paper as a separator. A deteriorated window sash is saturated with liquid epoxy consolidant, with special attention paid to end grain. Missing wood in the door frame from old hinge locations needed patching, too. I just figure any dollars I save in materials, I will pay many times over in rework if something fails. Mixed epoxies give off heat as the resin and hardener polymerize, and since heat accelerates curing, the patch may cure quickly, especially on a hot day. Contrary to popular usage, epoxy is not one thing, nor is it a verb that means to glue. The word refers to a class of synthetic thermosetting polymers used in adhesives, consolidants, plastics, fillers, molding compounds, and coatings. After laboriously making the initial repairs, I was ready to patch several nicks and holes too large to address with wood filler. A kit comes with two same-size tubs (Part A and Part B). Step 2 After consolidation with a liquid epoxy, a paste slurry and then a paste filler are used. Another method to accelerate drying is brushing acetone (caution: flammable) on the wet surface. West System | westsystem.com After the fresh surface is coated with an epoxy primer, voids are filled with epoxy paste filler. Epoxy primer When a liquid consolidant is used with a paste filler, the consolidant acts as an effective bonding primer. They not only have fillers, but also a product called Liquid Wood that you impregnate the old wood with, rotted or not, and it stabilizes it. Why not use products made for wood work? Step 3 New mouldings were milled in redwood for the base, adhered with the same epoxies. Dont use two-partcar repair productson wood. 2022 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Epoxy consolidants should be localized at the region where a decay zone exists or where an epoxy filler is going to be used. (Bondo is the familiar product from 3M.) Before the epoxy cures to the third solid stage, it passes through a second stage, often called the gel or kick-off stage. In this method everything is exposed and you can be sure that whats left is sound. Epoxy fillers are ideal for filling voids and holes: checks and splits from weathering; holes from old hardware or countersunk screws and nails; lost knots and woodpecker holes. Specific primers to be used on sound, clean, dry surfaces are also sold for use before filling with epoxy. Traditional repair methods (such as a wood dutchman, scarf, or splice) or replacement of a part may be better options. In small projects, resin and hardener mix is often simply brushed repeatedly onto the component surface as the wood drinks it up. Repair products including common auto-body filler get caught up in the confusion. Historic windows, for example, typically need maintenance that requires disassembling one or more joints, so you should use epoxy only on non-jointed window elements. Use separate measuring tools to scoop from the A and B containers to avoid contamination. Permanent repair products for wood, concrete, etc. This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. Elmers E855 3.25-inch Carpenters Wood Filler Tube, Abatron WoodEpox 2 Quart Kit, Part A & B Epoxy Wood Replacement Compound, J-B Weld 1.52-ounce WoodWeld Wood Epoxy Adhesive, Minwax 12-ounce High-Performance Wood Filler, Protective Coating P.C. I thought it was mentioned that bondo doesn't react thermally (expansion/contraction) so it won't crack once cured, but wood filler does. By volume, epoxy fillers are more expensive than most woods, so consider the value of making repairs with epoxy versus new wood. (Wearing gloves is recommended.) (Ive been using it for years, ever since I saw an advertisement for it in Old-House Journal in 2003.). Repair of exterior columns using ConServ Epoxy products involved liquid borate preservative, epoxy consolidation, epoxy filling and shaping, and new wood at the base. 2143 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312. An epoxy adhesive was used.Ray Tschoepe. Start your subscription today and save up to 70%. Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features. The modal window is a 'site map' of the most critical areas of the site. Is epoxy worth the extra money? The solvent accelerates evaporation. Coating large areas with consolidant creates a moisture barrier, which can actually trap moisture and speed up the decay process. Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine. the final product will be clear finished. Abatron | abatron.com The word epoxy often is used erroneously to mean any resin applied to repair woodeven when the resin is not epoxy. 1) the source of moisture corrected and Do not get liquid materials on your skin. