Thread: Glue/Sawdust Mix vs Woodfiller

If you want strength I would use epoxy.

Some photos of the pieces might be useful to help determine what might work.

Originally Posted by BobL

If you want strength I would use epoxy.

Do you mean epoxy on the joint itself and bypass any titebond etc on the joint? I didn't think of that.. that would be a good solution. I've never used epoxy before, any recommendations for brand etc?

20210301_080239137_iOS.jpg20210301_080253760_iOS.jpg
here are a couple of pictures. You can see two holes here that I'd like to fill to maximise surface contact on the joint

The holes are hidden. Glue provides virtually no strength to a butt joint like this, so just glue your dowels in and clamp the joint until dry. My preferred method of joining on a butt joint like this would have been loose tenons, much more glue surface area.

Originally Posted by aldav

The holes are hidden. Glue provides virtually no strength to a butt joint like this, so just glue your dowels in and clamp the joint until dry. My preferred method of joining on a butt joint like this would have been loose tenons, much more glue surface area.

Okay I'm confused... glue provides no strength?
So I can ignore the dowel holes and it won't make a difference? My thoughts were that that extra surface area would give a little bit of extra space for more glue. One or two (or more on other boards) holes would take away the total surface area for the glue to bond... I've got that wrong?

Total newb to this still. Loose tenon joinery (besides dowels ) is beyond my skill level.

What about through-dowels? I can potentially use Brass rods as through-dowels, will that increase the strength?
It will mean some more cutting and thicknessing which isn't what I was after, but it's an option.

Originally Posted by aussieadam

Do you mean epoxy on the joint itself and bypass any titebond etc on the joint? I didn't think of that.. that would be a good solution. I've never used epoxy before, any recommendations for brand etc?

I mean just fill the holes with epoxy and then glue using whatever you were going to use. Filling the holes with a high strength material like epoxy would helps prevent the joint splitting along teh dowel line. However given there are only two (covered) holes I wouldn't worry about filling the holes and just glue the dowels and joint as per normal

Originally Posted by BobL

I mean just fill the holes with epoxy and then glue using whatever you were going to use. Filling the holes with a high strength material like epoxy would helps prevent the joint splitting along teh dowel line. However given there are only two (covered) holes I wouldn't worry about filling the holes and just glue the dowels and joint as per normal

thanks very much, Bob. I'll try that!
As for only two... well this is the only joint I showed you... some of the other ones are, shall we say, holier

Originally Posted by aussieadam

thanks very much, Bob. I'll try that!
As for only two... well this is the only joint I showed you... some of the other ones are, shall we say, holier

On a joint that size , if it has more than two holes I would probably fill them with epoxy.

Originally Posted by BobL

On a joint that size , if it has more than two holes I would probably fill them with epoxy.

thanks!
This okay?
Gorilla 25ml Clear Epoxy Glue | Bunnings Warehouse

Originally Posted by aussieadam

thanks!
This okay?
Gorilla 25ml Clear Epoxy Glue | Bunnings Warehouse

Should be fine, I use so much epoxy I usual by it by the half litre and that's nothing compared to some people I know.

Originally Posted by BobL

Should be fine, I use so much epoxy I usual by it by the half litre and that's nothing compared to some people I know.

good grief, that's a lot!! What do you buy? I'll probably have to get more than one of the above products, so it might be cheaper to buy in bulk.

Originally Posted by aussieadam

Okay I'm confused... glue provides no strength?
So I can ignore the dowel holes and it won't make a difference? My thoughts were that that extra surface area would give a little bit of extra space for more glue. One or two (or more on other boards) holes would take away the total surface area for the glue to bond... I've got that wrong?

End grain doesn't glue well in general, that's why we use dowels/tenons/dovetails/literally anything other than a plain butt join to provide side grain for the glue to stick to. As others have mentioned, those 2 holes will make zero practical difference to the strength of the joint.

The way we'd fill stuff ups like that at work (yeah, the pros do it too ) was just gluing a dowel in the hole with white glue and trimming it flush with the surface with a sharp chisel.

Originally Posted by elanjacobs

End grain doesn't glue well in general, that's why we use dowels/tenons/dovetails/literally anything other than a plain butt join to provide side grain for the glue to stick to. As others have mentioned, those 2 holes will make zero practical difference to the strength of the joint.

The way we'd fill stuff ups like that at work (yeah, the pros do it too ) was just gluing a dowel in the hole with white glue and trimming it flush with the surface with a sharp chisel.

/facepalm. Why didn't I think of that?!?!?! That's such an easy solution, haha.
Okay new plan. I'll fill those with dowel, then glue the joint as normal (epoxy or titebond?). Then I'll add brass through-dowels for a feature and added strength?
Walnut + brass looks great, so it could work

Titebond is fine (and easier to clean up).

Brass pins do look pretty cool, just make sure you sand them flush by hand with a hardwood block wrapped in sandpaper; foam orbital sanding pads will "wrap" around the difference in hardness between the brass and timber and leave raised areas around each pin.