Poor Planking Created Finish Problems

[Coyote_6]

Before I move on to lines and rigging, I finished the ship with Watco Danish Oil (3 coats) and Watco Wipe-on Satin Polyeurethane (3 coats).  In general she looks ok.

 

 

But if you look closely at the hull there are some void areas between planks after finishing.

 

 

Probably 10 or 11 places throughout, some as long as two inches.

 

 

My question - is there an easy way to fill these with a clear material (white glue, polyeurathane) to get a nice smoothly faired surface?  Or should I live with it and move on to rigging?

 

Obviously I will have to do better fitting on my next build.

 

Anybody have any thought or ideas on this?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Edited 8 hours ago by Coyote_6

[Coyote_6]

Here she is in the sun in standoff distance for reference.

 

 

Probably the worst offender/viewing angle.

 

Edited 8 hours ago by Coyote_6

[Justin P.]

I would use a UV active clear resin personally.  Its sands well and will blend very nicely with the rest of the finish.   It wont react with any glues or other finish you've put in and wont shrink like like other fillers might.  You can get a bottle of it and a UV flashlight for under $25.  Easy stuff to use.

Edited 8 hours ago by Justin P.

[Keith Black]

 The best solution (IMHO) will require refinishing the hull once done but it will be worth it in the end. Do the separations one at a time, fill the separation with CA glue and before it sets sand with 400 grit sandpaper. If the separation you're working on doesn't completely fill, repeat the process. The sanding dust is the exact color of the surrounding wood and the fill will almost be invisible. Cut your sandpaper into two by two inch squares and discard frequently as the CA will clog the grit. Don't get overly aggressive with sanding and dig grooves into the hull. 

Edited 7 hours ago by Keith Black

[Knocklouder]

Another thing you may try is to , if you have planking left over from the build , make sand dust out of it, then apply wood glue that drys clear.  Apply the glue pack the cracks with sand dust. Wipe off the axcess and pack it again with dust, sand,  after drying repeated if is  necessary . Then refinish it with two coats of  the oil you used. I am not sure is right but this is what I do for mine, good luck.

Bob M. 

Edited 1 hour ago by Knocklouder
Always typos 🙄

[Snug Harbor Johnny]

  I'd likely just leave it as is, and call it 'character' - after all, at a distance the thin gaps are not very noticeable ... close up pics always magnify any defect or every bit of 'fuzz' on rigging lines.   Sanding and refinishing is a pain and would amount to a 'delay of game' - but there is an approach that might be less trouble, given the mahogany-like appearance of the lower part of the hull.

  That would be amber shellac.  Cans of Zinsser 'Bull's Eye' amber shellac do just fine.  Apply the shellac (and I tend to use the clearer portion floating on top of the contents of the can) with a thin artists detail brush to get into the cracks, then wipe away any excess on the adjacent planks lightly and quickly with a lint-free cloth bunched up.  

  The shellac in the cracks will dry in a few hours and shrink as the alcohol (methanol) solvent vaporizes.  The solids left behind will have partially filled the crack, and each successive application will fill the cracks more until totally filled - and the color should be pretty close to what you have now.  A very light pass with a bunched cloth having a little plain denatured alcohol on it will remove any traces of shellac on the adjacent planks, but will not affect either the poly coat or the crack filling.

  In cabinetry work with mahogany, larger cracks are filled with 'stick shellac' melted by candle flame to liquify it before forcing the goo into the large fissure (made either by repair or perhaps a less than satisfactory joint) with a small spatula or large dental tool.  It solidifies as it cools and can otherwise be blended over with regular shellac (color modified as needed).  Stick shellac comes in several shades to accommodate other woods, but this technique does not apply to you model's situation.  

[SaltyScot]

I have also used the glue/sand and fill method mentioned here. By adding a little glue to the crack (I use an aliphatic resin glue, applying it with a fine dental tool) and sanding shortly afterwards, the sanding dust basically applies itself to the glue in the crack and fills the hole - if it is not too expansive of course. I prefer this method to the mixing sawdust with glue beforehand method but we all have our preferences, right?

[Knocklouder]

I agree with you @SaltyScot  sand dust but I wrote saw dust    . Lol.

Bob M.