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. An epoxy adhesive was used. Generally speaking, the consolidant is resin that has been formulated for low viscosity so that porous wood readily absorbs it like a sponge. product to which you refer, but would never mix products that use different solvents. Some architectural conservators believe that epoxies do more harm than good, both because an epoxy repair can backfire if preparation is poor, and because epoxy repairs are virtually irreversible and permanent. Learn about epoxy products and their best use, get tips from the experts, and see a DIY project. So I guess this is a no brainer.. Ive already started to use bondo.. Its kinda hard to shape the corners and base before it drys and gets clumpy. Conservator John Leeke mixes a two-part epoxy compound at a work site (HistoricHomeWorks.com).Courtesy John Leeke. *I've had good results for small repairs with the Minwax (TM) wood filler which according to a back FHB article is a polyester not an epoxy. Another option that Cabinet cosmetics freaks use is a marine epoxy (the two part type you mix like a Steel Epoxy or JB Weld or other). I could be wrong but that's what I've used to do a couple of mine. These are mixed (thoroughly) immediately before application. It was the only thing strong enough to support the weight and use of the door knobs. Epoxies are two-part systems. A good primer applied before painting, and the repair is almost undetectable. it is important to respect original construction and wood species. Allow a 24- to 48-hour cure time, depending on the application and humidity levels. When the liquid resin or paste filler is first mixed with hardener, it remains in an easily manipulated first stage called the open time or working time. "I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. Ray Tschoepe. You must log in or register to reply here. The product may be watery to penetrate porous materials, or thick and viscous for use on a vertical surface. Next, an epoxy filler readily bonds to the cured consolidant and wood. Stay tuned for the first newsletter in the morning, straight to your inbox. Does anyone know how both materials hold up over time. I've never seen this or know anyone who this has happened to, however I've read it somewhere a long time ago. say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." This article is about those epoxy products used to reinforce and fill wood elements. the element or piece would be difficult to replicate with new wood, such as molded trim that would require sophisticated machining or laborious handwork. Woody Two-Part Wood Repair Epoxy Paste, Timbermate Maple/Beech/Pine Hardwood 8-ounce Wood Filler, Protective Coating P.C. A historic Palladian-style window is in place after repairs that involved several products and techniques.Ray Tschoepe. Reversibility is a key preservation tenet, and thus required for some work on landmarked buildings and antiques. its square stock or something readily available and easily replaced. Damaged wood in the decay zone is scraped with a mechanics pick as a HEPA vacuum keeps things clear. Once cured, the epoxy can be sanded, planed, cut, carved, drilled, nailed, and painted just like wood. It takes paint very well but would stand out if only stained.Perhaps most interesting to you is that Minwax makes a compatible liquid consolidant. Its an active compound that presents certain health hazards if conditions allow. Step 5 In the finished, painted column, note the all-important vent that allows air flow into the shaft to exit at the capital. All Rights Reserved. I think if you ask the guys that do many of these restorations, they use Bondo because it is a lot tougher. Ray Tschoepe. I too have often wondered why people use automotive body filler on here for their wood work. Wearnitrile, vinyl, or rubber (Playtex) gloves, and eyeprotection. However, the right filler can also be used to reconstruct totally lost features by building it up in several applications, then sculpting or forming it with woodworkingtools. *bondo works great for interior paint-grade applications, but i'd use epoxy for anything that will see the abuses of weather. Always work with good ventilationoutdoors is bestor wear a respirator. Mix only as much as can be used within the pot life. WoodEpox (paste filler) can also be mixed by hand in small quantities, like modeling clay. The cured epoxy can be hard and brittle or soft and rubbery. I heard automotive filler (bondo) will eventually pop out of place or crack if applied to wood. You can check out this product, as well as Wood Epox at http://www.abatron.com/home002.htm. i don't know if that is true or not, I've never seen it in the Abatron literature. (You can always remove excess material after it cures.) Step 4 Additional filling and tooling (after cure) restores the original profiles. A common mistake we see is someone using a consolidant as a protective coating, rather than as a treatment for decayed wood. Anyway, I stick to a basic set of rules : bondo for interior filling (like norml said, do your carving and shaping before it sets). Avoid shallow or too-large containers. Also, like the previous poster I had to take care to sand it in properly. Next, an epoxy filler readily bonds to the cured consolidant and wood. Developed by Gougeon Brothers initially for boatbuilding, West