Weakened Defected Wood

"Sonny" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:3d816308-a490-40b8-910c-5974d36441d5@t20g2000yqe.googlegroups.com...
> Some long time ago, on some forum, I read of a product that
> resolidifies rotten, termite-eaten/powderpost beetle-eaten or
> otherwise weakened or defected wood. Can someone direct me to this
> product, if there is such, or a remedy for severely defected wood?
> Removing part of the defects is an option, but in some places, glueing
> new wood strips isn't an option, to restore the integrity of these
> areas.
>
> The specific problem is, regarding upholstery, the mangled, softened
> wood along the decorative nail paths on an antique chair. There are
> numerous nail holes in the wood, from having been reupholstered
> several times before, and much of the wood is "chewed" to "softness"
> and/or seems to be in a soft dry-rotted state. The wood is no longer
> stable enough to hold new nails. I've had success with bolstering
> similar wood defects, as this, but this case is much more severe.
>
> I've thought about epoxy glue, but I have no experience, at all, with
> epoxy glue, so I don't know if epoxy would be brittle and chip out,
> when nailed into, especially along these narrow nail paths.
>
> Thanks for any help.
> Sonny


I've used this product on small projects. Worked well.
http://tinyurl.com/mr4au5

Max

"Sonny" wrote:

> Some long time ago, on some forum, I read of a product that
> resolidifies rotten, termite-eaten/powderpost beetle-eaten or
> otherwise weakened or defected wood. Can someone direct me to this
> product, if there is such, or a remedy for severely defected wood?
> Removing part of the defects is an option, but in some places,
> glueing
> new wood strips isn't an option, to restore the integrity of these
> areas.
>
> The specific problem is, regarding upholstery, the mangled, softened
> wood along the decorative nail paths on an antique chair. There are
> numerous nail holes in the wood, from having been reupholstered
> several times before, and much of the wood is "chewed" to "softness"
> and/or seems to be in a soft dry-rotted state. The wood is no
> longer
> stable enough to hold new nails. I've had success with bolstering
> similar wood defects, as this, but this case is much more severe.
>
> I've thought about epoxy glue, but I have no experience, at all,
> with
> epoxy glue, so I don't know if epoxy would be brittle and chip out,
> when nailed into, especially along these narrow nail paths.

------------------------------------------
Epoxy and micro-balloons would be my weapons of choice to attack this
problem.

Removing the damaged wood fibers, then back filling with micro-balloon
thickened epoxy will provide an incredibly strong repair.

There are specialty epoxies that are very low viscosities from people
like RotDoctor and GitRot that have been around forever for the wooden
boat repair market.

Based on your description, there are probably less expensive and
better repair methods using standard laminating epoxy.

A question.

Are the nails and staples used in these repaired rails driven with a
hammer or a pneumatic gun?

Lew

"Larry Jaques" wrote:

> Lew, being the resident epoxy expert, I was hoping you'd also have
> some words about the MinWhacked "wood hardener" crap. That kind of
> product has never worked as stated.
-----------------------------
I'm clueless.

Lew

"Sonny" wrote:

> Lew, is there a particular concern you have in mind, as to hammered
> vs
> pneumatics?
-----------------------------------------
The reason for asking is that driving a tack by hand into thickened
epoxy after allowing it to set up for 3-6 months might be a challenge.

My gut says "No problem", but I just don't know.

> I've emailed, with pictures, RotDoctor for advice on their specific
> product recommended for this particular woodwork. I've also
> purchased, locally, some Loctite epoxy and it's being tested at the
> moment.

I'd contact:

http://www.systemthree.com/

Very knowledgeable people, I've used thousands of gallons of their
stuff.

They are serious players in the epoxy business.
----------------------------------------

> In any application, whether the wood is
> in good shape or not, you have to be careful of splitting the wood
> because of the numerous inline nails being installed, i.e., creating
> a
> perforated (perforation?) line that the wood may split/crack along.

