Several manufacturers sell wood-repair epoxy products in kits that may include one or more of the following product types: Epoxy consolidants Where the wood component still retains its general shape, but has lost integrity due to rot, fungal growth, or insect damage, epoxy consolidants can be used to reinforce the remaining wood fiber. Wood filler cracks. It is a lot harder than wood filler to sand and get straight, but it is sure strong. Is epoxy worth the extra money? 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. JavaScript is disabled. The treated wood can be sanded, sawed, planed, drilled, nailed, routed, and painted. Once cured, the epoxy can be sanded, planed, cut, carved, drilled, nailed, and painted just like wood. Specific primers to be used on sound, clean, dry surfaces are also sold for use before filling with epoxy. Deteriorated wood in muntins was carefully removed and replaced with new wood splices in the fan portion of the sash. It was the only thing strong enough to support the weight and use of the door knobs. One of the lids is marked with a red dot so you can easily identify which tub is which without opening the container. Replace the entire decayed wooden element when . 2022 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Anyway, I stick to a basic set of rules : bondo for interior filling (like norml said, do your carving and shaping before it sets). Deteriorated wood in muntins was carefully removed and replaced with new wood splices in the fan portion of the sash. its square stock or something readily available and easily replaced. The product typically comes in cans or tubes labeled as A and B. Don't know that it fills pores and structurally hardens the soft material like Abatron is supposed to. Ray Tschoepe. But a large epoxy repair is unnecessary for a common building component. As thermosetting compounds, they cure through a heat reaction. Applying and working with WoodEpox is easy and straightforward. Avoid shallow or too-large containers. 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. Ray Tschoepe. (Wearing gloves is recommended.) Does anyone know how both materials hold up over time. Woody Two-Part Wood Repair Epoxy Paste, Timbermate Maple/Beech/Pine Hardwood 8-ounce Wood Filler, Protective Coating P.C. Different formulations make epoxy compounds compatible with wood, glass, stone, concrete, and more. In small projects, resin and hardener mix is often simply brushed repeatedly onto the component surface as the wood drinks it up. I've usually tried to take down the highest spots with a SHARP paring chisel and sanded only to finish. Please share your opinions Thanks. Paul Marlowe of ConServ Epoxy, Damaged wood in the decay zone is scraped with a mechanics pick as a HEPA vacuum keeps things clear.Courtesy Conserv Epoxy. product to which you refer, but would never mix products that use different solvents. But it gives you a compatible material to experiment with. A historic Palladian-style window is in place after repairs that involved several products and techniques. If the decay was caused by a gutter leak overhead, fix the gutter! Some of the 'wood epoxy' sold is pretty much the same thing as Bondo, just packaged differently. A DIYer offers first-person hints on using an epoxy filler. Epoxy consolidants, however, are for the most part not reversible; once they have cured they cannot be undone. Next, an epoxy filler readily bonds to the cured consolidant and wood. An epoxy adhesive was used. Epoxy fillers formulated for wood can be tooled once cured. 2) the wood thoroughly dried through air circulation or heaters. A deteriorated window sash is saturated with liquid epoxy consolidant, with special attention paid to end grain. Another method to accelerate drying is brushing acetone (caution: flammable) on the wet surface. But if it is in an area where appearance doesn't count I will. This article is about those epoxy products used to reinforce and fill wood elements. Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine. Step 4 Additional filling and tooling (after cure) restores the original profiles. Developed by Gougeon Brothers initially for boatbuilding, West System has a full line of epoxies for outdoor use. (More upcoming in OHJs Sept. 2019 issue.) - M.K. *I have some extensive window repairs on one or two sashes at a job I am working on. (Consult the manufacturers recommendations.) High-performance epoxies for wood, concrete, stone & metal, ConServ Epoxy LLC | conservepoxy.com Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features. I too have often wondered why people use automotive body filler on here for their wood work. When they are mixed together, a chemical reaction changes the resin into a gel and then a solid. A kit comes with two same-size tubs (Part A and Part B). Epoxy paste filler Consolidants help restore the integrity of wood, but it takes epoxy fillers to replace lost wood fiber. I can confidently Coating large areas with consolidant creates a moisture barrier, which can actually trap moisture and speed up the decay process. *I have to agree with bullet. For now, feel free to continue reading. the final product will be clear finished. I think if you ask the guys that do many of these restorations, they use Bondo because it is a lot tougher. *Following a previous discussion on this forum I tried Bondo on a refinishing project. Worked on a project in Brooklyn replacing all the sash in an old hotel. the element or piece would be difficult to replicate with new wood, such as molded trim that would require sophisticated machining or laborious handwork. Moisture content should be below 17%. Epoxies are two-part systems. the piece must be drilled for screws or milled for joinery. Dont use two-partcar repair productson wood. Moisture and water diminish penetration and adhesion. These are mixed (thoroughly) immediately before application. You are using an out of date browser. Repair products including common auto-body filler get caught up in the confusion. It didn't take finish the same as the wood so to my eye it stands out. Using the opposite hand, pull out an equal sized lump from the other container. it is important to respect original construction and wood species. Step 5 In the finished, painted column, note the all-important vent that allows air flow into the shaft to exit at the capital. Same observations about sanding. (Wearing gloves is recommended.) 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. (You can always remove excess material after it cures.) Step 3 New mouldings were milled in redwood for the base, adhered with the same epoxies. Here a quick tube link on Abatron wood epoxy. Why not use products made for wood work? I thought it was mentioned that bondo doesn't react thermally (expansion/contraction) so it won't crack once cured, but wood filler does. 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. I've used the wood Bondo for repairs to two particle board Atari cabinets (Crystal Castles and a System II). Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox. The epoxies used in rehabilitating wood are made up of a resin and a hardener. Pressing the Escape (ESC) button will close the modal and bring you back to where you were on the page. Stay tuned for the first newsletter in the morning, straight to your inbox. Rose, Expert insights on techniques and principles. This is a dialog window which overlays the main content of the page. the damage covers more than 50% of the piece. The trick is not to put it on too thick (build up layers or use blocks of wood to fill voids), and to sand/trim while the material is still plastic (within 30 minutes of application). I make sure I add a little extra, because it is better to overfill the void than to under-fill it. the piece cant be easily removed without taking apart other components, such as a pegged windowsill. Abatron for exterior stuff requiring consolidation, usually Abatron putty after for filling voids. In consolidation, the porous, damaged, decayed wood is saturated with a thin, liquid epoxy consolidant, which hardens within the wood. You can check out this product, as well as Wood Epox at http://www.abatron.com/home002.htm. "I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. A good primer applied before painting, and the repair is almost undetectable. All Rights Reserved. Epoxies have grown in versatility and thus popularity, but they are not always the right answer. 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. Epoxy primer When a liquid consolidant is used with a paste filler, the consolidant acts as an effective bonding primer. Disclosure. We used Abatron products with great results. Good use of epoxy on damaged wood falls into two categories (not mutually exclusive): consolidation, and filling. Abatron | abatron.com A historic Palladian-style window is in place after repairs that involved several products and techniques.Ray Tschoepe. Sure, a repair project can resort to both epoxy use and traditional patching in kind. 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. Use less hardener. Im not familiar with the P.C. Learn how to measure, cut, and build window casing made of cellular PVC, solid wood, poly-ash boards, or any common molding material. I turned to my favorite wood filler, a two-part epoxy made by Abatron called WoodEpox. *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. 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). Moreover, dont assume that a product with two parts is an epoxy. Its an active compound that presents certain health hazards if conditions allow. Chemists can adjust the rate at which the epoxy cures. *One thing mentioned the last time this came up is that the Abatron products, and another I can't remebemr the name of, are suposed to be compatible with wood movement; you know the bondo isn't. 