How would you repair these cracks?

[Capt. Rodbone]

I’ve wooded down the cabin sides on our schooner. This is mahogany. I’m going to use Awlwood. It’s expensive but I love the look. At $400/gal I need it to last, and it will have a glossy finish that I’m afraid these cracks will show even more than they do now. Matching the color will be a challenge as well but I’ll experiment with that. Since these are vertical pieces, should I just use slightly thickened epoxy?I could also use wood filler, but my experience with “the stainable filler” is yes it’s stainable, but good lunch on matching it like you want. I’ve been sanding the surface so maybe let that be the thickener with the epoxy?

Picture below and it’s been explained to me in the past how to remedy this issue of a horizontal picture posting vertically but I don’t remember. These cracks in actuality run fore and aft, and yes I see the random orbital “ swirls” that need to be sanded out, but truthfully I didn’t in the bright sun, but did as soon as I looked at the picture.

 

[Taras]

Is this interior or exterior?

 

[Capt. Rodbone]

Thank you for replying

I apologize for a miss on my part. I always try to give pertinent and necessary information without being overly verbose, but I should have expressed this is exterior.

 

[Bmarler]

Using the sanding dust as epoxy filler is a good thing, but in my experience, the cracks will still be darker than the surrounding wood. Doing an inlay may be a better color match, but the graining will be off.
I would try using the mahogany dust, lightened with another lighter color dust and try it on a different piece of mahogany to see how the color matches. Even then, you may need to do a stain to even things out before doing the finishing.
Also, the sides of the crack will be dark where you can’t sand to expose new wood. This will make the cracks seem dark too. See if you can get in there to expose fresh grain somehow, at least close to the surface where it shows.

 

[Comodave]

How many cracks are there? Maybe route them out and use some flexible caulk to fill the routed out area. Use a jig to guide the router to make a straight line. That way if there is any further movement in the wood the caulk would let it move without cracking. With a hard filler and if the wood continues to move it will just crack again alongside the original crack.

 

[jgwinks]

Using the sanding dust as epoxy filler is a good thing, but in my experience, the cracks will still be darker than the surrounding wood. Doing an inlay may be a better color match, but the graining will be off.
I would try using the mahogany dust, lightened with another lighter color dust and try it on a different piece of mahogany to see how the color matches. Even then, you may need to do a stain to even things out before doing the finishing.
Also, the sides of the crack will be dark where you can’t sand to expose new wood. This will make the cracks seem dark too. See if you can get in there to expose fresh grain somehow, at least close to the surface where it shows.

I've had pretty good luck doing that. The sanding dust (aka wood flour) when mixed with epoxy will be a lot darker than when dry, so usually you can't use the same wood as the surface you're trying to repair. A light pine flour might match better. You can even mix in some bread flour to lighten it up further. A bit of experimenting will be required.

 

[Hippocampus]

Are they all near each other? If so might need to investigate why they are there. Is stress cracking from distortions due to structural failure under neath. If so you will spend hours on cosmetics only to have them reappear. Have you put a moisture meter on inside/outside in that area. Have you looked to see if that area remains perfectly fair?
Had similar cracks on a small sailing dinghy. Had thin cosmetic ply on surface with benzeel ply underneath. Ply had got wet so surface cracks appeared. Cracks appeared after inside winter storage when surface dried but glued to still wet substrate.

 

[Choices]

Epoxy filler will not take stain, so you will need to "paint it". For furniture I have used sanding dust and cornstarch, which will take stain. Experiment with it.

If using Awlwood why not use the red primer, and fill the crack with primer? Once filled and smooth it will probably look like wood grain and be almost invisible to everyone but you.

Awlwood is an amazing product that encapsulates the wood. Cracking should stop once wood equalizes.

 

[Xlantic]

I don't see how you can match the color (and grain, ...) so well that it will not show. But I would not worry about it. The important thing is that it is repaired and good for many more years.

You can use "wood dust" but in my experience, as mentioned, it tends to darken when mixed with the epoxy. You can use West System's 407 epoxy filler which sands nicely and is brown in color. It will show but the cracks will be well repaired and that is most important.

My wooden boat is 50 years old and it has a few scars but as long as they are well healed I am OK with them.

 

[jgwinks]

Another trick from the West System book is to mix up some clear epoxy and let it sit till it starts to gel, then trowel into the crack. Since it's clear it won't show much. I've never tried it though.

 

[Capt. Rodbone]

All great suggestions and thanks!

I don’t want to type and you don’t want to read a novel here but I have decided to use Cetol . I’ve used it in other sections on the boat and like the look. I started using Awlwood while we were doing the loop on our Grand Banks, and did smaller sections at a time and absolutely fell in love with it. Since the Schooner is for sale, my plan now is to get it looking reasonably good and then, take it back in the spring from Panama City Florida to her original home port on the Chesapeake bay and maybe it will sell better there. I’m not sure with a boat like this that it really matters where she is, however my wife thinks given it’s been for sale for quite a while in Panama City, with virtually no interest, that I should take her back up at least partially further up on the Atlantic seaboard where Schooner’s are more respected and appreciated. I thought her in Rockhall Maryland. She isn’t a troller, but I’m going to go ahead and post a couple of pictures.

 

[Bmarler]

Wow, cool boat.
I think cetol is a good choice. I like the natural teak version. It will sort of blend the colors after a few coats, and is easy enough to remove should the new owners choose a different path.

 

[Hippocampus]

Wow. What a boat. Is it a Peterson design with Van Dine the builder or is Van Dine the NA?

 

[DennisB1]

If the wood is sound, I would carefully route the gaps and then epoxy glue in a mahogany spline. You need to find a similar color mahogany. Then plane and sand flush. Bleach the sides then stain and varnish.
Filling with epoxy is the easy way but will not look as good. Another option is covering the whole side in 1/4 thick veneer using a thickened epoxy to bond the panels in place. Lots of time but can look outstanding.
good luck on your project