Adhesive & Stock Filler for Laminate Stock Treated with Tung Oil and Mineral Spirits

[kohler]

While adding the 8th coat of pure tung oil to a deep brown custom laminate stock, well, I dropped it onto a concrete basement floor. Now there is a 1" wedge missing from the butt/stock area, although I have most of the neatly fitting chunk. My smith tells me being treated earlier with TO and spirits the stock will not accept adhesive or filler to hold the piece. His plan involves blades.

My plan would be to add 8 more coats of TO to everything - gouge and all - then look for a cure.

Is there an adhesive / filler combo to hold the wedge once the TO cures?

[olddav]

Let's say he's right, what have you got to lose by trying?

[josh_m]

As a furniture maker and carpenter I would suggest glueing up the wedge first. The best wood adhesive is tight bond 3 it's sold at lowes and Home Depot. Green label. I'd glue it up and then use an epoxy filler then sand it and continue with your tung oil applications.
If you put tung oil on the surface before it will prevent any adhesive or filler from adhering to the surface correctly.

Glueing it will work if the mating surfaces are bare wood/ not oiled. That tight bond will make a joint so strong that it will break the surrounding wood before the joint splits. But the glue needs to be able to soak in some. Then get some brown or black epoxy and fill in the rest. If you take your time most people will never know it was there

[kohler]

Thanks for the suggestion. Bought Tight Bond this morning, will let the stock dry out a few days more before attempting.

I am proud of the drying box I fashioned. The stock's shipping box slipped over one leg of a boot dryer works well, but, a higher quality straightened clothes hanger could have avoided the rework.

[josh_m]

Good luck with the project. Post some pictures when your finished.
I've finished some furniture like you are. My recipe is:
First 4-5 coats 25% tung oil 75% mineral spirits. This thins tung oil so it penetrates deep into grain.
3 coats tung oil mixed 50/50 with mineral spirits.
And the last 4-5 coats I will add varnish either spar or poly to the remaining 50/50 mix. This adds some build to the top coats for a little extra protection.
I scuff with 0000 steel wool between coats too.
It's very time consuming but it creates a very durable finish that is simple to maintain. If you scratch it out in the field all you have to do is hit it with a little steel wool and add another coat.

[brushcreek]

Good luck with the project. Post some pictures when your finished.
I've finished some furniture like you are. My recipe is:
First 4-5 coats 25% tung oil 75% mineral spirits. This thins tung oil so it penetrates deep into grain.
3 coats tung oil mixed 50/50 with mineral spirits.
And the last 4-5 coats I will add varnish either spar or poly to the remaining 50/50 mix. This adds some build to the top coats for a little extra protection.
I scuff with 0000 steel wool between coats too.
It's very time consuming but it creates a very durable finish that is simple to maintain. If you scratch it out in the field all you have to do is hit it with a little steel wool and add another coat.

Josh_m, that's almost exactly the finish I put on my guns too. I've never tried to glue anything to a tung oil finished surface, but when the chip came out, there should be enough clear wood for the chip to glue the way it's supposed to. Most of the time I repair chips with epoxy because it's the only type glue that is just as strong as it fills voids.

After sanding to 120 grit, I wet sand stocks with a 50/50 mixture of pure tung oil and mineral spirits. When I've sanded to 1000 grit for maple & cherry and 600 grit for walnut, I mix the 50/50 mixture again in a 50/50 mixture of thinned tung oil and exterior spar varnish. Mixed from scratch it's 25% tung oil, 25% thinner and 50% exterior spar varnish. The first few coats takes a lot of liquid, the last few coats rubbed in with extra fine stainless steel wool takes just a few drops on your finger tips. Any finish that's still liquid after 5 minutes is wiped off with a paper towel.

Hal