System has a full line of epoxies for outdoor use. Admittedly the casual observer probably won't see the difference. But if it is in an area where appearance doesn't count I will. Moisture and water diminish penetration and adhesion. Wearing latex gloves (epoxy can be disastrously sticky), open both containers. The epoxies used in rehabilitating wood are made up of a resin and a hardener. Chemists can adjust the rate at which the epoxy cures. An alternative is to remove all of the decayed wood. Plus, get tips for a clean and solid installation. the piece cant be easily removed without taking apart other components, such as a pegged windowsill. Disclosure. The two distinct colors of A and B will slowly turn to a consistent light tan together. If it's hardening before you can do basic shaping it's got too much. Wood filler cracks. Learn how to measure, cut, and build window casing made of cellular PVC, solid wood, poly-ash boards, or any common molding material. Same observations about sanding. Especially on the bottoms of cabs. *I have to agree with bullet. Don't know that it fills pores and structurally hardens the soft material like Abatron is supposed to. Different formulations make epoxy compounds compatible with wood, glass, stone, concrete, and more. On the plus side, it was CHEAP. When fillers reach this soft, rubbery stage, the time is ideal to rough out general shapes and remove large amounts of material by quickly sculpting them with cheese-grater tools (such as Stanley Surform planes). High-performance epoxies for wood, concrete, stone & metal, ConServ Epoxy LLC | conservepoxy.com It provides quick, controlled removal of damaged wood, clear visibility of the decay zone, and constant assessment of the substrate. Spend the money on an item that is difficult or costly to replace, such as a carved column capital. You see when youve reached sound wood, and you can creep to a thin edge. Sometimes called a dutchman, a scarf repair is used when only part of a wood element needs to be replaced. - M.K. To protect the epoxy patch from rain while it cures, loosely cover the repair with plastic sheeting. Additives may make them more flexible or spreadable. I now know how to fix a few things on my cab I'm working on. Stay away from two-part car repair products! . I turned to my favorite wood filler, a two-part epoxy made by Abatron called WoodEpox. I'm not familiar with the P.C. Paul Marlowe of ConServ Epoxy describes a typical exterior repair sequence: Step 1 The badly deteriorated base moulding is removed, revealing rotted areas to be scraped away. Epoxies designed for wood repairs are formulated to match the strength of wood and to be flexible enough to move with cycles of contraction and expansion. Epoxy wont stick to either one. So, if it were my job, I'd go the extra mile. But I was just searching around doing some research on wood restoration and stumbled upon a wood restoration brand called Abatron, which is a wood epoxy. Of course, you have to step back and solve the initial problem. Paste fillers can be colored, either by adding dry pigments to the A/B blend during mixing, or by staining or painting after hardening. this is your third epoxy fill on the same piece of wood. I too have often wondered why people use automotive body filler on here for their wood work. Here a quick tube link on Abatron wood epoxy. Epoxy comes in handy when replacement of a component is difficult due to surrounding structures, or because of the location. And you dont need $150 worth of epoxy when you can splice in a $10 piece of wood, says conservator Ray Tschoepe. Once the epoxy is thoroughly blended, apply it to the damaged area. Clean the area you plan to fill, removing any dirt or grease, and allow to dry. Patching with Wood Using the opposite hand, pull out an equal sized lump from the other container. I used a wood filler from Lowes on my cab resto. With WoodEpox, one part is a dark tan color and the other is bright white. Dont try to sand the repair too soon or it will gum up your sanding discs or pull away from the filled area. Sure, a repair project can resort to both epoxy use and traditional patching in kind. In consolidation, the porous, damaged, decayed wood is saturated with a thin, liquid epoxy consolidant, which hardens within the wood. Body filler is made for sheet metal work. It is a lot harder than wood filler to sand and get straight, but it is sure strong. JavaScript is disabled. Abatron for exterior stuff requiring consolidation, usually Abatron putty after for filling voids. To keep epoxy from oozing onto nearby surfaces, use strips of plastic wrap or waxed Epoxies cannot penetrate wood fiber that already has a high moisture content, as might be found inside a post or column. Epoxies have grown in versatility and thus popularity, but they are not always the right answer. the piece must be drilled for screws or milled for joinery. Conservator John Leeke mixes a two-part epoxy compound at a work site (HistoricHomeWorks.com). Component