What is the best filler.......

[Pete D]

Please, what would you use.
I have 30 Cedar Supers to put together from the recent Th...es sale from their 3rds range. About 50 of the 120 sides have holes right through them where knots have dropped out, these range from between 5p and 10p size. Conventional wood filler is fairly expensive and some of it tends to shrink back and may drop out in a year or 2.
I have been told that car filler, decorators caulk, putty, grip fill, and even PVA and sawdust mix works well. Also glued in dowel or broom handle then filler. I will end up giving them 2 or 3 coats of 'ducksback' after filling and sanding.
The Supers were cheap so I could splash out on the dearer filler if its the best.
Any views or advice would be most welcome.
Thanks
Pete D

 

[Hivemaker.]

Please, what would you use.
Any views or advice would be most welcome.

Wooden cedar plugs,cut out with a plug cutter,then glued and sanded.

 

[Springer]

As H, said, certainly would not mess about with filler of any sort.
Appleby Wood Turning do a special service for bespoke plugs, up to 40mm will use timber that you supply. Don't know about price but they are very competitive for cutting tools. Have a look on their web site.

 

[oliver90owner]

I would tend to agree with HM, but depending on the quality and the positions of the hole, I might go about it differently.

A lot may well be hidden by the side rails and any plug would do. I might do most with other softwood and maybe sacrifice a box to make decent plugs for the boxes that may 'make the grade' after refurbishing. Definitely not go out and buy filler, although the way to keep filler in place is to nail or screw into the wood so the filler has a key.

Bear in mind that some of these knot holes will be at an angle and a bigger plug may be needed, or plug from both sides. Not a problem with a plunge router.

RAB

 

[Hivemaker.]

Another alternative,depending on where the holes are,is to cut out and insert a Dutchman,do the repairs before assembly,you can buy the kit for doing this,or do it by hand,then wax it from the inside,but i think a bit over the top for hive parts.

 

[REDWOOD]

Use a cone cutter to dress the hole so it becomes a tapered hole then taper a round dowel, if it is a large hole use a broom handle, use a waterproof glue I like gorilla glue, hammer the dowel in to the hole, wait for the glue to dry, cut off the ends with a saw and sand flush. Don't forget to match the grain, only joking that one is only for cabinet makers.

 

[Pete D]

Right then it seems that wooden plug would be best. The sacrificing a box sounds like a good solution. A plunge router sounds like something I havent got, hmm not sure though as I do have a router........I will do a google search and see if it looks anything like mine, maybe just need a bit or 2.
To be honest I thought they would be worse than they are, its only really knots that are the problem. No splits and no warping or miss cutting that I could see when I went through them bit by bit yesterday.
Probably sort and make the good ones first and then repair all the holes and do the second batch.
All good fun and something new to do and learn.
The wife has got her eye on me with the flat packs as she remembers me struggling for hours with some Ikea stuff that we thought would be good........cant remember why !
Cheers
Pete D

 

[VEG]

If you kept the knots that came out just glue them back in.