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Epoxy for Plywood Cabinet Knot Holes?

895 Views 28 Replies 13 Participants Last post by Chichas, Apr 24, 2022

Chichas

Discussion Starter · Apr 22, 2022 (Edited by Moderator)

4

I'm building a new cabinet/stand for my saltwater aquarium. I got a hold of some rustic Hickory that has knots/voids that are filled with putty. I dug out the putty on some of the knots and then used a wood burner to burn the exposed layer beneath the veneer and that looks pretty good but that got me thinking about filling it with epoxy. I watched some videos and my concern is that when I scrape or plane down the epoxy, how do I protect the veneer? Will the epoxy go through the veneer so that it can't be sanded out once I've planed it down and prevent my stain from applying properly?? Suggestions?
Thanks!

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JCamp

· #2 · Apr 22, 2022

Never messed with the epoxy but that's some nice looking plywood for sure

Unknowncraftsman

· #3 · Apr 22, 2022

It looks great the way it is.

bilyo

· #4 · Apr 22, 2022

The hole you have now is very dark. If you want to keep that look, just fill it with clear epoxy and when it cures, it will still look dark. You can give the epoxy color by either adding wood sanding dust or color tint. Getting the color you want can be difficult.
Depending on how thin the veneer is, you will need to exercise caution in sanding/scraping the epoxy flush. It is doable however.
Liquid stain will not work well over epoxy. Gel stain will work better. However, if you leave the knot dark (clear epoxy) it won't matter much. To my eye, it will look good that way.

RichT

· #5 · Apr 22, 2022 (Edited by Moderator)

It looks great the way it is.

- Aj2

+1. It's got character, so show it off.

The problem with clear fillers is that they do what a pool of water does-refract the light. That makes it look fake.

1thumb

· #6 · Apr 23, 2022

jb weld for small doses. dries black as the night.

northwoodsman

· #7 · Apr 23, 2022

I like to use a dark brown or black CA glue from Starbond. Use an accelerator and it's instant.

Phil32

· #8 · Apr 23, 2022

Whatever you use to seal the knots will seal the wood. If you plan to stain the panel, you should do the staining first.

bilyo

· #9 · Apr 23, 2022

It looks great the way it is.

- Aj2

+1. It s got character, so show it off.

The problem with clear fillers is that they do what a pool of water does-refract the light. That makes it look fake.

- Rich

The OP asked about filling with epoxy. So, while he doesn't mind the look of the knot hole, I assume he would like to have it flush with the surrounding surface. Once filled with clear epoxy and sanded smooth to the same grit as the rest of the panel and then a finish applied, it will all have the same degree of gloss and the knot hole will not appear any more obvious or different than a bare knot hole. He can try to match the color of the surrounding wood, but then he loses the character of the knot. And, unless the match is near perfect, it looks fake which is what he had to start with the factory filler.

RichT

· #10 · Apr 23, 2022

Once filled with clear epoxy and sanded smooth to the same grit as the rest of the panel and then a finish applied, it will all have the same degree of gloss and the knot hole will not appear any more obvious or different than a bare knot hole.

- bilyo

That might be true for raking light, but when you look at it straight on, it will refract the light and be very visible as a fill. This is not speculation, I've done just what you described, and discovered that clear filler isn't the invisible fix I thought it would be.

bilyo

· #11 · Apr 23, 2022 (Edited by Moderator)

Once filled with clear epoxy and sanded smooth to the same grit as the rest of the panel and then a finish applied, it will all have the same degree of gloss and the knot hole will not appear any more obvious or different than a bare knot hole.

- bilyo

That might be true for raking light, but when you look at it straight on, it will refract the light and be very visible as a fill. This is not speculation, I ve done just what you described, and discovered that clear filler isn t the invisible fix I thought it would be.

- Rich

Assuming you are correct, who cares? The object here is to keep it looking like a knot hole with a smooth surface over it. If the OP wants it to be "invisible" he would fill it and finish it in such a way as to make it blend perfectly with the surrounding surface. That is a whole new set of skills.

Lazyman

· #12 · Apr 23, 2022

If the knot is fairly shallow (like just in the veneer), I would probably use Starbond black or brown CA -brown would probably be the best choice for that wood tone. For a wide but shallow gap like that I would use medium-thick. It is quick and easy and you can sand it flat afterwords or even add a little more if it is not quite level. Hand sand to avoid sanding through the veneer.