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. The epoxy curing process actually has three stages, and this can be a great advantage when working with fillers. It provides quick, controlled removal of damaged wood, clear visibility of the decay zone, and constant assessment of the substrate. Use separate measuring tools to scoop from the A and B containers to avoid contamination. I used a wood filler from Lowes on my cab resto. Put mixed components on ice, if possible. Also, can I use a consolidant like the water based P.C Epoxy stuff with a bondo type filler. So, for quality work I probably won't use it again. So, if it were my job, I'd go the extra mile. 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. *The epoxy product that I have used (Abatron) is worth the extra if for no other reason that it sands more like the wood, whereas Bondo is much harder than the wood and will tend to stand proud of the surrounding areas if you're not careful when sanding. Indeed, the beauty of consolidants from a practical (as well as historic preservation) standpoint is that they retain much of the original wood element. Epoxies cannot penetrate wood fiber that already has a high moisture content, as might be found inside a post or column. 2143 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50312. i don't know if that is true or not, I've never seen it in the Abatron literature. Using only your left or right hand, pull out a ball of material. . Wood-rot repair epoxies & restoration materials. Step 2 After consolidation with a liquid epoxy, a paste slurry and then a paste filler are used. 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). Conservator John Leeke mixes a two-part epoxy compound at a work site (HistoricHomeWorks.com).Courtesy John Leeke. Gordon Bock. A common mistake we see is someone using a consolidant as a protective coating, rather than as a treatment for decayed wood. As it hardens use a razor blade to rough cut to shape, then sand it to be exact. I heard automotive filler (bondo) will eventually pop out of place or crack if applied to wood. Repair of exterior columns using ConServ Epoxy products involved liquid borate preservative, epoxy consolidation, epoxy filling and shaping, and new wood at the base. Epoxy comes in handy when replacement of a component is difficult due to surrounding structures, or because of the location. By volume, epoxy fillers are more expensive than most woods, so consider the value of making repairs with epoxy versus new wood. Generally speaking, the consolidant is resin that has been formulated for low viscosity so that porous wood readily absorbs it like a sponge. 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. You must log in or register to reply here. Thanks in advance. I have used bond to repair old house doors where the glass door knobs ate the wood away so thin it broke out. Before the epoxy cures to the third solid stage, it passes through a second stage, often called the gel or kick-off stage. Missing wood in the door frame from old hinge locations needed patching, too. Woody Epoxy Paste, 7 Best Soil pH Tester Reviews: Grow Strong and Healthy Plants in Perfect Soil Conditions, 8 Best Circular Saw Reviews: High Powered Tools for Woodworking Tasks, 5 Best Soil Test Kits for Your Garden or Lawn Reviews and Buying Guide, 7 Best Work Boots for Men and Women: Reviews & Comparisons, 6 Best Electric Indoor Grills: Reviews and Comparisons, 8 Best Tactical Knife Reviews: Protect Yourself With A Tough Knife, 7 Best Deer Repellent Reviews for a Deer Resistant Garden, Food Dehydrator Buying Guide: 15 Recommendations for Every Budget, 7 Best Waffle Maker Reviews: To Make Delicious Golden-Brown Waffles, 8 Best Toolbox Reviews: Amazingly Portable Tool Storage Organizers, 10 Best Fixed Blade Knife Reviews: Ultimate Outdoor Survival Companions, 7 Best Machete Reviews: Ultimate Multi-functional Jungle Cutting Tools, 10 Best Cleaver Reviews: Chop Food Like a Professional Chef, 8 Best Coffee Percolator Reviews and Buying Guide, 7 Best Deep Fryers for Home Use Reviews & Comparisons, 7 Best Fertilizer Spreaders for Home Use Reviews & Buying Guide, 5 Best Garden Sprayers (Electric or Manual Pump) Reviews & Buying Guide, 5 Best Cantilever Umbrella Reviews: Stylish, Quality Outdoor Umbrellas, 7 Best Low-Flow Water Conserving Toilets to Efficiently Save Water at Your Home, 6 Best Wheelbarrow Reviews Buying Guide and Recommendation, 10 Best Pruning Saws for Trees (Hand & Pole Saw) Reviews & Buying Guide, Fill small or large gaps between your floorboards and skirting boards, Smooth wood grain so that is ready to be painted or stained, Act as an adhesive to bond surfaces together, Repair ceramics, concrete, metal, and fiberglass surfaces, Also