Wood Putty

[prospero]

Ages ago I got a tub of what is described as 'Wood Pulp'. Made by a company called ArtMac - who I can find no trace of. I must have got it from a framing supplier, but no idea which.
It's basically wood dust bound in a sort of resin and soluble in acetone. Very similar if not identical to the stuff that they make 'Pasta' ornaments on mouldings with.
The stuff in the tub went solid years since, but I find I can resurrect it by sawing chunks of the remaining lump and putting them in a jar with a splash of acetone. It's much better than the fillers you can buy today, not to mention far more economical.

A few questions....

1] Anyone know if this or similar stuff is gettable?

2] Anyone got a tub lurking in their workshop. Soft or hard.

3] Anyone know just what the binder is or might be in the stuff. I got plenty of sawdust and acetone.

[silvercleave]

To fill holes I just mix sawdust and wood glue!!

[prospero]

Good tip, but I'm thinking more for rebuilding large sections. Wood glue is too hard once it's set.

[jmdwilson]

Sounds a bit like this stuff I use:

http://www.liberon.co.uk/repair-and-pre ... ImfA%3D%3D

Looks like a long link - hope it works, otherwise google 'liberon wood stopping'.
I get mine from a local paint wholesaler.

Hope it helps!

[Not your average framer]

Fortunately, as a former conservator, I know the answer to this.

The binder you are looking for is called "SPIRIT GUM" and it's has been the traditional binder for wood putty for the last two, or three hundred years if not more!

Here's a link to the ingredients: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_gum

As you will see from the link, it is soluble in acetone. The base solvent can be varied if required. Several solvents will work with this.

Turpentine is the traditional solvent, but as far as I know, white spirit is not suitable. This is because, not everything which disolves in turpentine, will disolve in white spirit!

The more rosin you include in the recipe the more flexible you wood putty will be when it is set. Rosin is also known as colophony resin. You can buy it from Baldwins, or from Gold Leaf Supplies

Here's a link to baldwins:

http://www.baldwins.co.uk/baldwins-pine ... a-resina-1

As you suspect, it is the stuff that wood pasta ornaments are made from, and when made into wood pasta ornaments,these ornaments can be softened and reshaped with the careful application of a little heat.

[prospero]

Thanks Guys.

I didn't know of the Liberon stuff.

Thanks Mark for the links. To the laboratory.........muhahahahahaaaa >>>

[prospero]

Yeah. I used to buy little 'pasta' leafs and scrolly shapes. Can't remember where from. Might have been Renaissance. Lion still do a few pasta ornaments, but they tend to be a big on the chunky side for most things. They are nice to use though. As you say, warming them makes them bendy and can be easily shaped onto corners. The little leafs were very good, but work out very expensive as quite a high proportion were either broken or badly distorted.

As a filler, the putty I have is great as it resembles real wood when set. Sands and paints well. Other fillers I have tried (water-based) don't sand well and tend show though the finish.

Anyway I have ordered some of the resin to play with.

[Not your average framer]

You might consider checking out this stuff too!

http://www.axminster.co.uk/west-system- ... res-filler

It's a large tub of cellulose microfibres. A bit like fine sawdust, which is also fine cellulose fibres, but this stuff is manufactured from cotton, not wood. If you don't have a supply of fine sawdust, then this may be a easily obtainable alternative.