How to remove hardened epoxy

[bainin]

Alright- I'm doing this for a lady in my extended family, nothing I would choose to do on my own

I'm making a walnut butterfly with some inset wooden bits from my coaster projects. Having rough gouged out
the spaces for the insets and gluing them in, I was left with some gaps around the edges.

I mixed up some epoxy and walnut dust and filled in these areas as best I could.

Now that its hardened, I'm going back and sanding flat everything with low grit sand paper but am finding that it is a slow go
on the epoxy. As well-every once in awhile, I expose a gap in the epoxy fill which then collects all the light colored sawdust making
a high contrast blip in the dark surround.

Now im going back and touching up these areas after cleaning the light colored dust out as best I can, but Id like some thoughts
on how I may have approached this better. I actually like the very dark edge created by the epoxy+walnut dust . Could something like this be sent thru the planar, or perhaps a handheld electric planar to avoid some of the dust redeposit? I didnt because I was worried that I couldn't support any of the exterior walnut edges and would rip them off.

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[Hobbyman2]

I have a set of these that do a very nice job ,you will need to sharpen them and find a way to secure the piece , we call them Luther planes do to the fact they are used in making string instruments ,but others just call them mini planes , if not sand sand and sand some more ?? https://www.harborfreight.com/3-piece-m ... 97545.html , maybe a card scraper ?

[BuckeyeDennis]

Regarding the gaps in the epoxy filler, I’ve had good results using Mixol tints in System Three epoxy. The epoxy has a very low viscosity, and penetrates cracks like crazy. The Mixol tints don’t thicken it like sawdust will, and you can create pretty much any shade you desire.

As for flattening the workpiece, I’m thinking a router sled or the like. If the workpiece is small enough, you can fasten it to a flat board and then just slide it around on your Mark V table, using an overhead router bit in drill-press configuration. A rotary planer (such as a Wagner Safe-T-Planer) could also be used, and would probably make faster work of it.

For fastening a rough workpiece to a flat board, I apply strips of wide painter’s tape to both, apply blobs of hot glue to the tape, and then stick them together. The hot glue forms shims that conform to the rough workpiece. If it’s really rough, I’ll first hit it with coarse sandpaper on a random orbit sander, to get enough smooth surface for tape to stick well.

[algale]

What is the size of the butterfly? Looks like a job for the Shopsmith Belt Sander.

[bainin]

Thanks all - some different approaches to try.

Its approximately 8inches across the long direction.

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[smithdavid]

Alright- I'm doing this for a lady in my extended family, nothing I would choose to do on my own

I'm making a walnut butterfly with some inset wooden bits from my LINK REMOVED projects. Having rough gouged out
the spaces for the insets and gluing them in, I was left with some gaps around the edges.

I mixed up some epoxy and walnut dust and filled in these areas as best I could.

Now that its hardened, I'm going back and sanding flat everything with low grit sand paper but am finding that it is a slow go
on the epoxy. As well-every once in awhile, I expose a gap in the epoxy fill which then collects all the light colored sawdust making
a high contrast blip in the dark surround.

Now im going back and touching up these areas after cleaning the light colored dust out as best I can, but Id like some thoughts
on how I may have approached this better. I actually like the very dark edge created by the epoxy+walnut dust . Could something like this be sent thru the planar, or perhaps a handheld electric planar to avoid some of the dust redeposit? I didnt because I was worried that I couldn't support any of the exterior walnut edges and would rip them off.


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When working on intricate woodworking projects like your walnut butterfly with epoxy and walnut dust fills, achieving a seamless finish requires careful consideration. While using a planar, especially a handheld one, might speed up the sanding process, it poses risks to the delicate walnut edges. Instead, consider using progressively higher grit sandpaper to smoothen the epoxy without causing damage. To prevent the contrasting sawdust from settling into gaps, periodically clean the surface with a damp cloth or compressed air. Maintaining patience and precision during the sanding process will help you achieve the desired dark edge effect without compromising the integrity of the piece.