# Need Help with: Filling Splits and knots in live edge slabs



## Ellias (Jun 14, 2013)

I bought a 6ft. x 17" x 2" thick slab of live edge pecan, and need some advice on filling a couple of splits and knot holes. My plan is to sand it, oil it, and then use briwax coat or two to provide a natural wood look with a bit of dull luster to it or a low semi-gloss sheen. So, if I use an epoxy to fill splits, won't that add a high gloss to the split area and not blend in with the finish I am looking for? Which epoxy should I use?


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

A lot of people will put a bowtie patch to hold the split from getting any bigger. You could mask off the crack so the epoxy only goes into the crevase and then sand it flat. That shouldn't interfere with the oil and bri-wax finish. The knot holes I would mix some tinting color to bondo to match the finished color and fill them with that. The color would need to be a little less red to allow for the red in the hardener when you mix that in. The residue around the knot should sand off on that.


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## Oneal-Woodworking (Apr 14, 2013)

Steve Neul said:


> A lot of people will put a bowtie patch to hold the split from getting any bigger. You could mask off the crack so the epoxy only goes into the crevase and then sand it flat. That shouldn't interfere with the oil and bri-wax finish. The knot holes I would mix some tinting color to bondo to match the finished color and fill them with that. The color would need to be a little less red to allow for the red in the hardener when you mix that in. The residue around the knot should sand off on that.


 
I have had great luck adding colorant to the epoxy as well but...

I made sure to experiment first and learned that adding too much of the colorant screws up the epoxy to the point that it takes forever to dry. Less = better for the projects I was working on and products used.


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## Brian T. (Dec 19, 2012)

Any "repair" is going to look like a repair, clever or not. Shabby. Trying to hide it lokks like you tried to hide it. Why not turn the repair into an accent?
Lay in a bed of methacrylate. Lay in all sorts of beads/minerals/small shells/neighbor children.
Float the finish methacrylate over that and sand/buff to a high gloss.


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