Filling small cracks in wood door surface before painting
#1
11-22-17, 03:00 PM
Filling small cracks in wood door surface before painting
I primed this door: https://photos.app.goo.gl/RcJysfsQihwygNgF2.
Now I see thin cracks where boards meet on top: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bjXpZZVeYjICfm1D3
Zoomed in: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Iig0ucJHjlBdcv5c2
There are also some thin cracks in one spot on one of the boards: https://photos.app.goo.gl/GTVAzKl4n2Al5Rbp1
I'm afraid that paint won't cover these. What is a good solution to fill them before painting so that they won't open up later? In the past I've used Bondo to fill chips, and I've used spackle to fill nail holes, but I don't think those will work for such thin cracks. I bought this stuff: https://photos.app.goo.gl/UJgyWIsARv97oxke2. Will it work?
I read about glue and sawdust solution. Is that the way to go? I guess I can cut a pine board just to make some sawdust for this…
Now I see thin cracks where boards meet on top: https://photos.app.goo.gl/bjXpZZVeYjICfm1D3
Zoomed in: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Iig0ucJHjlBdcv5c2
There are also some thin cracks in one spot on one of the boards: https://photos.app.goo.gl/GTVAzKl4n2Al5Rbp1
I'm afraid that paint won't cover these. What is a good solution to fill them before painting so that they won't open up later? In the past I've used Bondo to fill chips, and I've used spackle to fill nail holes, but I don't think those will work for such thin cracks. I bought this stuff: https://photos.app.goo.gl/UJgyWIsARv97oxke2. Will it work?
I read about glue and sawdust solution. Is that the way to go? I guess I can cut a pine board just to make some sawdust for this…
#2
11-22-17, 04:19 PM
Member
Bondo would work, you could also use some catalyzed spot putty which is a thinner material like bondo. That plastic wood is not so great, and even worse for small areas/
#3
11-23-17, 01:58 AM
You are correct - paint won't make those cracks go away [it hardly ever does] I generally fill those types of cracks with caulking and use a damp rag/sponge to remove ALL the excess. Not sure how effective bondo would be plus IMO it's too much work. I've never cared much for those plastic wood type fillers.
#4
11-23-17, 07:04 AM
Member
Bondo is excellent for wood, I used for all my wood work at first but agree it's a lot of work sanding. I now only use it, or the spot repair. for special applications.
For those small cracks it will work great and being catalyzed it will stick!
For those small cracks it will work great and being catalyzed it will stick!
#5
11-23-17, 05:17 PM
Thanks for your replies. I think I'll try the caulk approach. I have a follow up question. I'm sanding the door to get rid of rough raised grain. Bright light reveals raised grain patterns - not just the standard raised grain, but entire patterns:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/wL56j1bAolkg01RK2
https://photos.app.goo.gl/PHgCbzbahP32CfGm2
I'm not sure if it was like this before I primed, or if the water-base primer did this. My question is, is this normal, or did I make a mistake? Should I have sanded it a lot more before priming? And what's the right thing to do now? Sand it smooth(er) then prime again?
https://photos.app.goo.gl/wL56j1bAolkg01RK2
https://photos.app.goo.gl/PHgCbzbahP32CfGm2
I'm not sure if it was like this before I primed, or if the water-base primer did this. My question is, is this normal, or did I make a mistake? Should I have sanded it a lot more before priming? And what's the right thing to do now? Sand it smooth(er) then prime again?
#6
11-23-17, 05:28 PM
Group Moderator
Tell us everything you did to the door prior to priming it or between coats. And what grit(s) you have been using and what method of sanding.
#7
11-23-17, 05:34 PM
I just sanded it with 220 grit by hand until it felt smooth to the touch. Then I sprayed it with Zinsser PrimeCoat primer, diluted with about 10% water. First time dealing with a non-pre-primed door 
#8
11-23-17, 05:44 PM
Group Moderator
So on the corner pictured... do all the corners on both sides of the door look like that, or just the one? Did you spend more time sanding that corner than the others?
Basically what it looks like to me is that you have sanded away the soft early wood, leaving behind the harder latewood. That tends to happen with hand sanding... I've never seen such a terrible case of it though. Especially in that 2nd pic with the light shining down.
Basically what it looks like to me is that you have sanded away the soft early wood, leaving behind the harder latewood. That tends to happen with hand sanding... I've never seen such a terrible case of it though. Especially in that 2nd pic with the light shining down.
#9
11-23-17, 06:26 PM
I don't know, I may have sanded it more. That's the top left corner. Here are the other corners:
Top right:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/BLgpcM6yBpceQp9g2
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ACJ4ElefRTHbua772
Bottom left:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/P72HjbKDb9q5Cnwm1
Bottom right:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ICjtL8qn9KOYZ5on2
Obviously, the light exaggerates the differnences a lot. If I soften the light and don't hold it so close to the surface, it doesn't look as bad: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Np6ni57x67JouO6i1
I didn't know I was supposed to sand along the grain, so I sanded in circles. I guess I'll just have to live with it now. Just lightly sand the rest of it to get rid of rough grain and paint... Or, I can fill in that indentation with Bondo... By the time I'm done with it it'll be more fiberglass than wood LOL
Top right:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/BLgpcM6yBpceQp9g2
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ACJ4ElefRTHbua772
Bottom left:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/P72HjbKDb9q5Cnwm1
Bottom right:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ICjtL8qn9KOYZ5on2
Obviously, the light exaggerates the differnences a lot. If I soften the light and don't hold it so close to the surface, it doesn't look as bad: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Np6ni57x67JouO6i1
I didn't know I was supposed to sand along the grain, so I sanded in circles. I guess I'll just have to live with it now. Just lightly sand the rest of it to get rid of rough grain and paint... Or, I can fill in that indentation with Bondo... By the time I'm done with it it'll be more fiberglass than wood LOL
#10
11-23-17, 07:05 PM
Group Moderator
Does the astragal really have a giant flat spot on it? (Top right trim piece that has the curved bullnose) or is that an illusion?
#11
11-23-17, 07:11 PM
Yes it does! I noticed it after they delivered the door, but I'm under time pressure and decided to ignore it. I'm weird, but I actually kind of like it - gives the door "character" LOL. I could replace it in the future, but I'll probably forget all about it. FYI, it's a Reliabilt door from Lowe's. The leaves are actually from Masonite - said so on the edges somewhere.
#12
11-26-17, 12:44 AM
Now I also remember that I wiped sanding dust with a barely wet rag, maybe half an hour before starting to spray primer. I wonder if the wood was still wet and that's what did it. The other thing is that maybe I sprayed too much primer and that caused the wood to soak in too much water and deform.
I'm sanding the doors again to get them as flat as possible. Then I'll prime them with two light coats of primer, waiting a day for each coat to fully dry.
I'm sanding the doors again to get them as flat as possible. Then I'll prime them with two light coats of primer, waiting a day for each coat to fully dry.
#13
11-26-17, 02:26 AM
Water will raise the grain on raw wood but a barely wet rag wouldn't have had any effect on the primer nor would thinning the primer 10% be an issue. 1 medium coat of primer should be sufficient.
