Filling Knot Hole In - Cabinet Door

[Mike Goetzke]

My wife liked the look of a knot hole in a red oak cabinet door. The knot is about 1/2" in diameter and runs about 1/4" deep. I have seen some use epoxy but for one hole it's pretty expensive. I see they make dark brown wood filler - would it be OK to use this?

Another option is I do have some left over clear epoxy from some pen blanks I cast. My daughter has some black and coffee colored mica powder. Can this be mixed in the epoxy?

Thanks

 

[Birdhunter]

I don't know if this trick would work for you, but I use 80 grit sandpaper and some of the same wood to generate enough sawdust to fill the hole by 150%. I pack the sawdust into the hole and drip thin super glue over the hole. I then hit it with accelerator. I then sand off the excess. I recommend trying this on scrap to see if you like the results

 

[derekcohen]

Another option is I do have some left over clear epoxy from some pen blanks I cast. My daughter has some black and coffee colored mica powder. Can this be mixed in the epoxy?

Absolutely. That should do it.

5 minute epoxy (two-pack) and a tint. I use cement colouring powder. You could even try a little instant coffee.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[luvmytoolz]

@Mike Goetzke Any mica or glitter will mix in resin just fine. You can even mix a little of almost any acrylic pigment paste or alcohol ink.

For knots I find black mica as you suggested to provide the best look.

 

[tjbnwi]

We keep black and medium brown hot melt glue sticks for these situations. The finish we use has no compatibility issues with it.

Tom

 

[luvmytoolz]

We keep black and medium brown hot melt glue sticks for these situations. The finish we use has no compatibility issues with it.

Tom

Similar to the hot melt wood repair kits. The limed oak herringbone panelling I put in last year had all the knots filled in with that before they were sanded and finished, looks as natural as you could hope I think.

 

[RJNeal]

I have filled knot hole and for that matter also plugged counter bored hole with tree branches.
I keep an assortment of sizes and colors in stock.
You might need to sand the the plug to match the shape of your knot or cut it at angles to match the direction of the missing knot.
I have suspended beams from ceilings with GRK screws.we randomly spaced the holes.Some hole were plugged the convention way and some were filled with “knots”here is one example in the photos below

 

[woodferret]

Rangate/melt glue sticks are worth it. Less cray cray.

 

[Packard]

I’ve used Briwax’s hard melt filler sticks for gouges on finished furniture.

I had a black piano delivered years ago and it arrived with a small, but highly noticeable gouge in the side. The piano dealer sent a repairman to address the gouge.

He was an old guy with a bunch of hard wax (hot melt) fillers in various colors.

He used an oil paint artist’s knife and a small butane burner and melted the wax into the surface and flattened it with the knife. I was skeptical, but the result was perfect and impossible to detect.

Since then I have used both the hard wax (melt) and soft wax (room temperature) colored sticks for repairs and for filling nail holes on pre-finished moldings. The soft wax is easier and faster to use (and just as invisible) but it is not a suitable wear surface. The hot wax requires some skill, but is more durable.

You can “erase & repeat” until you get a satisfactory result. It is a good material to know how to use.

There are many YouTube examples (most seem to show a soldering iron-like tool for melting the wax. I use a knife like these: