Thread: Filling large splits holes in end grain with epoxy

You need to make sure you mix exactly the right amount of hardener to the resin. Also the final resin after going off can actually feel sticky or soft on the surface but probably won't be if you cut some of the overfill off and get back to the final finished height of the resin.

You need to also make sure that there is no water present in what you embed in the resin or in or on the timber you are filling as this can cause problems. However it shouldn't affect the drying.

Take a fine slice off the proud bit of resign and you'll probably find what's underneath is fine and hard.

Hope this is of some help.

Cheers - Neil

From those images you've linked to, I very much doubt that they're dry and that they still have a fair amount of drying to do and most likely a fair bit of splitting to still happen.

How long ago was this piece cut from the log and how long has the log been down for?

If the casting resin hasn't set off by now, I doubt that it will. The surface can feel sticky, but underneath should be hard. Only suggestion would be to buy an extra bottle of MEKP and try a new batch to see if it is something to do with the catalyst.

Don't worry about masking the top surface; the resin is not going to draw into the timber for any significant distance - you'd probably need a magnifying glass to see it, so it'll rout/sand out just fine.

Originally Posted by DJ's Timber

From those images you've linked to, I very much doubt that they're dry and that they still have a fair amount of drying to do and most likely a fair bit of splitting to still happen.

How long ago was this piece cut from the log and how long has the log been down for?

The tree was cut down in July 2012 and these were cut from the tree at the same time, so it's been 20 months. They've been sitting under the cover of the carport since then.

How long should I leave these to dry? I haven't seen any movement in the splits for the last 6 months so assumed they were probably stable, but I have to admit that I have absolutely no experience in this.

Originally Posted by ibecs

The tree was cut down in July 2012 and these were cut from the tree at the same time, so it's been 20 months. They've been sitting under the cover of the carport since then.

How long should I leave these to dry? I haven't seen any movement in the splits for the last 6 months so assumed they were probably stable, but I have to admit that I have absolutely no experience in this.

In that case you've been pretty lucky, it can be a bugger to dry these without major splitting. If you haven't seen any movement in the last six months then I would say they're dry enough.

Originally Posted by DJ's Timber

In that case you've been pretty lucky, it can be a bugger to dry these without major splitting. If you haven't seen any movement in the last six months then I would say they're dry enough.

This one was definitely the best of the bunch. Some of the others are a total mess.