Filleting – Sourcing the right filler for a Bright Finish
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Hi there, I am keen to know if anyone is using the West System epoxy range it seems to be the only epoxy I can source here in New Zealand that offers a variant that is blush free so I can get the desired bright finish. The catch being I cannot source any filler that is wood toned (West System 405) apparently the supplier can’t get it into the country. The nearest I can get are low density filleting fillers either West System 417 which is reddy/brown in colour or West System 411 which is off white. Not keen on a bright finished camper that looks like someone has smudged chewing gum into all the corners. Am I being pedantic and the fillets don’t actually show up?
I am going to try and blend the “reddy/brown” and the “off white” fillers and see what I get but keen to know if anyone has any better ideas or suggestions. Before anyone suggests I can’t for the life in me find wood flour or sawdust that is fine enough to use.
I ran out of commercial wood flour part way through and couldn’t get more. What to do? Coincidentally my belt sander dust bag was full. Worked perfectly and price was right.
If you look at the pictures you’ll see that the filets are quite a bit darker than the plywood. If you can make perfect ones they look really great. If you are a novice, like we were, you make your mistakes early and your mattress and liner cover them! The bulkhead, galley, galley door, and galley inserts are really the only visible filets once complete. We were much more practiced and spent a lot of time on those. Except the galley hatch which everyone says they don’t notice 😀
TotalBoat Thixo Wood 2:1 Epoxy System 2.0 (Dark Brown/Wood Colored) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X6D7UWY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_xjGfDbJR7JPS5
I’m not sure if this is something you’ve already considered. Or if they ship to you. They had this at the CLC shop
To the right you can see me trying to mix various rations of 411 (white) and 417 (reddy brown) to try and get a colour match. Nothing came close so I settled with just using West System 406 which cures to an off-white colour shown under epoxy and fibreglass tape. It is not a match to the wood but doesn’t look too horrific.
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