repairs should be made using traditional joinery instead of non-historic methods like the wholesale epoxy casting of a missing part. Robert Adam, founder and senior advisor of the Preservation Carpentry Department, North Bennet Street School, Boston. More aggressive tools can be used for large decay zones, but a vacuum is always beneficial. The typical consolidation candidates in old houses are the rotted parts of window sash, doors, and carved or molded features such as newel posts and column details. By the 1960s, strong epoxy adhesives were on hardware-store shelves. Probably the biggest issue with wood filler is that being a single part product, the cure time is lengthy and the product often shrinks as it out-gasses during the cure. But it gives you a compatible material to experiment with. I have used bond to repair old house doors where the glass door knobs ate the wood away so thin it broke out. I understand it's the same composition as Bondo packaged in small/retail expensive batches. As thermosetting compounds, they cure through a heat reaction. Larger projects often require perforating all of the damaged wood with small holes in strategic spots to enhance saturation, then filling these holes with consolidant mixture from a squeeze bottle. I can confidently Always wear gloves. Alex Santantonio, A deteriorated window sash is saturated with liquid epoxy consolidant, with special attention paid to end grain. Absolutely all of the decayed wood must be saturated; otherwise moisture and ongoing rot is trapped, which hastens deterioration. Indeed, the beauty of consolidants from a practical (as well as historic preservation) standpoint is that they retain much of the original wood element. Thanks a bunch guys! With custom epoxy formulations and easy-to-use kits, Abatron is committed to conservators and do-it-yourselfers. Your clients will be happier a few years down the road. Preparing decay zones for epoxyrepair: My method uses a HEPA vacuum along with a 90 auto mechanics pick pulled across the grain. Rose, Expert insights on techniques and principles. Wood can be dried with heat or ventilation. So, for quality work I probably won't use it again. Epoxies that bond fiberglass, wood, metal, fabrics & other materials, Copyright 2022 Home Group, a division of Active Interest Media. They include five-minute adhesives, bar-top coatings, and paints. When we found the door, the joints were loose and the peeling paint needed sanding and stripping, but it was about the right size for the opening and clearly was from the same era as the house in its style and construction. Replace the entire decayed wooden element when . I do know that wood decay fungi will survive in surrounding areas and decay may progress beyond the repaired area (at least in poplar in exterior applications, which admittedly is a poor choice). Epoxy fillers formulated for wood can be tooled once cured. The epoxy curing process actually has three stages, and this can be a great advantage when working with fillers. As part of the restoration of the front vestibule on our 1880s townhouse, Wendy and I adapted a salvaged maple exterior door for the new entry. . With experience, its possible to quickly work the filler without breaking its bond to the wood, waiting until the filler has cured hard for final shaping and sanding. Deteriorated wood in muntins was carefully removed and replaced with new wood splices in the fan portion of the sash. about 80 to 85% percent of the element is still sound material. A patch of wood (with matched grain if the finish is to be clear) is glued in, and after drying the surface is planed or sanded flush with the original wood. (If you do, wash immediately with vinegar, then soap and water). Thanks in advance. In this short stage, the epoxy has begun its initial cure; while it is no longer a liquid it is not quite yet a hard solid. Anything structural and exterior, West System epoxy, and an assortment of phenolic microballoons and other fillers. I just wanted to know some more about this and what the difference would be from this to bondo, and why so many people on here use bondo. If the consolidant is applied so that it cures only on the dry outer surface of a member, it will trap remaining moisture inside the wood, where it will continue to promote damage. As it hardens use a razor blade to rough cut to shape, then sand it to be exact. I've usually tried to take down the highest spots with a SHARP paring chisel and sanded only to finish. Mash the two lumps together, then knead them to fully combine them. Moreover, dont assume that a product with two parts is an epoxy. Using only your left or right hand, pull out a ball of material. We used Abatron products with great results. One of the lids is marked with a red dot so you can easily identify which tub is which without opening the container. The reason is because bondo will not expand or contract and the wood will. The damaged or rotted section of wood is removed to create a clean line for gluing.