No longer a problem with a good epoxy repair.
----------------------------------------

> This is an interesting restoration project, even for myself. Some
> of
> these nail paths, the wood, has been altered from the original, no
> doubt because of previous issues during previous reupholstering.
> Some
> nail paths have, literally, been cut off, in some areas, and wood
> strips have been nailed back in place, for decorative nail
> reattaching. This nailing of these wood strips seems to be the
> equivalent to the nailing of the doweled ends of chair's stretchers
> back into their holes.... that kind of "repair".
Even these newer
> wood strips need to be snugged up a bit more and glued. So for, the
> restoration has been going smoothly.
----------------------------------------

Which brings up the question, if you make a repair using current
technology (epoxy), does that reduce the value of the restored chair?

Seems to me adding wood strips to repair is old technology.

Does adding wood strips affect the value of a restored chair?

Lew

> >Are the nails and staples used in these repaired rails driven with a
> >hammer or a pneumatic gun?

Lew, is there a particular concern you have in mind, as to hammered vs
pneumatics?

I've emailed, with pictures, RotDoctor for advice on their specific
product recommended for this particular woodwork. I've also
purchased, locally, some Loctite epoxy and it's being tested at the
moment.

The new decorative nails will be hand nailed, individually, with a
vinyl head upholsterer's tack hammer. I'm not aware of a pneumatic
nailer for decorative nails. In any application, whether the wood is
in good shape or not, you have to be careful of splitting the wood
because of the numerous inline nails being installed, i.e., creating a
perforated (perforation?) line that the wood may split/crack along.

Staples will be installed with a pneumatic stapler, 70-90 psi. Again,
numerous inline staples can sometimes result in splitting of the
wood. Staggering the staple prongs, by twisting the gun a tad, helps
eliminate an inline arrangement.

In each case, you kind of have to assess things, before stapling/
nailing away. I don't think I've ever seen an antique that hasn't had
excellent wood structures, but even nice antiques have had wood to
split along these nail paths. In some cases, stressed fabric, when in
use, has "pulled" enough on the nails/staples to cause the wood to
split or crack, rather than the nails/staples dislodge, first.

This is an interesting restoration project, even for myself. Some of
these nail paths, the wood, has been altered from the original, no
doubt because of previous issues during previous reupholstering. Some
nail paths have, literally, been cut off, in some areas, and wood
strips have been nailed back in place, for decorative nail
reattaching. This nailing of these wood strips seems to be the
equivalent to the nailing of the doweled ends of chair's stretchers
back into their holes.... that kind of "repair". Even these newer
wood strips need to be snugged up a bit more and glued. So for, the
restoration has been going smoothly.

Thanks for all the advice, info and links. It's really been helpful.
Sonny

On Sat, 6 Mar 2010 12:46:27 -0800, the infamous "Lew Hodgett"
<[email protected]> scrawled the following:

>
>"Larry Jaques" wrote:
>
>> Lew, being the resident epoxy expert, I was hoping you'd also have
>> some words about the MinWhacked "wood hardener" crap. That kind of
>> product has never worked as stated.
>-----------------------------
>I'm clueless.

Oh, I thought that might be only when you were at the polls. <bseg>

--
The blind are not good trailblazers.

-- federal judge Frank Easterbrook

On Mar 5, 8:36=A0am, Sonny <[email protected]> wrote:
> Some long time ago, on some forum, I read of a product that
> resolidifies rotten, termite-eaten/powderpost beetle-eaten or
> otherwise weakened or defected wood. =A0Can someone direct me to this
> product, if there is such, or a remedy for severely defected wood?
> Removing part of the defects is an option, but in some places, glueing
> new wood strips isn't an option, to restore the integrity of these
> areas.
>
> The specific problem is, regarding upholstery, the mangled, softened
> wood along the decorative nail paths on an antique chair. =A0There are
> numerous nail holes in the wood, from having been reupholstered
> several times before, and much of the wood is "chewed" to "softness"
> and/or seems to be in a soft dry-rotted state. =A0The wood is no longer
> stable enough to hold new nails. I've had success with bolstering
> similar wood defects, as this, but this case is much more severe.
>
> I've thought about epoxy glue, but I have no experience, at all, with
> epoxy glue, so I don't know if epoxy would be brittle and chip out,
> when nailed into, especially along these narrow nail paths.
>
> Thanks for any help.
> Sonny

Have you considered Bondo? Originally used by auto body shops, its a
two part system which is moldable.I have useed it with success in the
past.

