between coats.

That is tear out, what did it, hand plane or thickness planer? If both are sharp the only way I know to minimise is to increase the angle of the blade and close the mouth as much as possible on a handplane. It that falls short a scraper may be the weapon of choice.


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## AlaskaGuy (Jan 29, 2012)

> (doesn t anyone read the initial posts? this isn t the first time I ve seen questions asked where the information was included in the ORIGINAL POST-such as OP said "hard maple" and "I made MANY extra slats" then was asked "what wood?" and told "make extras"...) ????
> 
> - PCDub


No.


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> (doesn t anyone read the initial posts? this isn t the first time I ve seen questions asked where the information was included in the ORIGINAL POST-such as OP said "hard maple" and "I made MANY extra slats" then was asked "what wood?" and told "make extras"...) ????
> 
> - PCDub


Keep in mind that the OP can edit their main post after some comments have come in and often will update it to include some information that's been asked for such as wood type or something else. It doesn't mean that info was part of the post when the question was first asked.


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

Niuhi - As said above, it's not a museum piece and a goodly portion of wood working is learning how to resolve/fix/repair the challenges that wood gives us. That tear out is a royal pain in the a$$ and it's always popping up when you don't expect it. If I were in your shoes, I would try to see how it looks after some hand sanding, no block, device, or tool, just a piece of 120 to 150 and fingertip pressure. Sand with your finger tips to see how the defects can sand out. Some minor variations spread over the area will not be noticeable, unless junior is born with a machinist square… Once sanded out, turn/locate the piece to a position where it'll be noticed the least. There is something in almost every piece I've made that I look back on and say I'd do differently, my wife tells me to shut up because I'm the only person that will ever notice, but that desire to keep getting better is what keeps me making sawdust.


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## Niuhi (Jul 7, 2020)

Aloha!

Thanks so much for the feedback: it is truly appreciated. I'm not only learning not possible solutions, but how to better ask questions next time.


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## DebraLee (May 2, 2020)

Aloha Niuhi,
First and foremost congratulations on the new grandson and congrats on choosing to be a new woodworker! That is a big project you've taken on for a newbies ( 40+ yrs newbie here). 
I have only to echo other posts, use a different slat, and more research on the finish! Looking forward to seeing the finished project!


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## WoodenDreams (Aug 23, 2018)

I would probably modify your plans on the crib. Take the slats you've already made and face glue them for a thicker width and sand smooth, then make more to get the number of slats needed at the wider dimension. And modify the ends like tenons fitting your rail. Or modify the rails to fit the wider slats. Using mineral oil, I assume you also researched how often you'll need to reapply the mineral oil/wax finish over time. As far as the baby gnawing on the slats, Go ahead a make some rattles and get some chew toys for the infant.


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## farmfromkansas (Jun 16, 2019)

Not sure how wide those pieces are, but using a table saw with sharp blade, and resawing would leave a better surface than that planer. Just use your ros to clean them up.


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

That's a challenging repair, but one that can be done using epoxy putty along with Blendal sticks, Blendal powder and/or Prismacolor pencils. It's counter-intuitive, but clear filler on anything that deep is very visible due to the way light reacts with it.

Check out this blog post for more info. Your defects are already random enough that you can go straight to the epoxy filler.


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## CWWoodworking (Nov 28, 2017)

Rich, how does filler/epoxy/blendel sticks age color wise?

It seems that as the wood develops a patina, these products would not?


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> Rich, how does filler/epoxy/blendel sticks age color wise?
> 
> It seems that as the wood develops a patina, these products would not?
> 
> - CWWoodworking


The colors are very stable. That said, I can't think of any fill that will develop a patina along with the wood.

If at some point the fix was noticeable due to the aging of the wood around it, it would be a simple matter to do a color match touch up on those areas. I don't see that being an issue with maple.


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## CWWoodworking (Nov 28, 2017)

Those blendel powders are really cool. I only used them a couple times years back. I always felt they gave me more control vs pens and other products.


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

> Those blendel powders are really cool. I only used them a couple times years back. I always felt they gave me more control vs pens and other products.
> 
> - CWWoodworking


I started with the sticks. Unfortunately, if you accidentally leave them in the Arizona sun (which I did), they become puddles. I went with powder as a replacement and it's far more versatile. You can smudge it in with your finger for toning or paint it on using a super light cut of shellac as a binder using artist brushes and even airbrushing.


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## MarioF (Feb 6, 2009)

Just go ahead with a couple coats of heavy shellac (1:1) as sealer, sand down to #320 and choose another finish other than mineral oil, a good choice is the Tried and True mentioned before, you will be happy with the finished crib.


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