MR

"Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott"

14/12/2004 3:10 PM

Filling small gap in mitered join

My medicine cabinet door w/inset mirror project is coming right along.
The door frame, which will hold the mirror, is built of poplar w/45
degree miters, joined with biscuits and glued with urethane glue. It's
not fine woodworking but once painted it will look all right. Hey --
it's square, flat, feels solid, and will fit the cabinet. I take my
little victories where I can.

One of the joints didn't close completely and needs a bit of filling.
The gap is no more than 0.02'' wide and half that deep. I have "Plastic
Wood" and that lightweight white spackling compound on hand. But this is
such a small gap that I would not expect either to sit down in it real
well when I go to finish sand before painting. What's a good filler with
strong adhesion for filling a small gap like this?

--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
"Still got all nine fingers!"


This topic has 11 replies

m

in reply to "Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott" on 14/12/2004 3:10 PM

15/12/2004 9:25 AM

bondo is your best and most permanent fix.

Ga

"Glen"

in reply to "Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott" on 14/12/2004 3:10 PM

15/12/2004 4:19 PM


Just take the sawdust from sanding and mix it into a paste with white
or yellow glue. It gives you good color matching, which in your case
isn't that important since you are painting. However, this is my
preferred filler for most times I need a filler and want a close match
to the wood I am using. Whenever I empty my belt sander bag, I just
empty it into a zip lock bag and keep the sawdust until I need some
filler.

Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott wrote:
> My medicine cabinet door w/inset mirror project is coming right
along.
> The door frame, which will hold the mirror, is built of poplar w/45
> degree miters, joined with biscuits and glued with urethane glue.
It's
> not fine woodworking but once painted it will look all right. Hey --
> it's square, flat, feels solid, and will fit the cabinet. I take my
> little victories where I can.
>
> One of the joints didn't close completely and needs a bit of filling.

> The gap is no more than 0.02'' wide and half that deep. I have
"Plastic
> Wood" and that lightweight white spackling compound on hand. But this
is
> such a small gap that I would not expect either to sit down in it
real
> well when I go to finish sand before painting. What's a good filler
with
> strong adhesion for filling a small gap like this?
>
> --
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> "Still got all nine fingers!"

Ff

"Fred"

in reply to "Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott" on 14/12/2004 3:10 PM

15/12/2004 4:24 PM


John Thomas wrote:
> "Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott"
> <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
> > What's a good filler with
> > strong adhesion for filling a small gap like this?
> >
>
> I've used a product called PC Woody; it's a two part, sort of epoxy
like
> filler. I used it to fill in some areas in window frames that had
dry-
> rotted over the years (cleaned out the dry rot, first, of course).
>
> This stuff worked really well - good working time, filled with no
> shrinkage, and was pretty easy to work with after.
>
> I painted over it, and you can't tell the difference between it, and
the
> surrounding good wood.
>
> Got it at the local Ace Hardware ...
>
> Regards,
> JT

Whats wrong with plain old two part epoxy? It's a little hard to sand
down but with a small gap shouldn't be a problem. Painted, it will be
invisable.

Fred

ll

loutent

in reply to "Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott" on 14/12/2004 3:10 PM

15/12/2004 8:31 AM

Hi Mike,

I have used Minwax "advanced" wood filler to
fill small (or even larger) gaps in painted projects.

It is a two part filler that dries rock hard in about
20 minutes or so. It's around $5 or so, but you get
a large amount so you can have it for other
projects. Once sanded smooth, the gap vanishes. I like
it because it doesn't seem to shrink like some others.

Miters always drive me crazy for some reason. There
always seems to be a small gap here and there.

Lou

In article <[email protected]>, Mike Rocket J.
Squirrel Elliott <[email protected]>
wrote:

> My medicine cabinet door w/inset mirror project is coming right along.
> The door frame, which will hold the mirror, is built of poplar w/45
> degree miters, joined with biscuits and glued with urethane glue. It's
> not fine woodworking but once painted it will look all right. Hey --
> it's square, flat, feels solid, and will fit the cabinet. I take my
> little victories where I can.
>
> One of the joints didn't close completely and needs a bit of filling.
> The gap is no more than 0.02'' wide and half that deep. I have "Plastic
> Wood" and that lightweight white spackling compound on hand. But this is
> such a small gap that I would not expect either to sit down in it real
> well when I go to finish sand before painting. What's a good filler with
> strong adhesion for filling a small gap like this?

cb

charlie b

in reply to "Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott" on 14/12/2004 3:10 PM

15/12/2004 12:50 AM

Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott wrote:
>
> My medicine cabinet door w/inset mirror project is coming right along.
> The door frame, which will hold the mirror, is built of poplar w/45
> degree miters, joined with biscuits and glued with urethane glue. I

snip

> One of the joints didn't close completely and needs a bit of filling.
> The gap is no more than 0.02'' wide and half that deep.