Joe G

On Fri, 5 Mar 2010 20:44:10 -0800, the infamous "Lew Hodgett"
<[email protected]> scrawled the following:

>
>"Sonny" wrote:
>
>> Some long time ago, on some forum, I read of a product that
>> resolidifies rotten, termite-eaten/powderpost beetle-eaten or
>> otherwise weakened or defected wood. Can someone direct me to this
>> product, if there is such, or a remedy for severely defected wood?
>> Removing part of the defects is an option, but in some places,
>> glueing
>> new wood strips isn't an option, to restore the integrity of these
>> areas.
>>
>> The specific problem is, regarding upholstery, the mangled, softened
>> wood along the decorative nail paths on an antique chair. There are
>> numerous nail holes in the wood, from having been reupholstered
>> several times before, and much of the wood is "chewed" to "softness"
>> and/or seems to be in a soft dry-rotted state. The wood is no
>> longer
>> stable enough to hold new nails. I've had success with bolstering
>> similar wood defects, as this, but this case is much more severe.
>>
>> I've thought about epoxy glue, but I have no experience, at all,
>> with
>> epoxy glue, so I don't know if epoxy would be brittle and chip out,
>> when nailed into, especially along these narrow nail paths.
>
>------------------------------------------
>Epoxy and micro-balloons would be my weapons of choice to attack this
>problem.
>
>Removing the damaged wood fibers, then back filling with micro-balloon
>thickened epoxy will provide an incredibly strong repair.
>
>There are specialty epoxies that are very low viscosities from people
>like RotDoctor and GitRot that have been around forever for the wooden
>boat repair market.
>
>Based on your description, there are probably less expensive and
>better repair methods using standard laminating epoxy.
>
>A question.
>
>Are the nails and staples used in these repaired rails driven with a
>hammer or a pneumatic gun?

Lew, being the resident epoxy expert, I was hoping you'd also have
some words about the MinWhacked "wood hardener" crap. That kind of
product has never worked as stated.

--
The blind are not good trailblazers.

-- federal judge Frank Easterbrook

Yes, Try epoxy.

Ideally, you would like low-viscosity epoxy such as what comes in a kit like
this:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=20075&cat=1,190,42997


I have used this product and it it worked well. But it's pricey and I think
there may be a cheaper solution.

One think about epoxy is that it is very temperature sensitive. When warmed,
not only does it cure more quickly, but it looses most of it's viscosity as
well. Warmed exopy will be almost as runny as water.

pick up some slow-cure epoxy at the hardware store. Mix it up and apply it
to your "punky wood". Hit it with a heat gun or a hair dryer. The wood
fibers will soak it up.

I don't know how well fully cured epoxy will take nails, but if it's 90%
cured (like somewhere between 4 hours and 2 days depending on the type of
epoxy and the ambient temp.), I'll bet it take nails really well.

Lew.... this is your cue to jump in.

-Steve



"Sonny" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:3d816308-a490-40b8-910c-5974d36441d5@t20g2000yqe.googlegroups.com...
> Some long time ago, on some forum, I read of a product that
> resolidifies rotten, termite-eaten/powderpost beetle-eaten or
> otherwise weakened or defected wood. Can someone direct me to this
> product, if there is such, or a remedy for severely defected wood?
> Removing part of the defects is an option, but in some places, glueing
> new wood strips isn't an option, to restore the integrity of these
> areas.
>
> The specific problem is, regarding upholstery, the mangled, softened
> wood along the decorative nail paths on an antique chair. There are
> numerous nail holes in the wood, from having been reupholstered
> several times before, and much of the wood is "chewed" to "softness"
> and/or seems to be in a soft dry-rotted state. The wood is no longer
> stable enough to hold new nails. I've had success with bolstering
> similar wood defects, as this, but this case is much more severe.
>
> I've thought about epoxy glue, but I have no experience, at all, with
> epoxy glue, so I don't know if epoxy would be brittle and chip out,
> when nailed into, especially along these narrow nail paths.
>
> Thanks for any help.
> Sonny

On Mar 5, 7:36=A0am, Sonny <[email protected]> wrote:
> Some long time ago, on some forum, I read of a product that
> resolidifies rotten, termite-eaten/powderpost beetle-eaten or
> otherwise weakened or defected wood. =A0Can someone direct me to this
> product, if there is such, or a remedy for severely defected wood?
> Removing part of the defects is an option, but in some places, glueing
> new wood strips isn't an option, to restore the integrity of these
> areas.

For "dry rotted" wood I've had excellent results from this stuff:
http://www.rotdoctor.com/

> The specific problem is, regarding upholstery, the mangled, softened
> wood along the decorative nail paths on an antique chair. =A0There are
> numerous nail holes in the wood, from having been reupholstered
> several times before, and much of the wood is "chewed" to "softness"
> and/or seems to be in a soft dry-rotted state. =A0The wood is no longer
> stable enough to hold new nails. I've had success with bolstering
> similar wood defects, as this, but this case is much more severe.

Since it's interior, would "plastic wood" work?

> I've thought about epoxy glue, but I have no experience, at all, with
> epoxy glue, so I don't know if epoxy would be brittle and chip out,
> when nailed into, especially along these narrow nail paths.

On 3/5/2010 8:36 AM, Sonny wrote:
> Some long time ago, on some forum, I read of a product that
> resolidifies rotten, termite-eaten/powderpost beetle-eaten or
> otherwise weakened or defected wood. Can someone direct me to this
> product, if there is such, or a remedy for severely defected wood?
> Removing part of the defects is an option, but in some places, glueing
> new wood strips isn't an option, to restore the integrity of these
> areas.
>
> The specific problem is, regarding upholstery, the mangled, softened
> wood along the decorative nail paths on an antique chair. There are
> numerous nail holes in the wood, from having been reupholstered
> several times before, and much of the wood is "chewed" to "softness"
> and/or seems to be in a soft dry-rotted state. The wood is no longer
> stable enough to hold new nails. I've had success with bolstering
> similar wood defects, as this, but this case is much more severe.
>
> I've thought about epoxy glue, but I have no experience, at all, with
> epoxy glue, so I don't know if epoxy would be brittle and chip out,
> when nailed into, especially along these narrow nail paths.
>
> Thanks for any help.
> Sonny

Git-Rot. It is a low viscosity epoxy that soaks into the wood fibers. It
was used years ago on the Balclutha in San Francisco to preserve her.

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=2093
or
http://www.westmarine.com/1/1/16610-git-rot-penetrating-epoxy-32-oz-kit-from-boat-life.html

Harvey

GROVER <[email protected]> writes:

> On Mar 5, 8:36 am, Sonny <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Some long time ago, on some forum, I read of a product that
>> resolidifies rotten, termite-eaten/powderpost beetle-eaten or
>> otherwise weakened or defected wood.  Can someone direct me to this
>> product, if there is such, or a remedy for severely defected wood?
>> Removing part of the defects is an option, but in some places, glueing
>> new wood strips isn't an option, to restore the integrity of these
>> areas.
>>
>> The specific problem is, regarding upholstery, the mangled, softened
>> wood along the decorative nail paths on an antique chair.  There are
>> numerous nail holes in the wood, from having been reupholstered
>> several times before, and much of the wood is "chewed" to "softness"
>> and/or seems to be in a soft dry-rotted state.  The wood is no longer
>> stable enough to hold new nails. I've had success with bolstering
>> similar wood defects, as this, but this case is much more severe.
>>
>> I've thought about epoxy glue, but I have no experience, at all, with
>> epoxy glue, so I don't know if epoxy would be brittle and chip out,
>> when nailed into, especially along these narrow nail paths.
>>
>> Thanks for any help.
>> Sonny
>
> Have you considered Bondo? Originally used by auto body shops, its a
> two part system which is moldable.I have useed it with success in the
> past.
>
I would not use Bondo. I don't think it is good at taking screws and nails.

"Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> writes:

> "Larry Jaques" wrote:
>
>> Lew, being the resident epoxy expert, I was hoping you'd also have
>> some words about the MinWhacked "wood hardener" crap. That kind of
>> product has never worked as stated.
> -----------------------------
> I'm clueless.
>

It smell awful and probably causes cancer in rats in a 5 mile radius -
other than making the wood a bit sticky and tacky, I haven't found it to
do much hardening. The nastiness of the chemicals might prevent future
rot for a while by sheer toxicity to the microorganisms...

"Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> writes:

> "Sonny" wrote:
>
>> Lew, is there a particular concern you have in mind, as to hammered
>> vs
>> pneumatics?
> -----------------------------------------
> The reason for asking is that driving a tack by hand into thickened
> epoxy after allowing it to set up for 3-6 months might be a challenge.
>
> My gut says "No problem", but I just don't know.

In my experience, it shouldn't be a problem if you use the lower density
fillers. They tend to work and shape like wood (depending on the
ratio -- the more filler you add, the less hard)

"Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> writes:
> "Sonny" wrote:
>
>> Some long time ago, on some forum, I read of a product that
>> resolidifies rotten, termite-eaten/powderpost beetle-eaten or
>> otherwise weakened or defected wood. Can someone direct me to this
>> product, if there is such, or a remedy for severely defected wood?
>> Removing part of the defects is an option, but in some places,
>> glueing
>> new wood strips isn't an option, to restore the integrity of these
>> areas.
>>
>> The specific problem is, regarding upholstery, the mangled, softened
>> wood along the decorative nail paths on an antique chair. There are
>> numerous nail holes in the wood, from having been reupholstered
>> several times before, and much of the wood is "chewed" to "softness"
>> and/or seems to be in a soft dry-rotted state. The wood is no
>> longer
>> stable enough to hold new nails. I've had success with bolstering
>> similar wood defects, as this, but this case is much more severe.
>>
>> I've thought about epoxy glue, but I have no experience, at all,
>> with
>> epoxy glue, so I don't know if epoxy would be brittle and chip out,
>> when nailed into, especially along these narrow nail paths.
>
> ------------------------------------------
> Epoxy and micro-balloons would be my weapons of choice to attack this
> problem.
>
> Removing the damaged wood fibers, then back filling with micro-balloon
> thickened epoxy will provide an incredibly strong repair.

I would still recommend a two-step approach.

First coat with low viscosity epoxy to penetrate and firm up any
remaining weakened material along the edges and to create a good
adhesive layer. (as mentioned in another post, I like to use West System
without fillers and heat the wood to draw in the undiluted epoxy. This
according to West tech support achieves the same penetration as the
alcahol or mineral spirits diluted epoxies but has better adhesion and
stength since the epoxy is not diluted).

Then I would use low density microballoons mixed with epoxy to bulk fill
and replace the removed or rotted materials. If you want a screw or nail
to hold you may want to use more of a medium density filler.

>
> There are specialty epoxies that are very low viscosities from people
> like RotDoctor and GitRot that have been around forever for the wooden
> boat repair market.