RichT

· #13 · Apr 23, 2022

Assuming you are correct, who cares? The object here is to keep it looking like a knot hole with a smooth surface over it. If the OP wants it to be "invisible" he would fill it and finish it in such a way as to make it blend perfectly with the surrounding surface. That is a whole new set of skills.

- bilyo

OK. I understand what the OP was asking. Aj2 suggested it looks good as-is, and I agreed. I also offered my experience-which is extensive-concerning clear fills.

It won't blend perfectly, but if you would like to believe it will, go for it. Maybe someday you'll actually try it and see what I'm trying to explain.

BTW, all of this nonsense is probably moot since the OP seems to have left the thread.

pottz

· #14 · Apr 23, 2022

Assuming you are correct, who cares? The object here is to keep it looking like a knot hole with a smooth surface over it. If the OP wants it to be "invisible" he would fill it and finish it in such a way as to make it blend perfectly with the surrounding surface. That is a whole new set of skills.

- bilyo

OK. I understand what the OP was asking. Aj2 suggested it looks good as-is, and I agreed. I also offered my experience-which is extensive-concerning clear fills.

It won t blend perfectly, but if you would like to believe it will, go for it. Maybe someday you ll actually try it and see what I m trying to explain.

BTW, all of this nonsense is probably moot since the OP seems to have left the thread.

- Rich

i gotta agree with rich here,ive done clear epoxy and well, i wasn't happy.for filling knots i go with dark brown or black tinted epoxy.

and here we go again with an op that asks a question and doesn't bother to respond to the suggestions.makes me wonder why we even bother to try and help. of course 1 day 1 post so what should we expect i guess ? bye bye !

Lazyman

· #15 · Apr 24, 2022 (Edited by Moderator)

Jeez. Some people do have lives outside of Lumberjocks. I guess he hasn't learned that we are so entertaining that he should have glued himself to the computer.

ChefHDAN

· #16 · Apr 24, 2022 (Edited by Moderator)

FWIW, have been doing quite a bit with epoxy lately, not a fan of the live edge craze but the folks enamored by it really like to spend money on it so… well wood & ammo have gotten really expensive, so here's what I'd do.

1) with some spray shellac seal the area and surrounding area you intend to fill, let dry

2) You can get small bottles of System 3 on Amazon and also their tint paste

3) Follow directions to mix tint and apply to the void. If very deep fill 1/2 way apply heat from a heat gun and fill the rest of the void staying slightly proud of the surface, apply heat again to remove any bubbles

4) The thickness of the fill will affect the full curing time, do not just wait 15 minutes, best to give it a few hours, if it is soft it does not sand it just makes a huge mess, trust me!

5) Since its veneer, place blue tape along side the fill to give you a visual cue if you begin to sand wood rather than epoxy fill. use 100 to 120 grit to flatten the first part of the fill as close as possible so that you see you begin to hit the blue tape, go to 150 or 180 grit and continue to sand until you see you're mostly hitting the tape. Remove tape continue to sand with 180 to flush out the surface of void, then sand entire panel to match.

Finish as you see fit, for me with a salt water tank, and some experience with tanks at minimum I'd go with spar, but would most likely go with an epoxy coat just for the extra protection.

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RichT

· #17 · Apr 24, 2022

Jeez. Some people do have lives outside of Lumberjocks. I guess he hasn t learned that we are so entertaining that he should have glued himself to the computer.

- Lazyman

It takes time for our awesomeness to rub in, Nathan

Still, I don't think you have to be glued to the computer to actually participate in a thread you started with a question.

Lazyman

· #18 · Apr 24, 2022

I am just saying that had my first question been greeted this way, I am not sure that I would have come back. Impatient bunch.

Gene01

· #19 · Apr 24, 2022

Mother nature doesn't grow perfect trees. If an imperfection really bothers you, try paint or switch to plastic. Better yet. Inspect the material before committing.

Chichas

Discussion Starter · #20 · Apr 24, 2022

4

Thanks for the replies. After reading through them and talking with someone at Woodcraft while picking out stain options, I decided on a different plan. I had thought that since this is a stand for a saltwater aquarium, I might scrape the wood filler that mfg used on the knot holes out and then fill with blue epoxy. Kind of a reference to the blue of the ocean. With the wood filler removed, you can see the mdf layer beneath the veneer.
I removed the wood filler out of a scrap piece and used my son's wood burner to burn the bottom layer of the exposed hole. This made it look like an actual natural knot/crevice in a piece of solid wood. Hit with 2 coats of General Finishes Hickory stain and it came out really nice I thought. So, that's the plan!

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