available as an indoor and indoor filler, Can crack and crumble if used to fill large holes, Kit contains an epoxy wood filter and a hardener, Fills and rebuilds missing sections of wood, Can be sanded, painted, stained, drilled, carved, sawed, nailed, and machined, Ideal for furniture restorers and cabinet makers, Curing time for inside repairs will depend on temperature, Can be used for a wide range of applications, Accepts stain and paint more naturally than other wood filler products, Fast drying in 15 minutes to a light tan color, Can be sanded, drilled, sawed, painted or stained in 25 minutes, Two-part epoxy system formulated for wood bonding and repairs, Ideal for woodworking, furniture, and home repairs, Provides a lasting permanent bond that is stronger than wood, Can be shaped, tapped, filed, sanded and drilled, painted and stained, If the temperature is below 40F, the curing time will be longer, Fast drying time does not allow for adjustments, Permanently repairs, rebuilds, and restores damaged or rotted wood, Durable wood filler that will not shrink or crack, Can also be used on ceramics, concrete, metal, and fiberglass, Ideal for large restoration or repair projects, Highly resistant to sunlight, mold, dry rot, chemicals in fresh and saltwater, High viscous composition does not sag or drip, Permanently bonds to wood and looks like real wood, Can be sanded, hammered, drilled, screwed, stained and painted, Longer drying time allows for shaping and adjustments, Thick consistency can be difficult to get out of the tub, Can be used for scratches, cracks, and holes, Specially designed for interior repair jobs, Takes nails, screws, planing, sawing, drilling, and routing, Will not become permanent unless you apply a finish, Fast drying time may not be ideal for some applications, Use only stainless steel or plastic tools to apply the filler. 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. Epoxy fillers formulated for wood can be tooled once cured.OHJ archive/gordon bock. Industry-First Cordless Rebar Cutter and Bender, How to Finish Drywall Around a Shower Enclosure, Reusable Flood Bags for Fast Bulk-Water Control, Keep Craft Alive Podcast: Ep.18, Kate Hersey and the Minnesota Tool Library, Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20, 10 Steps to Install Crown Molding on Cabinets, Choosing the Right Construction Tape for the Job, Pretty Good House Book Excerpt: Copper Farmhouse, 10 Dos and Don'ts for Electric In-Floor Heat, Framing Stairs to an Out-of-Level Landing, Good-Looking and Long-Lasting Traditional Gutters, The Fine Homebuilding Interview: William B. (Ive been using it for years, ever since I saw an advertisement for it in Old-House Journal in 2003.). Ray Tschoepe. *Have used Bondo in many interior and exterior applications without problem. Do not get liquid materials on your skin. If it's hardening before you can do basic shaping it's got too much. 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. Im doing my first restoration and Ive seen alot of people on here use bondo, which is great. this is your third epoxy fill on the same piece of wood. Wearing latex gloves (epoxy can be disastrously sticky), open both containers. 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. 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. With WoodEpox, one part is a dark tan color and the other is bright white. you need to replace up to 50% of the element. An epoxy adhesive was used.Ray Tschoepe. You can reform missing pieces if you had to. By the 1960s, strong epoxy adhesives were on hardware-store shelves. Epoxy wont stick to either one. I just figure any dollars I save in materials, I will pay many times over in rework if something fails. Epoxy was used as an alternative to metal fasteners in the production of aircraft. Allow a 24- to 48-hour cure time, depending on the application and humidity levels. The cured epoxy can be hard and brittle or soft and rubbery. With custom epoxy formulations and easy-to-use kits, Abatron is committed to conservators and do-it-yourselfers. Next, an epoxy filler readily bonds to the cured consolidant and wood. Anything structural and exterior, West System epoxy, and an assortment of phenolic microballoons and other fillers. Once the epoxy is thoroughly blended, apply it to the damaged area. Learn about epoxy products and their best use, get tips from the experts, and see a DIY project. Sometimes called a dutchman, a scarf repair is used when only part of a wood element needs to be replaced. Dont try to sand the repair too soon or it will gum up your sanding discs or pull away from the filled area. Traditional repair methods (such as a wood dutchman, scarf, or splice) or replacement of a part may be better options. Clean the area you plan to fill, removing any dirt or grease, and allow to dry. (If you do, wash immediately with vinegar, then soap and water). Unlike simple one-part wood putty, epoxy fillers are, again, mixed from A and B components and often formulated not only to adhere well to consolidated wood (which helps increase their bond in tough, outdoor conditions) but to flex like wood and even tool like wood using planes, chisels, and sandpaper. Epoxy technologydates to the 1940s; like plywood and Plexiglas, it was an innovation of the war effort. Plus, get tips for a clean and solid installation. 