"StephenM" <[email protected]> writes:

> Yes, Try epoxy.
>
> Ideally, you would like low-viscosity epoxy such as what comes in a kit like
> this:
>
> http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=20075&cat=1,190,42997
>
>
> I have used this product and it it worked well. But it's pricey and I think
> there may be a cheaper solution.

> One think about epoxy is that it is very temperature sensitive. When warmed,
> not only does it cure more quickly, but it looses most of it's viscosity as
> well. Warmed exopy will be almost as runny as water.
>

I'm a big fan of West Systems. I spoke to their tech support and they
said it is much better to use their warmed undiluted epoxy which has a
similar viscosity than to use on of the kits which relies on diluted
epoxy -- bottom line is that you will get better hardening and bonding
using undiluted epoxy while warming will give the same
penetration. Also, when bought by the gallon, West System is
significantly less expensive.

One tip -- heat the *wood* surface rather than the epoxy (e.g., use a
heat gun). First, this will do a better a job of wicking in the epoxy
since it literally draws it in. Second, by not heating the pot, you
don't run the risk of overheating the epoxy or speeding up the hardening
too much.

> pick up some slow-cure epoxy at the hardware store. Mix it up and apply it
> to your "punky wood". Hit it with a heat gun or a hair dryer. The wood
> fibers will soak it up.

The problem with most generic hardware store epoxies is that they come
pretty thick (presumably various thickeners have been added like
silica). Even with heating the wood (or the epoxy), it may not be
viscous enough to wick in. West Systems sells resin and hardener that is
neither artificially thickened nor diluted -- if needed, they sell
various fillers to modify the properties for bonding, filleting,
wood-fill, etc.

>
> I don't know how well fully cured epoxy will take nails, but if it's 90%
> cured (like somewhere between 4 hours and 2 days depending on the type of
> epoxy and the ambient temp.), I'll bet it take nails really well.
>
> Lew.... this is your cue to jump in.
>
> -Steve
>
>
>
> "Sonny" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:3d816308-a490-40b8-910c-5974d36441d5@t20g2000yqe.googlegroups.com...
>> Some long time ago, on some forum, I read of a product that
>> resolidifies rotten, termite-eaten/powderpost beetle-eaten or
>> otherwise weakened or defected wood. Can someone direct me to this
>> product, if there is such, or a remedy for severely defected wood?
>> Removing part of the defects is an option, but in some places, glueing
>> new wood strips isn't an option, to restore the integrity of these
>> areas.
>>
>> The specific problem is, regarding upholstery, the mangled, softened
>> wood along the decorative nail paths on an antique chair. There are
>> numerous nail holes in the wood, from having been reupholstered
>> several times before, and much of the wood is "chewed" to "softness"
>> and/or seems to be in a soft dry-rotted state. The wood is no longer
>> stable enough to hold new nails. I've had success with bolstering
>> similar wood defects, as this, but this case is much more severe.
>>
>> I've thought about epoxy glue, but I have no experience, at all, with
>> epoxy glue, so I don't know if epoxy would be brittle and chip out,
>> when nailed into, especially along these narrow nail paths.
>>
>> Thanks for any help.
>> Sonny

