Disguising small gaps

[KingwoodFan1989]

Well, wouldn't you know it, I made another hasty mistake. I was sanding the parts of my project and as usual, I eased the edges with a block plane so they wouldn't be so sharp. However, I overlooked the fact that the sides of my project are frame and panel construction, and the eased edges on the members create the illusions of small gaps where the horizontal members meet the vertical ones. I have a couple of pictures. For most of the joints, they're within a couple thousandths, so I can live with those. The two joints in question, though, are probably close to a couple hundredths and are quite ugly. When I rubbed some denatured alcohol on to see how it would look with finish, the gaps were magnified even more. What's the best way to fill or disguise these? I'd like to avoid using anything synthetic (i.e. wood putty) as much as possible.

[photobug]

I know you said no putty but I have heard good things about Timber mate putty, they make wood species specific putty.  I picked some up but have yet to try it, because I have never made a mistake
.  Your other option is glue and sawdust, but it may look worse as the glue reacts with the wood outside the joint with staining.

[MichaelMouse]

Well, wouldn't you know it, I made another hasty mistake. I was sanding the parts of my project and as usual, I eased the edges with a block plane so they wouldn't be so sharp. However, I overlooked the fact that the sides of my project are frame and panel construction, and the eased edges on the members create the illusions of small gaps where the horizontal members meet the vertical ones. I have a couple of pictures. For most of the joints, they're within a couple thousandths, so I can live with those. The two joints in question, though, are probably close to a couple hundredths and are quite ugly. When I rubbed some denatured alcohol on to see how it would look with finish, the gaps were magnified even more. What's the best way to fill or disguise these? I'd like to avoid using anything synthetic (i.e. wood putty) as much as possible.

Splinters.  Make yourself some and shellac them in place.  Glue on something that small would soak and discolor, so sealer or finish is all you can rely on for best match. Test on some scrap to see if your method is suitable, not your project.

[fixtureman]

What are you using as a finish.  We mix the sanding dust with our finish and fill any holes or gaps

[mound]

The problem with filling gaps like that is that overtime as wood moves they'll probably come apart anyway and then you have crumbly gap filler. How about a very small V bead over each of the joints to make them consistent. Then "it's supposed to be that way"

[Admiral]

Hmmmm, whatever you do may make these two joints worse, if not immediately then over time (BTDT), so either take Mound's suggestion, or just leave them alone; 95% of the people looking at the finished product won't notice. But I totally get it, YOU will always notice. Every project I've ever done is less than perfect, and when one eventually is, I'll be shocked.

[jteneyck]

There ain't no fixing that to be invisible over the long haul.  I would do as Mound suggested and put a matching bevel on the end of the rails.  This is often done to hide minor alignment problems, not that I would know.  

John

[Phil Thien]

Similar situation once, I enlarged the gap with a vee-bit and celebrated it as a feature/shadow line.

[photobug]

The problem with filling gaps like that is that overtime as wood moves they'll probably come apart anyway and then you have crumbly gap filler. How about a very small V bead over each of the joints to make them consistent. Then "it's supposed to be that way"

That's what I did recently.  I rounded over all edges on a frame pieces for a pegboard project for my wife's craft-room, including the inside edge of where the butt joint was to be.  I caught it right away and could have recut a board to make it right.  Instead I increased the roundover size all around on the frame except where the butt joint was.  That made the detail look like an intentional one.

A woodworker is only as good as the mistakes he can hide.

[Rob Young]

There ain't no fixing that to be invisible over the long haul.  I would do as Mound suggested and put a matching bevel on the end of the rails.  This is often done to hide minor alignment problems, not that I would know.  

John

Yep. If you can't hide it, flaunt it.