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. Patching with Wood Wood damaged by rot or fungal growth needs to have. Additives may make them more flexible or spreadable. 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. To mitigate in these conditions, keep the epoxy components (before mixing) in a cool place. Body filler is made for sheet metal work. After the fresh surface is coated with an epoxy primer, voids are filled with epoxy paste filler. . A brushless motor and 36v batteries power Metabo HPTs cordless rebar bender and cutter. Reversibility is a key preservation tenet, and thus required for some work on landmarked buildings and antiques. 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. These consist of resins and additives combined (often in proprietary mixtures) to make a gap-filling paste. 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. Moreover, they can often be used without removing the building part from its installed position. 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. It's a poor choice for filling any deep area, which the directions usually point out. I'm not familiar with the P.C. Of course, you have to step back and solve the initial problem. The two distinct colors of A and B will slowly turn to a consistent light tan together. 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. On the plus side, it was CHEAP. . Bondo is the way to go. The solvent accelerates evaporation. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Many sashes had bondo repairs, and the wood either separated from the patch, or rotted away around it. paper as a separator. Especially on the bottoms of cabs. To protect the epoxy patch from rain while it cures, loosely cover the repair with plastic sheeting. For this reason, some restoration conservators use consolidants along with wood preservatives, such as borates, when working on large repairs. Unfortunately, its often hard to see where decayed and sound wood meet. Damaged wood in the decay zone is scraped with a mechanics pick as a HEPA vacuum keeps things clear. Alex Santantonio, A deteriorated window sash is saturated with liquid epoxy consolidant, with special attention paid to end grain. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Wear a respirator when working with epoxy. More aggressive tools can be used for large decay zones, but a vacuum is always beneficial. 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. say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." Paste fillers can be colored, either by adding dry pigments to the A/B blend during mixing, or by staining or painting after hardening. Stay away from two-part car repair products! 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). The word epoxy often is used erroneously to mean any resin applied to repair woodeven when the resin is not epoxy. You see when youve reached sound wood, and you can creep to a thin edge. 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. The work time is at most 20 minuteslong enough not to rush, but short enough that everything should be set up and ready to go before you start. 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. . Permanent repair products for wood, concrete, etc. about 80 to 85% percent of the element is still sound material. Admittedly the casual observer probably won't see the difference. Abatron, Wear a respirator when working with epoxy.bigy9950/adobe stock. People confuse many adhesive, bonding, and filling products with epoxies. Conservator John Leeke mixes a two-part epoxy compound at a work site (HistoricHomeWorks.com). Wearnitrile, vinyl, or rubber (Playtex) gloves, and eyeprotection. Absolutely all of the decayed wood must be saturated; otherwise moisture and ongoing rot is trapped, which hastens deterioration. Preparing decay zones for epoxyrepair: My method uses a HEPA vacuum along with a 90 auto mechanics pick pulled across the grain. I now know how to fix a few things on my cab I'm working on. They include five-minute adhesives, bar-top coatings, and paints. Start your subscription today and save up to 70%. And you dont need $150 worth of epoxy when you can splice in a $10 piece of wood, says conservator Ray Tschoepe. product to which you refer, but would never mix products that use different solvents.
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abatron wood epoxy vs bondo