Filling Fretwork

[Barefoot1]

Has anyone ever poured an epoxy resin or varathane type finish over fretwork? Essentially filling all of the cut areas.
I am turning ideas around in my feeble mind on how to finish a box top with Fretwork over the top. Glass was suggested and that is a good idea but I am not sure I want to use glass. Just curios.

[Bruce P]

Google "table top resin" or "table top epoxy" You will find a number of products. I have not used any of them, however, others may opine as to their favorites.

Brice P.

[Jim8Mad]

The stuff Bruce is talking about is the same stuff used on bar tops. It looks like a clear acrylic when fully cured. I've thought of the same thing once or twice, but with the cost of the stuff I can't substantiate buying it and having it not work. Maybe somebody else tried it. Or what about that 'liquid glass' stuff that Evie used a while back??

[Tor]

I have used the envirotex (what are they thinking selling that under that name?) epoxy resin (sold by ace), and it works well, at least for covering surfaces. It may be a little fluid (no joke) for filling holes without a backer, but it sounds like you will be fine there. In this case, see about Evie's liquid glass (never seen the stuff myself, though.)

Tor

[Barefoot1]

I am a bit leery of trying it out on a project at that stage! To have everything completed and then screw it up with a wacky idea would totally suck. I will seek out Evie and ask her about the liquid glass. The envirotex (sic - wait till my wife sees that!) sounds like what I am looking for if it is thin. I would want something that will get into all the little cut out spaces without trapping air. Does that make sense? The fretwork will sit on top of the white oak top and it will be trimmed with something exotic, I just have not decided what yet. This whole plan is actually sitting in the front of my mind now (now that is scary) and I have the wood salvaged and ready for milling. Just mulling around the final details.

[millwab]

Thomas, here is one link to previous discussions. If you do a search for "liquid glass" you will find a few others too. These may help fill you in. <pun intended>

[minowevie]

Oh I see, Tom the liquid glass I talked about is only a paint. and will not withstand a table top . ok.
I think the apoxy reson you was talking about, just might work. but it will turn a amber color. isn't that what was used to creat some papper weights?? I think you need to be cairfull with that stuff. it does get hot. make sure you are in a well ventalated place. it can catch fire. whoooo. read the deritions. like I said. I am resurching some other options. maybe we could find it together. something that will fill small frets. and not catch on fire. your friend Evie

[minowevie]

Tom I thought I would add some pictures of what I did with my liquid glass. remeber it is only paint that has a clearaty to it. not stabilaty. just so you can see. maybe you could add the color this way but not streanth. your friend Evie

[Tor]

The epoxy resin is perhaps a little thick. I can only suggest trying for fretwork, since I have yet to try anything like that. Thinning at least early coats may be possible, but then thickness of coat might be even easier to make a mistake on. Never really looked at thinning the stuff though.

Tor

[Barefoot1]

Interesting, I remember back in the 70's people were buying redwood burl tables that had a thick coat of varathane on them, it was used to fill the large natural holes in the burl and create a smooth flat surface. That is sort of the effect I am looking for.