I,m trying to use a metal such as brass or silver to fill cracks in ome of my bowl turning blanks. Does anyone have any suggestions about how this process might be accomplished? I,m basically looking for low tech solutions to this problem. My metal working experience is limited.
-
Beware of Counterfeit Woodturning Tools (click here for details) -
Johnathan Silwones is starting a new AAW chapter, Southern Alleghenies Woodturners, in Johnstown, PA. (click here for details) -
Congratulations to Jim Hills for "Journey II" being selected as Turning of the Week for May 6th, 2024 (click here for details) -
Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.
Brass or Silver Fillings
- Thread starter Rich L.
- Start date
Steve Worcester
Admin Emeritus
Do a forum search for "filling" (without quotes)
Head on down to your local hardware store and I'm sure that they will be glad to give you all of the brass filings from their key duplicating machine. If your cracks are small, simply fill the crack with the filings and drip CA into it. If the cracks are large, you may have to do a little body work to make a bed for the brass fillings. I use a dental tool (a Dremel will work also) to undercut the cracks so the filling is lodged into the wood.....like a dentist fills a tooth!
Use a magnet to separate the key filings and proceed as described by Hstudio. You can get loads of filings from any Borg.
Howdy Rick: While key filings will work very well, they have silver color (nickle I think) mixed in with them. I prefer to get a cheap piece of brass rod from the big box store and sand it with any power sander - about 150g. The results are a lot brighter. For silver, I use aluminum rod instead of brass. Works well. For a different look, try using black CA glue (avabilable from Starbond) to glue them in. Experiement.
I use brass & aluminum to fill cracks & voids. I have a metal cutting bandsaw which I use to make loads of filings. One of my best friends is a locksmith. He called the other day cause he was cutting a few hundred keys for an apartment complex & did I want the cuttings. Key cuttings have fine chunks but also long fine "threads" of brass mixed in depending how the keys are cut. The long "threads" are like little needles that stick into everything (make sure you don't get any in your shoes 
). The plus is they look real cool when mixed into a clear medium and used to fill a deep void or hollow. Looks like gold veins or spider webs. I coat a deep void with c/a glue, sprinkle in brass then spray lacqure over to get a sort of geode look. Keys also come in a dull & shiney brass. Hope that helps.
). The plus is they look real cool when mixed into a clear medium and used to fill a deep void or hollow. Looks like gold veins or spider webs. I coat a deep void with c/a glue, sprinkle in brass then spray lacqure over to get a sort of geode look. Keys also come in a dull & shiney brass. Hope that helps.
The process for using the metal fillings is easy. As has been suggested, you could find some from a locksmith or key cutting service. A less difficult method is to order powdered metal inlay from CSUSA or other turning outlet. You then mix it with 5 minute epoxy to form a paste and spread the paste into the groove, crack oe whatever like you would spakling drywall. Let it dry then turn it taking very light cuts.
In volume 2 of his "Turn It On" videos, Jimmy Clewes shows the entire process on a Ziracote bowl, including some of the things that can go wrong.
In volume 2 of his "Turn It On" videos, Jimmy Clewes shows the entire process on a Ziracote bowl, including some of the things that can go wrong.
- Joined
- May 16, 2005
- Messages
- 3,540
- Likes
- 15
Key cuttings contain a bunch of nickel or chrome in my experience. If you could find a source for it, that low-temperature pewter might be a good alternative. Fluid about 250 F, with wood igniting closer to 450.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
There is a low melt metal that I can't remember the name of. Highland hardware sells it. It's great. I have used powdered metals that I mix with different epoxies. My favorite is cast-n-craft. It's a clear resin and it's very easy to mix whatever medium you want into it. What I like to do is stir in gold leaf. I stir it just enough to break it up so thiers large pieces inside.
I also use system 3 mirror coat. It's a very clear resin but it becomes very viscous when it's drying and sometime is hard t contain.
Clear Inlace that you can get from any of the woodturning stores is also excellent. They now sell metal powders to go with the Inlace. I got my last batch from a company called Turtle Feathers. They have everything with lower prices than the turning stores.
http://www.turtlefeathers.com/
I also use system 3 mirror coat. It's a very clear resin but it becomes very viscous when it's drying and sometime is hard t contain.
Clear Inlace that you can get from any of the woodturning stores is also excellent. They now sell metal powders to go with the Inlace. I got my last batch from a company called Turtle Feathers. They have everything with lower prices than the turning stores.
http://www.turtlefeathers.com/
John,
The metal filings that they sell are in 1oz packets ($9.50ish + shipping) - I would guess that is about 1tsp of the material. For filling voids or checks does a little go a long way or do you find yourself using quite a bit of the stuff?
I've noticed EBAY auctions that sell 125 Micron Copper Flake paint additive for painting cars - could one could purchase 1lb of that and use in lieu of the $9.50/oz and get the same result or is the material that you get from TurtleFeathers larger and easier to work with?
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
I've never use the Inlace metal. I've always ground my own using coarse sandpaper or I picked brass and bronze filings from the metal lathe. I like having some of the big chunks mixed in. It keeps the metal from looking like shiney pressed wood. Really fine metal(like the sanded dust variety) looks more like real metal if you polish it to at least 600 grit.
I use a mill file to reduce brass wood screws down to nothing and thin super glue to hold it in place.
Walt
Walt
I've used key filings ground up in a coffee grinder. Grinds the filings to a slightly finer consistency, but not a powder. Used both the CA and epoxy method. I prefer using epoxy and turn is down before the epoxy has completely set as it will cut a bit easier. The coffee grinder is also handy for grinding other materials. Just buy a cheap one as it won't last very long.
This is my first post; I joined last week and have done very little turning but bowls with these metal and stone inlays really punch my buttons.
Where can I find information on this techniqe? You guys aren't setting this stuff into the wood and then turning it are you? I would assume the turning is completed and then the inlay is added and filed or sanded smooth.Thanx in advance for any advice you can give.
Where can I find information on this techniqe? You guys aren't setting this stuff into the wood and then turning it are you? I would assume the turning is completed and then the inlay is added and filed or sanded smooth.Thanx in advance for any advice you can give.
- Joined
- May 14, 2005
- Messages
- 75
- Likes
- 0
- Location
- Kennebunkport, Maine, USA
- Website
- www.mainebowls.com
When I use key filings or finely ground coffee, I usually wait till before the last few passes on the finished bowl to add it. Sometimes as I'm sanding I'll see a small void in the middle or corner of the filled area and add a bit more to sand off.
Whenever I'm using especially the thin CA, I will either put wax, or sanding sealer, or thinned lacquer, etc. on the surrounding area to prevent the CA from bleeding over and darkening it. Otherwise it can look pretty bad. DAMHIKT.
If I have significant voids to fill, I'll often take the piece over to the DC inlet to add the glue. Those CA fumes can smart.
Jack Savona
Whenever I'm using especially the thin CA, I will either put wax, or sanding sealer, or thinned lacquer, etc. on the surrounding area to prevent the CA from bleeding over and darkening it. Otherwise it can look pretty bad. DAMHIKT.
If I have significant voids to fill, I'll often take the piece over to the DC inlet to add the glue. Those CA fumes can smart.
Jack Savona
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2007
- Messages
- 105
- Likes
- 0
Just a side note, I used black magnetic sand mix with flour gold on a couple of birch bowls, the first one I just dumped it in and driped the CA on , not so good , next one i went all the way to finish, taped off the crack with masking tape, filled the crack with the sand then used small tube on the bottle to run in the med CA ( like syrup , not thick not thin) way less mess, the syrup had minimal shrinkage and was able to sand up nice quickly with 220 , 320 wet dry. then with my final finish. wish I had my camera ( broke) , you can buy all sorts of fill material, check you local Ben Franklin , etc. I got some metal flake from an auto painter friend, cant wait to try it.
Another option is to use glitter from a craft supply or art supply store. It comes in all different colors and is fairly cheap.
trntrntrn said:
Therer are lots of ways you can approach this. Some types of inlays, like the metal shavings/powder discussed here and products like Inlace can be set into the wood with glue and then turned smooth. Others, like crushed rock or coarser metals would be glued in and then sanded or ground down to avoid excessive wear on your tools. Solid rocks like cabachons are obviously glued in place and not sanded or carved down after.
Wood and wood dust can also be used as an inlay, as well as colored sands, colored epoxies, fabric, ceramics and tile, wire, pretty much anything you can stuff into a crack or groove in the wood and glue in place. One thought though, if you do something that gets held in place by glues, like inlace or metal dust, it is a good idea to undercut the groove you put it into, kind of like the female part of a dovetail, so that the glue and material can't pop out of the groove easily.
Do a search on the forum on the word Inlay and you will get a number of discussion threads to browse through.
I suspect others can direct you to outside web sources with articles and more detailed how to's.
Dave
Last edited:
davidwalser said:
I have attempted to use the thin plastic glitter materials and it didn't work well. I think it was a type of flaked mylar or polyester film. It looks OK until you sand it. It dulls significantly and the edges of the flakes have no reflectivity.
Thanx to everyone who responded. I did search "inlay" and found info on turquoise, inlace and brass filings. I have done mother of pearl on some guitars I've built and I've wanted to try abalone for a while now. I will try the turqoise and maybe small broken pieces of abalone set in at different angles, flooded with super glue. Thanx again. Maybe someday I'll be able to pass along some advice.