Thread: Patching nail holes

Originally Posted by Ranger

Second option I’ve been is using is to fill the holes with tinted epoxy. This works okay but it takes a while since I have to wait for the epoxy to cure. Seems to take longer when it’s tinted.

What's the hurry?

I guess it depends on what you are making. For a deck out of palings I used dark grey Sikaflex with good success, and for other things I generally use clear epoxy, sometimes mixed with sawdust. Clear just looks like a black void, which is fine. The sawdust might be complementary of contrasting, depending on the job.

Perhaps the difference is that I'm not trying to hide the nail holes - I doubt that can be successfully done easily.

Patching nail holes it depends where and what/where are we starting from.

If you are trying to use pallet wood, There isn't an awful lot of hope. You're looking at huge holes which there was no care as to the aesthetics of their placement.

If you're shooting the nails, it is possible to place them within the grain pattern so that they are barely visible. These holes, usually, do not require much effort to hide in the final product.

If the nails are used "to hold parts in place while the glue dries" then a filler is needed.

If the end product is light weight and just a trim, a 23 gauge pin nailer is the answer. No filler, no nothing is needed.

There are a few fillers that accept stain. Elmer's and Minwax offer fillers that accept stain reasonably well.

On a pallet wood build I did I used a mix of water putty on small holes and plugs on larger damage. It wasn't an attempt to disguise the holes, just repair. I matched up as closely as I could a set of plug cutters with forstner bits and for the bigger holes I used a hole saw sans dill bit in the drill press to cut the plugs.

https://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=356366&d=1439622159

https://www.woodworkforums.com/attach...3&d=1439622049

Originally Posted by Ranger

Looking at different ways to patch nail holes.


First option I have been using is filling them with putty . I haven’t been overly happy with the results.

What I didn’t like about this solution is some of the nail holes are surrounded by the black rust in the wood, which makes the patch highly visible.

does this mean that you are using reclaimed wood?
IMO putty is the worst of your choices.

Second option I’ve been is using is to fill the holes with tinted epoxy. This works okay but it takes a while since I have to wait for the epoxy to cure. Seems to take longer when it’s tinted.

change your epoxy.
Depending on the manufacturer, you can get epoxy with chemistry arranged to give you 5, 15, 30 minute or longer gel times.

Third option is to inlay a new piece of wood over the nail hole.

I have tried matching the grain but have found that my cut lines haven’t been perfect, making the patch more visible.

inlay requires patience and care.

perhaps you could drill the nail holes out and fill with a matching cross grain plug.
The principle is the same as plugging screw holes, see Veritas® Tapered Snug-Plug® Cutters - Lee Valley Tools

Originally Posted by ian

Depending on the manufacturer, you can get epoxy with chemistry arranged to give you 5, 15, 30 minute or longer gel times.

I have noticed that adding pigment paste does affect the cure time of the 5 minute stuff.

Originally Posted by ian

does this mean that you are using reclaimed wood?
IMO putty is the worst of your choices.

change your epoxy.
Depending on the manufacturer, you can get epoxy with chemistry arranged to give you 5, 15, 30 minute or longer gel times.

inlay requires patience and care.

perhaps you could drill the nail holes out and fill with a matching cross grain plug.
The principle is the same as plugging screw holes, see VeritasÂ[emoji768] Tapered Snug-PlugÂ[emoji768] Cutters - Lee Valley Tools

Hi Ian,

Yes sorry I should have said that, I’m using reclaimed wood and after pulling the nails I’m left with the black stain. The Lee valley plugs might be the best way to go.

With the epoxy I’m using the West system no. 105. This sets quickly if you don’t add the die.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The Veritas taper plug cutter is really good. Just make sure your drill press is running slowly or you'll burn up the cutting edge

We use Techniglue with Solid Solutions pigment paste at work for filling, it's an overnight cure though

Originally Posted by Ranger

With the epoxy I’m using the West system no. 105. This sets quickly if you don’t add the die.

You could experiment with a different hardener.
what dye are you using? Perhaps change to a powdered pigment.

Or you could stay with the West 105 and use matching sawdust which shouldn't affect the cure time. I find that a volume ratio of 2:1 Dust:epoxy is about right because the dust pile has a lot of air in it.

Hi Ranger

I use a lot of reclaimed timber, and have experimented with many means of hiding nail holes, bolt holes, and other defects.

To plug nail holes my preferance is to make a plug with the Veritas plug cutter and to drill the hole with a forstner bit in the drill press. Cut the plug from an off cut of the same piece of timber so the grain matches, and align the plug grain properly. PVA glue is fine.

For bolt holes, I drill right through and glue in a dowell plug. Then I re-drill and use Veritas plugs on both sides to match the grain.

For defects, chips, etc that are too big for a single plug to cover, I drill and insert one plug and wait for the glue to set. Then I drill an overlapping hole and insert another plug - creates a sort of figure eight plug. Sometimes I insert four or five overlapping plugs in a line - a "centipede".



Cheers

Graeme

Originally Posted by ian

You could experiment with a different hardener.
what dye are you using? Perhaps change to a powdered pigment.

Its the feast Watson prooftint


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk