# Filling Knott Holes?



## parksplace5454 (Aug 21, 2012)

Hi... looking for some advice. I am milling a load of rough sawn knotty Ponderosa pine to use for a knotty pine ceiling. Some of the knots have come out and some are loose. I will be applying a natural finish (no stain). Can someone recommend a product to fill the empty knott holes and to stabilize the loose ones. Very much appriciated.... Thanks:cowboy:


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

Two part epoxy should work for you.

Available in several working times 5 min, 30 min, etc.

One of the best brands is West System Three. Not cheap. This also requires the pump in order to get the correct mix ratio. Very sensitive to mix ratio.

http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=20016&cat=1,110,42965,20016

This is less expensive and more forgiving for mix ratio.
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=20011&cat=1,110,42965&ap=1

Make sure you do not mix more than you can use since once the hardener is applied, it is use it or lose it.

Also recommend you buy a quart of acetone, if you do not already have some. It is so easy to get a drop of this where you do not want, and most epoxies will be cleaned up with acetone.

Another good idea is to get some of the disposable plastic gloves. Acetone will clean the epoxy off your hands, but some people are sensitive to this chemical.

Use masking tape to avoid the epoxy going into areas you do not want this to seal.

If you can find the knots, it will save a lot of epoxy. Also consider mixing the epoxy with sawdust from the boards. You will need to experiment on how much sawdust can be added to the epoxy mix and still get hard enough for your needs.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The way I fill a knott hole is to first coat the hole with shellac as a barrier coat. Then I mix bondo with a universal color tint to the color of the knott, slightly less red and when I add hardener to it the color matches. You can fill a large knott in one application that way and it sands easy and finishes good. On the knots that are loose I work the knott in and out coating the edges with shellac and the shellac works as an adhesive to hold the knott in place.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

If you are filling a knot hole, you could cut one and fit good wood in the void. If you use a filler of some sort, test the color of the method you use to see how it looks to the surrounding area. Apply a final finish coat to a sample for a test.









 







.


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## parksplace5454 (Aug 21, 2012)

*Thanks!*

Thanks to everyone for the help; some good sounding ideas.


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## Fastback (Sep 2, 2012)

Depending on what the wood will be used for you could always use a ducthman. This may not be the best thing on a ceiling. Just wondering how does Bondo work through the 4 seasons. I mean since wood is dynamic and is in motion most of the time, will the bondo tend to loosen?


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## notmrjohn (Aug 18, 2012)

Some knots can be glued in with wood workers glue, especially the more conical shaped ones. There are other brands of filler that are white, easier to tint. Can't remember a brand I've used..Everclear can't be right, Auto paint supply house will have some. 
Fastback I've been using bondo for years, every thing from house framing to furniture making. Seems to hold up just fine.
park you can just leave the knotts out, if any one says anything just say, " What holes? Oh those? Those are not holes. "


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## parksplace5454 (Aug 21, 2012)

Dave,
I ordered some of the Lee Valley G-2 epoxy; what is the best way to color match it to the wood?


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

parksplace5454 said:


> Dave,
> I ordered some of the Lee Valley G-2 epoxy; what is the best way to color match it to the wood?


I would start with mixing in some sawdust from the boards, or at least another board of the same species.

You will need to experiment on scrap pieces. The shade may change as the epoxy hardens.

Getting darker is always easier than getting lighter.


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## notmrjohn (Aug 18, 2012)

park, there are tints specifically made for epoxy, its mixed, really well, with resin B4 adding hardener. Some other tints and stains maybe compatible with your epoxy, some will keep it from hardening properly. A little goes a long way, experiment first see what dried stuff looks like. Source for tint is auto paint supplier( lots of colors), paint store, or some auto parts houses. I don't think you'll get much color from sawdust, but it will add "wood" texture.


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## Joe Lyddon (Mar 13, 2007)

The *Epoxy* is really a good way to do it...
... you can leave it clear... OR you can color it with various things like Trans-tint, lampblack, etc.

*Here is a source where you can use it regular Epoxy as well as a Final Top-coat Finish.*


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## notmrjohn (Aug 18, 2012)

Kleer Koat, that's what i was trying to remember. Good stuff and easy to tint. My mind is a curious thing, it musta made a conection, that seemed perfectly logicgal to it, between Kleer Koat Bar Top and Everclear Grain alchohol behind the bar.But how it thought Kleer Koat was an auto body epoxy like Bondo I dunno. Stupid brain, get back in your skull and leave me alone.


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## parksplace5454 (Aug 21, 2012)

Thanks again everyone; I will experiment with these ideas on some scrap first. The Ponderosa pine I milled myself has much larger knotts in it than the standard T&G you would typically buy. It is really nice looking but does present a problem with stabalizing knotts and filling holes.


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## Joe Lyddon (Mar 13, 2007)

Here is a Blog entry that shows how I used a Clear Epoxy colored with Black Trans-Tint to fill a lot of Carved Letters... Not Knots... but I think it would work very nicely...

*Letters carved with a Carvewright filled with the epoxy and sanded down.*

My biggest concern was NOT getting colored epoxy on the outer surface BUT in the letters... Carefully applying shellac to those surfaces did the trick!

Might help... Hope so.


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## parksplace5454 (Aug 21, 2012)

Joe,
This process looks pretty good. I have a 23 foot shuffleboard table that I need to refinish (after I finish my house). I was thinking of something like this for the scoring lines and numbers. Will the epoxy sand down easily so as not to produce a wavy surface?


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## Joe Lyddon (Mar 13, 2007)

parksplace5454 said:


> Joe,
> This process looks pretty good. I have a 23 foot shuffleboard table that I need to refinish (after I finish my house). I was thinking of something like this for the scoring lines and numbers. Will the epoxy sand down easily so as not to produce a wavy surface?



Would you be routing out the lines (like 1/8" deep) then, doing basically what I did? I basically sanded down to the wood. :thumbsup:

If so, I think it would work great... I had no problem sanding it off... I did start off with about 80 grit to get the heavy excess off... Then, used finer grits to a nice shine! You would definitely want to protect the Main Board "next to" the Lines with blonde shellac... I think I would do the Lines first followed by the rest of the top.

If you're planning on pouring the epoxy onto the top, you want to be SURE that it is LEVEL in all directions... after you pour it on and pop any little bubbles with a hair dryer, it should NOT require sanding... it will be smooth as glass. It seeks it's own level. :laughing:

Might not hurt to test it out on a small Coffee Table you can build for the Test. :laughing:


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