you can actually use almost anything you like - I tend to use sawdust and CA
glue to fill cracks - dribble in CA, rub with sawdust, repeat, turn, check,
repeat - if you want contrast, use a different wood, if you want to make it
blend in and look natural, use dust/shavings from the piece itself. Brass,
aluminum, silver all work well, you can color the epoxy with paint powders,
chalk, or leave it clear

"tom koehler" wrote in
message net.net...
In my efforts at turnng bowls and somewhat deeper vessels, I find an
occasional crack for one reason or another. I also create some surface
defects from sometimes less-handy manipulation of my cutting tools. If the
defects are not fatal to the piece and I think I want to salvage the
piece, I
have decided that a decorative accent may be the ticket. I have obtained
some
powdered brass, which I mix with epoxy, forming a thick paste. The paste
and
the hardened epoxy will be a brownish or perhaps olive green color. I work
the paste into the crack or other defect, and let it harden. After sanding
the bowl or other thing, I then use steel wool and plenty of elbow grease,
to
produce a shiny brass "inlay" where the defect was, and it doesn't look
half
bad. A clear finish like varnish or shellac, preserves the brass shine.

In my efforts so far, the object is turned to nearly its finished state
and
preliminary sanding is done. The flaw is filled. When the epoxy is ready
for
sanding, I hand sand the epoxy surface, rather than sanding the whole
piece
while spinning on the lathe. The wood and the epoxy are radically
different
surfaces, and the wood will get sanded more deeply than the epoxy. If the
piece is quite round, a fine scraping cut may be done on the lathe to true
up
the epoxied surface with the wood, and then a complete and general finish
sanding may be done on the lathe.

I realize this method may offend the finer sensibilities of some, but I
also
accept that no matter what kind of work I do, it will not appeal to
everyone.
In any case, it works for me, and reduces the amount of firewood I produce
in
my shop.

For those who are curious, http://www.artmolds.com/category187.cfm will
take
you to a site where you can order powdered brass, bronze, and copper. You
can
also get a powdered marble or stone which can be dyed to some extent. I
have
no financial interest in this site. Just thought you might be interested.

respectfully,
tom koehler


--
I will find a way or make one.