wax or shellac sticks to hide blunder?

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GarF

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I've got some ugly blowout at the edges of a couple of the seat mortices in the chair I'm building at the moment. The seat and legs are maple, with oak wedges in the tenons. Which filler would be best- I can blend either wax or shellac to match? Finishing plan is shellac sanding sealer followed by microcrystalline wax. I presume either option will work here, but there could be compatibility issues with different finishes? Could these be overcome by layering in the right order?

I figure a suitable range of one or the other would probably cover me for any future problem, ever.
Cheers
G
 
My experience of mistakes is I always know and I would always regret not remaking the damaged parts and doing the job correctly.
 
There are really three options for filler sticks; shellac, soft wax, and hard wax.

Shellac is the traditional solution from the french polishing era, but it's still perfectly valid today, especially if you're applying shellac sanding sealer. The best way of applying it is with a heated spatula or a soldering iron set to a low heat. Hard wax filler sticks also need to be melted, and they're very similar in application to shellac. The best and most comprehensive hard wax repair sticks are probably the ones from Konig, but be prepared because they're not cheap! Soft wax filler sticks are the cheap and cheerful option, they're easy to apply but they're not as permanent as the previous two, plus on a chair I'd be concerned about them rubbing off on the sitter's clothes.

Many people will recommend sawdust mixed with glue. It sounds like it would be an ideal fix, but be aware that professionals hardly ever use this. The reasons are that sawdust is closer to end grain than long grain, so it soaks up the glue and looks darker. Plus it can be a pig to finish over a glue/sawdust slurry so it'll become even more conspicuous. You'll almost always effect a better repair by filling a divot with five minute, crystal clear epoxy. Just make sure it's one of the genuine crystal clear variants.

Finally, AJB Temple makes a good point, it sounds like you need some more practise cutting wedged through tenons before embarking on an actual project. Far better than a patch is a properly done job in the first place. I make quite a few pieces with wedged through tenons, and I've learnt the hard way that producing a clean and tidy joint, time after time, requires a fair bit of patience.
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Many thanks, both. I'll give a hard wax a try as I handle wax fairly regularly with my other hat on so I should be able to apply that experience (and some old instruments). As a hobbyist I'm treating this as a learning opportunity. Since my daughter and I are working on it together there's no option to backtrack and remake the seat blank, although I do appreciate that point. The perfection of the end product isn't the payoff for me (this time), rather it's about her knowing that furniture doesn't come in a carboard box with an allen key and some black and white pictures, and that she'll know one end of a handplane from the other before she starts school. I'll be watching out for these pitfalls when her sister builds her chair next. Pictures will follow, eventually!
G
 
custard":3cxjmb3j said:
There are really three options for filler sticks; shellac, soft wax, and hard wax.

Shellac is the traditional solution from the french polishing era, but it's still perfectly valid today, especially if you're applying shellac sanding sealer. The best way of applying it is with a heated spatula or a soldering iron set to a low heat. Hard wax filler sticks also need to be melted, and they're very similar in application to shellac. The best and most comprehensive hard wax repair sticks are probably the ones from Konig, but be prepared because they're not cheap! Soft wax filler sticks are the cheap and cheerful option, they're easy to apply but they're not as permanent as the previous two, plus on a chair I'd be concerned about them rubbing off on the sitter's clothes.

Many people will recommend sawdust mixed with glue. It sounds like it would be an ideal fix, but be aware that professionals hardly ever use this. The reasons are that sawdust is closer to end grain than long grain, so it soaks up the glue and looks darker. Plus it can be a pig to finish over a glue/sawdust slurry so it'll become even more conspicuous. You'll almost always effect a better repair by filling a divot with five minute, crystal clear epoxy. Just make sure it's one of the genuine crystal clear variants.

Finally, AJB Temple makes a good point, it sounds like you need some more practise cutting wedged through tenons before embarking on an actual project. Far better than a patch is a properly done job in the first place. I make quite a few pieces with wedged through tenons, and I've learnt the hard way that producing a clean and tidy joint, time after time, requires a fair bit of patience.

A bit off topic, But that stool is truly stunning.
 
Many years ago when I was making stuff for Linely, any small goofs (and everybody made them) were filled with the appropriate coloured Brummer stopping. In our 'shop it was commonly called 'the Royal filler' :lol: :lol: - Rob
 
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