My neighbor has a fancy exterior staircase that has turned mahogany finials on top of cedar posts. The finials are glued up from 1x stock and are about 5″ in diameter. The finials are an egg shape and look like what you would get in Germany if you ordered a hard boiled egg: an egg in a holder made just for one egg. The egg part is holding up fine but the “holder” is cracking/checking and some of them are starting to rot. They are painted and could just be filled up with caulk but I wonder if anyone has a better idea. I suspect that because they were nailed into the posts that they haven’t been allowed to move and I am thinking of pulling them off and reattaching them with two sided bolt. Any feedback on that would be appreciated as well.
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strandomania.
Undoubtable they were turned when they were green. Rather than left to dry the amount of time something of that size needs to be left to dry..
It's doubtful they are true Mahogany rather one of it's many imitations.. Honduras Mahogany is extremely decay restraint while Philippine mahogany and African Mahogany both will decay relatively easily.
Wood moves it swells with humidity and shrinks as it dries back up and I know of no real good filler that properly will accomdidate that swelling and shrinking..
You might get away with small areas being filled with chaulk if your intention is to simply paint them rather than going for something stain grade.
How the heck can you say whether they were green turned or dry turned? He said it was a lamination, ya think green wood was glued up? ( UN-Doubtable?)
Then you DO doubt the specifics of the Swietiena species..Macrophylla? ANY Swietienia is a true Mahogony, hence the FIRST name..So, sittin there, you doubt what he has, because he mentioned some possible decay? Mahog, can decay.
You don't know of a flexible filler..OK, check out Geocel, yup a CAULK, it is tri-polymer and stays flexible..uh huh it does. Notice there is no chaulk that will do that.
And finally, yeah, he'll simply paint them, he said they were painted now..
Geeze Frenchy, ya ouggta not fire off the mis-info so fast.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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Geocel eh? Is that the stuff that comes in a clear caulk tube?
No that is LEXEL but it too would suffice. Both aer paintable.
Geocel is 2300 silver and purple tube
Lexel is clear and red tube.
Highly flexible and Lexel at least is touted for it's adhesive properties as well, altho' it is a bit less flexible with time..it sets up harder.
I'd pull a saw blade through the cracks to clean out the crud, add Geo or Lex, and LIGHTLY clamp, don't change the shape. Clean the excess with a wet finger as flush as possible, niether will sand afterwards, but can be pared with a RAZOR sharp blade.
I'v done many repairs such as this, never had a call back yet.
Playing with a new to me product, BIG STRETCH, it is made by Sashco too, same as Lexel, but it is water clean up and white. I have not enough time in use to properly evaluate it's performance tho'. At first blush, I love the stuff, too.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
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Caulk would work, but not look the best. Bondo is another option but dries too hard and will not move with the wood. A rubber based product found at a model making supply house should be the ticket-but try to avoid any pure silicone based product-it's hard to paint.
Expert since 10 am.