# Wood Filler for different colored woods



## Wingstress (Oct 10, 2008)

I've almost completed a lazy susan that has a marquetry/mosaic kind of look with lots of shapes from Paduak, Lacewood, and Cherry. Its my first time trying something like this so I'm sure some of my cuts were a little off. I'd like to fill the small cracks between the pieces as well as the pores in the Paduak, but I'm worried about screwing up the nice color contrasts. Is there a clear wood filler out there that is good to use? I'll probably finish it with danish oil, or shellac. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Tom


----------



## kolwdwrkr (Jul 27, 2008)

Mix fine sawdust (from the same wood that has the gap) with cyanacrolite glue. You may want to purchase a slower setting glue. They have different set times available. Use this as wood filler. So, mix paduak dust with the glue, press into gap and let dry. The glue will darken the paduak dust the same as the finish will, thus making it match. There is no guarentee that you can make the gap match perfectly, but it should be close. Good luck.


----------



## Wingstress (Oct 10, 2008)

Thanks that's exactly what the guy at the Woodcraft store said so I purchased some cyanacrolite glue. When you say mix the dust and glue, do you put the dust in the gap and then spread glue over it, or do you mix on the side in a plastic bowl or something and then spread it into the gap?

Thanks for the help!
Tom


----------



## Karson (May 9, 2006)

I'd suggest using Pumice. It basically is ground glass. I mix it with danish oil and then usually sand the entire surface with the pumice slurry and the oil. I then use a putty knife and press the entire surface with the slurry. Let it harden and scrape it off with a sliding motion and a putty knife. it fills in the pores and doesn't color the wood.

I also use rottenstone if a want a dark pore filler. Rottonstone is great for use on Walnut and gives a unique pore filler on lighter woods like Oak.

You might be able to use it with Superglue if it doesn't set up too fast.

I usually use Danish Oil or my own blend and add a little Japan Dryer to make it set up faster instead of waiting days for it to dry.

There could be a slight problem with my power sanding approach and your colored woods because the filler would be a mix of colors and would screw up your design. But the filler media is still valid. The Pumice is transparent. Try it on some scraps first.


----------



## Tangle (Jul 21, 2007)

Seems like I remember marquetry folks using stick shellac to fill around the pieces. Seems like Woodcraft has it.


----------



## kolwdwrkr (Jul 27, 2008)

pumice and rottenstone are used to sand a finish to a high gloss. It has no adhesion and is basically dust, much like the same effect that honing compound has on your chisels. Not quite sure I agree that it would be good in this instance. 
Tom you can mix the dust with the glue or put glue in the gap and press the dust in afterwords. If you do this you may need to do it a few times to bring the gap flush to the surface. 
You can use fill sticks of different varieties, however you need to finish the project first. 
You can also use grain fillers (paste), however, most grain fillers come in a standard color or are neutral allowing you to color it with tints. This works on table tops and such to bring everything level so it accepts a mirror finish. The entire piece would have the same color filler. So for example, if you use mahogany color over your project and you have maple inlays or whatever the gaps between the maple would become darkened. 
I'm sure that someone else has better answers that are better or more "correct". You may e-mail Dennis Zongker or someone of that status. Good luck.


----------



## Al_Killian (Feb 15, 2008)

I use clear shellac and mix the saw dust(from sander) into the schellac till it is like paste. Within a few minutes it is dry enough to sand. I have snadwich bags in the cabinet with several types of saw dust for this purpus.


----------



## PetVet (Nov 7, 2008)

I second Al Killian's suggestion of using shellac and sawdust. Padauck has a natural "red" dye in it that will bleed into and discolor the adjacent woods if they aren't sealed. I think I would use a 1 lb cut of shellac over the entire piece, and then make the paste of shellac/sawdust to fill in gaps. You will then be able to sand the whole thing with less chance of discoloration to the other woods.