On Fri, 5 Mar 2010 20:44:10 -0800, "Lew Hodgett" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>"Sonny" wrote:
>
>> Some long time ago, on some forum, I read of a product that
>> resolidifies rotten, termite-eaten/powderpost beetle-eaten or
>> otherwise weakened or defected wood. Can someone direct me to this
>> product, if there is such, or a remedy for severely defected wood?
>> Removing part of the defects is an option, but in some places,
>> glueing
>> new wood strips isn't an option, to restore the integrity of these
>> areas.
>>
>> The specific problem is, regarding upholstery, the mangled, softened
>> wood along the decorative nail paths on an antique chair. There are
>> numerous nail holes in the wood, from having been reupholstered
>> several times before, and much of the wood is "chewed" to "softness"
>> and/or seems to be in a soft dry-rotted state. The wood is no
>> longer
>> stable enough to hold new nails. I've had success with bolstering
>> similar wood defects, as this, but this case is much more severe.
>>
>> I've thought about epoxy glue, but I have no experience, at all,
>> with
>> epoxy glue, so I don't know if epoxy would be brittle and chip out,
>> when nailed into, especially along these narrow nail paths.
>
>------------------------------------------
>Epoxy and micro-balloons would be my weapons of choice to attack this
>problem.
>
>Removing the damaged wood fibers, then back filling with micro-balloon
>thickened epoxy will provide an incredibly strong repair.
>
>There are specialty epoxies that are very low viscosities from people
>like RotDoctor and GitRot that have been around forever for the wooden
>boat repair market.
>
>Based on your description, there are probably less expensive and
>better repair methods using standard laminating epoxy.
>
>A question.
>
>Are the nails and staples used in these repaired rails driven with a
>hammer or a pneumatic gun?
>
>Lew
>
>
A penetrating wood epoxy that is non pigmented and does a very good job of absorbing into
most wood is this stuff called CPES (Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer). All of the fillers used to make
putty and or thickened epoxy can be added as necessary. (milled glass fibers, cabosil, etc)

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/search.do?freeText=cpes&page=GRID&engine=adwords!6456&keyword=penetrating_epoxy

regards, Joe.
[email protected]

On Fri, 5 Mar 2010 11:01:38 -0500, "StephenM"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>Yes, Try epoxy.
>
>Ideally, you would like low-viscosity epoxy such as what comes in a kit like
>this:
>
>http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=20075&cat=1,190,42997
>
>
>I have used this product and it it worked well. But it's pricey and I think
>there may be a cheaper solution.
>
>One think about epoxy is that it is very temperature sensitive. When warmed,
>not only does it cure more quickly, but it looses most of it's viscosity as
>well. Warmed exopy will be almost as runny as water.
>
>pick up some slow-cure epoxy at the hardware store. Mix it up and apply it
>to your "punky wood". Hit it with a heat gun or a hair dryer. The wood
>fibers will soak it up.
>
>I don't know how well fully cured epoxy will take nails, but if it's 90%
>cured (like somewhere between 4 hours and 2 days depending on the type of
>epoxy and the ambient temp.), I'll bet it take nails really well.
>
>Lew.... this is your cue to jump in.
>
>-Steve


...I'm into a project that will require something like we're talking
about here. Basically a slice of a tree so it's *all* endgrain...I've
flattened it and dried it out to the point that I think it's done
contracting. There now is a check or two that I must fill with
something that will withstand the movement of the wood but still
retain some charactoristics of the wood. I use bondo for paint grade
repairs frequently and it's wonderful, but on this it's got to be some
kind of epoxy that I can color...this discussion is very informative.

cg
>
>
>
>"Sonny" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:3d816308-a490-40b8-910c-5974d36441d5@t20g2000yqe.googlegroups.com...
>> Some long time ago, on some forum, I read of a product that
>> resolidifies rotten, termite-eaten/powderpost beetle-eaten or
>> otherwise weakened or defected wood. Can someone direct me to this
>> product, if there is such, or a remedy for severely defected wood?
>> Removing part of the defects is an option, but in some places, glueing
>> new wood strips isn't an option, to restore the integrity of these
>> areas.
>>
>> The specific problem is, regarding upholstery, the mangled, softened
>> wood along the decorative nail paths on an antique chair. There are
>> numerous nail holes in the wood, from having been reupholstered
>> several times before, and much of the wood is "chewed" to "softness"
>> and/or seems to be in a soft dry-rotted state. The wood is no longer
>> stable enough to hold new nails. I've had success with bolstering
>> similar wood defects, as this, but this case is much more severe.
>>
>> I've thought about epoxy glue, but I have no experience, at all, with
>> epoxy glue, so I don't know if epoxy would be brittle and chip out,
>> when nailed into, especially along these narrow nail paths.
>>
>> Thanks for any help.
>> Sonny
>