Oak Filler

[fisher2008]

Hi

I need to fill some holes and a reasonable chunk in an oak door, whats the beast way to go about this?

Is it filler, what do you recommend?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

Interior or exterior? How big are the gaps? Colour of the oak (e.g. natural, brown, American white, Jacobean blackened, etc)? Has the door been finished? How will it be finished afterwards? Need a bit nore info to give any sort of accurate answer

 

[fisher2008]

About the size of a 5p is the biggest, the internal doors are not finished yet but will be oiled, oak is a lightish oak

thanks

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I'll assume rustic-ish then. 5p is a fairly big hole, so I'd consider trying to whittle some oak pegs from an offcut to hammer into the holes, cut them off flush and sand in. Do your oiling next and when dry mix some coloured waxes to a matching colour (Makers: Liberon, Briwax - you may need 2 or 3 sticks to mix-up a match) by scraping shavings off wax sticks, roll into a ball in your palm and press into any remaining cracks with your thumb or a spatula (Hint: works faster/easier if you keep the wax sticks standing in a mug of hot water). You need to do this after oiling because the oil will change the colour of the timber. Buff off the wax with a coarse cloth (offcut of well-washed old jeans). You can't really fill anything as big as a 5p piece in one pass with filler and in any case it will stand out like a sore thumb. If you fill it in stages then oil over the top, because it absorb finish differently to the wood, it will again stand out. Plugging at least gives you the chance to disguise the holes. Of course you could go the other way - once got told to fill the holes in a rustic oak floor with bright red filler......... It took a LOT of filler

 

[Dave54]

I'd go along with using wax as described above. Just really to say that when you are colour matching it generally looks better if you go slightly darker, rather than lighter. It doesn't stand out as much.
I have repaired oak with a patch when I've had timber of a near match available. Basically you cut a piece of timber into a sort of "amoeba" random blob shape about 3mm thick to cover the hole or damage. Mark round the patch with a knife or marking awl, and remove the surface back just less than the thickness of the patch, glue the patch in with plenty of clamping pressure. then clean up. If the fit is good and tight, and if the match is good it is virtually invisible.

 

[fisher2008]

many thanks for the replies

The gap is actually at the bottom of the door so not too noticeable

I have some wax sticks that I used for some gaps in my T&G floor so I will give them a go.

Do you think this will stay in indefinably or will it fall out after a while?

 

[Deleted member 174758]

I have some wax sticks that I used for some gaps in my T&G floor so I will give them a go.

Do you think this will stay in indefinably or will it fall out after a while?

You do need to plug with oak FIRST - the wax is only for the small remaining gaps. You can't plug a 5p piece sized hole with wax alone. If you just use the wax for small cracks and voids it should stay in place for a very long time. Also has the advantahe that if the timbers shrink (as they can) and things opel up a little you can always add some more wax

 

[KFZ]

http://www.screwfix.com/p/plug-cutter-set-4-pc/11997

ideal for this. Used a lot in restoration and can be almost invisable in skilled hands.

Use an offcut of the same wood and match grain direction.

Kev