Checking in Jarrah [Archive]

Gestalt

27th November 2016, 08:45 AM

Hi Guys, Just wondering if anyone can recommend a glue/ filler for the checking in this timber. I'd like to re-saw a number of these for rails and styles for a series of doors, but I'd like to do something with this checking first. Maybe a low viscosity epoxy (if there's such a thing). Thanks for any advice or help.
Eric

IanW

28th November 2016, 08:21 AM

Gestalt, my advice would be to find some sound wood and save that stuff for some use where appearance & long-term stability won't matter. Perhaps there are reasons why you want to use those particular pieces, but no matter what you do, either with glues or fillers, you are unlikely to disguise or hide splits like that, and you run the risk of making them even more obvious.

But the main reason I would avoid those pieces, particularly for sensitive structures like doors, is that those splits are telling you that the wood experienced uneven tension as it dried. That may have been because of poor drying technique, or an inherent property of that piece. The pattern I can see on the top bit indicates it's cut obliquely across the grain, which may have contributed to the drying tension, and in any case, it's going to make the piece less stable, so I'd not recommend it for door parts, especially if it's an external door. You might get away with cutting out the splits & using it for rails or stiles on smaller, lighter, cupboard doors, but it's still risky, imo.

A lot of effort goes into building a door, so you may as well start with sound, stable material for the crucial parts. Use wild-grained stuff for the panels, which can wriggle & squirm a bit without causing structural problems. It's pretty disheartening when your nice new door sticks out an inch at the top or bottom corner whenever the weather changes. I know the feeling well, having built a pantry door out of poorly-chosen pine, some years ago! :C

Just one view....

Cheers,