Filling very small gaps

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Digizz

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After gluing up my table top I've got the tiniest of gaps at one of the mitre corners. Less than a fraction of a mm but just noticeable.

I'm going to use Patina as the finish and was wondering what the best filler for the gap might be? Wax, PVA and sawdust, filler etc?

Thanks :)
 
I've been using the sawdust (from the sanding of the piece) mixed with PVA wood glue with good results.
Make up a paste out of very fine sawdust from your table top and use the minimum amount of glue possible to make quite a stiff paste. Press/spread this into the hairline crack and wait for it to completely dry (24 hours). When sanded out it should disappear!
Could always test the idea on some scrap. If the finished result is too dark compared to the rest of the wood, it may be because you've used to much glue.
I'd avoid any synthetic fillers.
Good luck.
 
May I recommend a trick from my guitar repairing days?
Get some araldite, the slow setting type, mix up a sufficient amount, then warm it with a hairdryer until all the air comes out (it will go transparent and runny). Then mix in some sawdust from the wood (sand a piece of scrap until you have enough. Mix it into the araldite, then warm it again. The advantage of using araldite over normal glue is that you can control the consistency by apply heat or allowing it to cool. When you apply the mix to the crack, heat it again and you will see bubbles come out as the air is expanded and driven out of the crack. You will need to add some more mix until there is a slight crown over the affected area, and applying heat no longer makes it shrink into the crack.
Leave it a few hours until it has started to set, then you can carefully slice off most of the excess with a sharp stanley blade. When full set, sand level.
For best results, experiment on a scrap piece first. Most sawdust will go a bit darker than the wood it came from, but that might be a good thing, certainly better than if it was a bit lighter
John
 
Depending on the finish, sawdust with blond de-waxed shellac makes an excellent 'wood putty' . Same concept as the above ideas - has worked well for me in the past.
 
I donno if this'll work for big gaps... but (posted this in the finishing section) I ran into a kewl filler when finishing the footboard of the God will it ever be finished bed project.. Oil... wet sanded into the grain with 320 wet-n-dry to begin with.... second coat of oil treated the same, only switchin the paper to 600 grit.. the elm came up like glass...
 
Sounds like I need to spend a few hours practising - good techniques to learn though. Thanks.
 
I used the PVA and sawdust solution for a small crack a long time ago and it looked great - until I applied the finish and then it showed up just as badly because the PVA stopped the 'dust' in the crack taking up the stain. Cost me almost £200 as I had to start again...but I did get a nice desk out of it! Since then I have taken to using Famowood filler -- plenty of colour matches to choose from and they take the stain same as the wood, but best of all they go into minute cracks. I buy them from Home Depot in the US -- I always take an empty suitcase with me going and it's full on the return journey. On average I save at least the cost of the airfare just on new jeans and shirts, never mind tools and drools. The new router raised some security eyebrows last trip though ($90 versus £175).
 
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