----------



## Karson (May 9, 2006)

Here are a couple of pictures of rottenstone and pumice as wood fillers on Red Oak The Danish oil is the glue to hold the pumice and rottenstone in the pores until you can get the finish on the top,. It needs to dry. If you rub the surface with a rag and the slurry is does sand the surface and in your case probably move the different colored woods around which would be something that you don't want. So I'd just make the slurry off the wood and then press it into the pores and gaps. But try it first on a sample wood.

I use a putty knige to scrape the slurry off after it dries. I use a slicing motion to kind of cut it off the surface.

Oak with Rottenstone and danish oil









Oak with Pumice and danish oil









Oak with just danish oil (No filler)









Using a putty knife to fill the pores









The pores were filled to the top.


----------



## hackman24 (Jun 1, 2009)

thanks guys good info i just finished a mosaic piece and may try this as i have not put a finish on it yet


----------



## CharlesNeil (Oct 21, 2007)

good job guys….one tip, dont use the accellerator, it will whiten /cloud the glue…another thing i do is to use a good oil like Karson, and mix the sanding dust in it…making the slurry or gravy as the old timers called it…i usually use either waterlox or armr seal oil as it dryes fast and hard…..i have also found that adding a little CA glue into the defect, then putting the dust over the top gives me a better match, even a white ( elmers) glue will do well doing this, i do not mix the two..but rather just let the dust sit on top and allow the finish to harden the top….the match is much better..as CA has a tendency to darken the wood …I also like to sand surfaces that will be done natural with my RO sander and some waterproof sandpaper..(.kinda messy, )using oil to make the dust…use a very fiine ( 400 or 600) grit paper then squeege it in , the pores and any defects, let it dry well , then resand to a smooth level surface and finish, if you have a nick or gouge , try using a sharp carving chisel to dig it out so the bottom is smooth , then fill with the gel CA…do several light applications and let it dry ..no accelerator…until it is full , then level and when the clear finish is applied it will reclairfy the glue and you will pich up the wood color from the bottom , it is pretty hard to detect…I have also done the same using a color..just did the color first and let it dry , leveled it, then colored the project , the CA will not take much color , but the color will be under it, and it does pretty well, a better one, but pretty expensive is the pouron finishes to get a clear filler…its the clearest….use just like the CA, it also takes longer to dry…at least 24 hours….having done alot of big slabs where we have alot of checks and defects, the pouron used as a sealer /defect repair is hard to beat…it will seep into the checks and not only fill them but glue them sound….More than you ask i know


----------



## jockmike2 (Oct 10, 2006)

I've had good luck with a product called Timbermate(Trademark). It was manufactured as a pore filler for floors, but the carpenters found it to be a good wood filler too. It stains well, it can't spoil, if it gets hard just add water and you're back in business. It smells like cow dung, but I've used it for some time now with good results. It comes in many colors and you can mix and match colors to get what you need. You can find it at Woodcraft or Rockler I think.


----------



## Carpinterokyle (Feb 5, 2009)

Home Depot used to carry a red oak paste wood filler for floors. It is a water based filler which I thinned with water. You have to work fast to scrape the excess up before it dries. It can also be colored with universal colorants.


----------



## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

" Its my first time trying something like this so I'm sure some of my cuts were a little off. I'd like to fill the small cracks between the pieces as well as the pores in the Paduak, but I'm worried about screwing up the nice color contrasts."

It's also possible that most of your cuts aren't off, and you're correct about not wanting to mess
up the color contrasts.
I say leave it alone and seal it the way it is. Fill the cracks with epoxy, CA glue, or something if 
you must and then seal it up.
Looking forward to the lazy susan in the projects section as well. Good job.


----------



## mbs (May 8, 2010)

A friend of mine uses oil based tint to color epoxy and match just about anything. Correct me if I'm wrong but Padauk oxidizes quite a bit depending on the finish and exposure to uv rays. You may be chasing a moving target.

I'm usually disappointed in any fillers I've used in the past and regret using anything. Just my $.02


----------