snip

You may be able to just burnish the gap shut. Use a smooth
screw driver shaft, chisel neck or the like and rub each edge
towards the gap. If you're careful you won't round the
mitered corner line noticably.

charlie b

RM

"Roger M."

in reply to "Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott" on 14/12/2004 3:10 PM

16/12/2004 12:10 AM

The best way is to get a good fit to begin with.........if necessary hand
plane the inside edge at a slight angle.
"John Thomas" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott"
> <[email protected]> wrote in
> news:[email protected]:
>
>> What's a good filler with
>> strong adhesion for filling a small gap like this?
>>
>
> I've used a product called PC Woody; it's a two part, sort of epoxy like
> filler. I used it to fill in some areas in window frames that had dry-
> rotted over the years (cleaned out the dry rot, first, of course).
>
> This stuff worked really well - good working time, filled with no
> shrinkage, and was pretty easy to work with after.
>
> I painted over it, and you can't tell the difference between it, and the
> surrounding good wood.
>
> Got it at the local Ace Hardware ...
>
> Regards,
> JT

JT

John Thomas

in reply to "Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott" on 14/12/2004 3:10 PM

15/12/2004 7:07 PM

"Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott"
<[email protected]> wrote in
news:[email protected]:

> What's a good filler with
> strong adhesion for filling a small gap like this?
>

I've used a product called PC Woody; it's a two part, sort of epoxy like
filler. I used it to fill in some areas in window frames that had dry-
rotted over the years (cleaned out the dry rot, first, of course).

This stuff worked really well - good working time, filled with no
shrinkage, and was pretty easy to work with after.

I painted over it, and you can't tell the difference between it, and the
surrounding good wood.

Got it at the local Ace Hardware ...

Regards,
JT

JT

John Thomas

in reply to "Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott" on 14/12/2004 3:10 PM

16/12/2004 1:47 AM

"Fred" <[email protected]> wrote in news:1103156651.668234.319400
@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:

> Whats wrong with plain old two part epoxy? It's a little hard to sand
> down but with a small gap shouldn't be a problem. Painted, it will be
> invisable.
>
> Fred
>

In general, probably nothing.

In my case, I had a number of corner areas to do, and wanted something
easier to work than regular epoxy, yet stronger than "bondo"-like
materials (eg, regular wood filler, spackle, whatever).

This stuff fit the bill -- good working time, easy enough to sand
afterwards, and no issue with paint adhesion. (The mfr claims you can
sand, drill, or plane the stuff. Dunno that I'd want to plane it, but it
was very workable ...)

Of course, YMMV.


Regards,
JT

FJ

"Frank J. Vitale"

in reply to "Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott" on 14/12/2004 3:10 PM

15/12/2004 3:50 PM

The min wax is good stuff but a little expensive for a small job. As long
as you are painting , you may get away with regular spackling compound, not
lite or even joint compound,

CS

"Charles Spitzer"

in reply to "Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott" on 14/12/2004 3:10 PM

15/12/2004 8:56 AM


"Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott"
<[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> My medicine cabinet door w/inset mirror project is coming right along. The
> door frame, which will hold the mirror, is built of poplar w/45 degree
> miters, joined with biscuits and glued with urethane glue. It's not fine
> woodworking but once painted it will look all right. Hey --
> it's square, flat, feels solid, and will fit the cabinet. I take my little
> victories where I can.
>
> One of the joints didn't close completely and needs a bit of filling. The
> gap is no more than 0.02'' wide and half that deep. I have "Plastic Wood"
> and that lightweight white spackling compound on hand. But this is such a
> small gap that I would not expect either to sit down in it real well when
> I go to finish sand before painting. What's a good filler with strong
> adhesion for filling a small gap like this?
>
> --
> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
> "Still got all nine fingers!"

since it's to be painted, bondo.

MR

"Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott"

in reply to "Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott" on 14/12/2004 3:10 PM

15/12/2004 5:35 AM

On 12/15/2004 12:50 AM charlie b wrote:

> Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott wrote:
>
>>My medicine cabinet door w/inset mirror project is coming right along.
>>The door frame, which will hold the mirror, is built of poplar w/45
>>degree miters, joined with biscuits and glued with urethane glue. I
>
>
> snip
>
>
>>One of the joints didn't close completely and needs a bit of filling.
>>The gap is no more than 0.02'' wide and half that deep.
>
>
> snip
>
> You may be able to just burnish the gap shut. Use a smooth
> screw driver shaft, chisel neck or the like and rub each edge
> towards the gap. If you're careful you won't round the
> mitered corner line noticably.

Good idea. That may work on the outside of the frame, but not on the
face. Maybe just a little bead of wood glue there, and sand down is all
I need.

--
--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
71 Type 2: the Wonderbus
84 Westphalia: "Mellow Yellow (The Electrical Banana)"
KG6RCR


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