October 4, 2023
The two-part epoxy resin is perfect for wood repair in various woodworking projects.
The wood used in your doors, windows, decks, sidings, and many other parts of your home is susceptible to decay and rot. Even if your house is well-constructed, you will find wood parts over time, especially those of exterior trims of your house that have succumbed to decay and rot. Fortunately, you can repair these rotted wood parts without dismantling the whole structure using epoxy resin.
Epoxy resin is not only used at home. Anywhere there is a need to repair something, you can use the epoxy resin for repair.
Boatbuilders, fabricators, and surfboard makers also use two-part epoxy every day to build waterproof, lightweight, and robust structures. So, if you need raw material for building, you can use epoxy resin. Moreover, you can buy household epoxy resin in gel and liquid forms. You can also purchase two-part epoxy resin in containers raging from half an ounce to a gallon.
Now, if you find it hard to replace chipped parts of furniture or the missing veneer, you can use epoxy putty to repair or replace the missing parts. It is easy to apply. You only need to slice a section of the tootsie roll two-part putty. Then, blend the two elements and ensure that the color is consistent with the other parts. Afterward, press the putty into the damaged surface or area. Smoothen the surface using a putty knife. Then, scrape off the excess putty. Soon after, you can sand the surface.
Most Recommended Epoxy Resin (Two-part) for Wood Repair
Finding the ideal two-part epoxy resin for repair might prove a bit confusing, given the myriads of options at hand. Yet, if you are familiar with the most recommended two-part epoxy resins for repairing wood, you can quickly limit your options to the following best choices:
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1) RTG Wood Rot Repair Epoxy
If you’re looking for an excellent rot repair epoxy, you should check out the RTG Wood Rot Repair Epoxy. This one is a low-viscosity epoxy sealer that comes in liquid form. It is ideal for repairing rotted wood anywhere in your house. You can use it to repair damaged trim, windowsills, drip caps, decks, and many more. Since it is in liquid form, it saturates any softened wood entirely. It also penetrates and restores damaged wood structures.
This Epoxy seals the wood while preventing additional damage to the wood by isolating the damaged part. It also stops hidden leaks. In heavily damaged wood, you can drill several holes onto the wood and pour this epoxy resin. You can also use it to seal newly used wood to provide the wood with protection from humidity.
This epoxy resin comes in a 2:1 ratio. You can apply it using a roller, brush, epoxy spreader, or syringe. Afterward, you can allow it to saturate the fibers of the wood entirely.
This epoxy resin is best applied at 50°F. The cure time for this epoxy resin depends on the ambient temperature. At 75°F, the pot life is around 25 minutes to 30 minutes. It will completely cure within four days. At the temperature of 85°F, the pot life is about 18 minutes to 22 minutes and entirely cures within two days. You can also paint the cured surface after sanding it.
2) Bob Smith Industries BSI-205
Another excellent option if you’re looking for a two-part epoxy resin for wood repair is the Bob Smith Industries BSI-205. This one is a slow-curing epoxy resin that works best if you want to form reinforced fillets on joints.
This epoxy resin showcases an excellent strength compared to various models of epoxy resins. Moreover, it exhibits heat resistance and waterproof properties. You can use this epoxy resin to bond materials.
You can mix this epoxy resin with fillers like micro balloons to create a consistency similar to that of a putty. When combined with such fillers, you can shorten the working time by as much as 25%.
After 8 hours, you can handle the bonded objects, though the epoxy reaches its full strength after a day. When you buy this item, you’ll see that the directions for its use are written in five different languages.
3) PC-Woody Wood Repair Epoxy Paste
The PC-Woody is another excellent option if you want to repair something using an epoxy resin. This one is formulated for replacing rotted and missing parts of the wood. Moreover, it exhibits superior structural strength and is a permanent material for wood repair.
You can use this for exterior and interior applications. Furthermore, you will find this epoxy similar to the wood texture, for it is wrought in natural wood. So, it has many wood characteristics.
The PC-Woody formulation offers extended working time for you, especially for critical and large tasks. In this way, you will have enough time to reposition your work or make changes to your design.
It exhibits high wet-grab, which makes sidewall and overhead works easy. It also manifests excellent resistance to dry rot, water, UV light, and other weather elements.
Simple Steps on Applying Two-part Epoxy Resin for Wood Repair
As usual, you will find various epoxy brands in the market today. Their exact formulation, mixing, and applications vary from one resin to another. So, when you buy one of these epoxies, you need to follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer.
You will usually find two types of epoxies in the package: a syrupy consolidant (liquid) and a wood paste filler (putty-like). The former soaks into the fibers of wood, then hardens to make a solid base that you can use with the wood paste filler.
On the other hand, both the filler and the consolidant come in two parts: resin and the hardener. So, you need to mix these two parts carefully according to the instructions provided by the manufacturer in the manual. Below are the simple steps you can follow when applying two-part epoxy resins:
Step 1: Clean and Remove All Decayed or Rotted Wood
The first step in applying the epoxy is the preparation of the wood. You need to figure out the extent of the decay and remove all the decayed parts. You should also strip the wood of old paint. Then, gouge out the decayed parts.
It will be best to use lead-safe paint removal methods because old paint usually comes with lead. Afterward, you can use a screwdriver or a chisel to gouge out the rotted wood. Then, using your electric drill, you can drill a series of holes (1/4″) and space these holes about one inch apart. In this way, you can allow the consolidant to imbue the damaged part of the wood and the surrounding part.
Make sure that you drill the wood deep enough without drilling all the way through the back end of the wood. If, however, you drilled all the way through the other end of the wood, you can plug the bottom hole using putty or clay to prevent the running out of the consolidant.
Step 2: Blend the Hardener and the Resin
You can pump the resin and the hardener into an unused plastic board. Mix the parts thoroughly using a puffy knife. Remember that epoxy will not stick to hard plastic surfaces. So, a hard plastic container is best for mixing.
Step 3: Shape or Form Your Epoxy
You can use the plastic putty knife to sculpt the epoxy into the desired shape. Remember that you can still work out the form of the epoxy mixture for up to thirty to forty-five minutes, depending on the ambient temperature.
Step 4: Fill or Paint the Repaired Area
Epoxy usually breaks down under UV light. So, you need to paint the repaired surface. After a day, when the repair hardens, you can sand the surface to smoothen it. Then, apply an acrylic primer and acrylic paint.
Conclusion
The wood used in our homes might get damaged, and damages may range from scratches to decay of wood. Prevention, of course, is the best thing you can do to make the wood in your house free of damage. Yet, if you fail to do the necessary preventive measures, you might end up finding some parts of the wood rotted or decayed.
The 2-part epoxy can come in handy in such a case and prove helpful in repairing damaged wood. However, if you’re a beginner in the use of epoxy, you can follow the abovementioned guidelines on how to apply it.
Jason is a 40-year-old woodworker, carpenter and author who have been involved in the woodworking and woodcraft industry with 17 years of experience. He is expertise in technical aspects, woodcraft and furniture building projects.