# Inlay Gaps in cutting board....



## jonnybrophy

Hey guys, ive been making my parental units a cutting board from a pretty chunk of ash I have. There was a crack on one face so decided to try my hand at my first bowtie spline(first inlay too). It took a couple of hours, but i have a nice tight fight and the inlay is about an inch deep.

Now heres my problem.

In routing the cavity, I had I messed up. And in chiseling out the rest, i messed up again. I want to know if you guys know a way to fill a crack in ash without discoloring it. I tried dust and thin super glues, but the glue darkened the gaps and made them still noticable. Please help




























P.S. I want to put a nice frame around it. what would look better, oak or larual oak?


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## jonnybrophy

The second picture is just ash dust in, no glue or anything. The last pic is without the dust and super glue removed(mostly). Thanks guys, any help is appreciated!


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## bigJohninvegas

There is no way to make it blend in perfect. I have found it is better to embrace the flaw rather than try to hide it. 
So trying to hide it. I would complete the build. Then being a cutting board I asume you are going to use an oil finish.
Apply the oil and power sand with a finish sander. This will produce a slurry that you can fill cracks with. Works well but can be seen still. Once it drys, the slurry will be permanent. As small as it is, that's all I would do. 
With larger, or longer cracks I like to use colored powder or crushed stone. 
Lots of you tube videos on how to do this.


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## becikeja

I agree with bigJohninvegas, you have to embrace the flaw. I have spent who knows how much on trying to find a way to cover up cracks and/or gaps. The only thing I have found that really works is to clean it out, and fill with epoxy, but you can definitely see it when finished. Cut out the crack and enhance the piece with an artistic handle, or curved design, this will make the piece unique and one-of-a-kind. And Oh yeah the crack will be gone.


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## Lazyman

Being a cutting board you really don't want any gaps for food to collect in, top or bottom. That is a recipe for botulism or salmonella. Not sure you can fix it without removing the butterfly and doing it again. I think that I would also cut a saw kerf through the crack to make it a straight so that you could glue a piece of wood into it so there is no gap there either.

What you may have been able to do initially once you realized you had fit problem is cut some thin strips or use some veneer as a shim by gluing it to the sides of the plug and then sanding to a tight fit.


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## jonnybrophy

ok thanks guys, I want to keep the bowtie(was originally meant to be much smaller, but routers do things unfortunately). Im thinkin im just going to apply the oil and maybe some beeswax(?) and that should keep the dust in right? Or should i go ahead and buy that salad bowl finisher? I have been using only mineral oil on my other cutting boards, but none of them had this problem.


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## jmartel

Don't put a frame around it. It will crack as it won't account for wood movement.


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## XquietflyX

any progress?


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## a1Jim

I've found the best filler for wood is wood ,if you cut a thin sliver of wood add some white glue and pound the sliver in the crank(not too big or it will split the crack)let dry trim and sand.


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