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Wood fill and End cap diy fix - wood movement

What you are seeing is normal with wood movement, don't be alarmed. Easy DIY -

Wood Fill - seams, cracks and splits, easy DIY - have your touch up kit ready!

As wood movement occurs, you may see a board seam that has a crack which is normally just the wood fill cracking. Wood fill isn't flexible but does a great job in helping food and other things get stuck in the seams. Sometimes there may be a split or a crack. Mainly you want to wait to do anything with back filling with wood fill until wood stops moving, which you just watch to see if the movement has stopped in the area. I recommend not to do anything until the 1 year that you have your piece. 1 year gives the piece time to for wood movement to not be as much. During any wood movement, just use your table like normal. Few options below -

Quick stain only process - If you are seeing the wood fill color versus the table stain color, you can use just your stain to apply on the wood fill color, let stand 3-5 mins for Rustoleum and 10-15 mins for Minwax or SW, and wipe off to color the wood fill.

Detailed process -

In the touch up kit there should be some wood fill. We use Minwax Natural Wood Filler, Lowe's Item #1100460 (they have smaller sizes). It is water based and easy to clean up, and easy to use. You want to have wide tape and a damp cloth (Blue tape and baby wipes are great).

Tape around the area you are wanting to work on. Use the wood fill and you can use your fingers to smash it in or a tool. Once you get the wood fill in, wipe level and clean any excess off. Let that stuff dry 24 hours, don't remove tape yet.
Next get the touch up stain, use a paper towel or cheap foam brush to apply to the wood filled part. If you get some stain on the table, that is ok. The clearcoat has you covered, just wipe off. Leave the stain on the wood fill for 3-5 mins for Rustoleum and 10-15 mins for Minwax or SW, then wipe off with a paper towel. Whatever you use to wipe the stain up, soak it with water before throwing in the trash, same with brush. Let that stain dry for 8 hours, don't remove tape.
Next take the urethane from the touch up kit, looks like 2% milk. Take a foam brush or paper towel apply to the wood fill/stain. It will look white, milky but it will dry clear. Wipe off an excess and let dry 4 hours, remove tape. Urethane total dry time: 24 hours before light use, mainly don't clean it for 24hrs then no standing liquid on the fresh urethane for a few weeks.

In the middle of the above option -

For wood fill cracking or small splits/cracks - test small area to see if you like the results first of this method. Apply stain just to color the wood fill cracking parts, 3-5 mins for Rustoleum and 10-15 mins for Minwax or SW, wipe off stain, and let dry 8 hours. Take clear window caulking and put in seam, wipe level and get excess off. Let dry 24 or until clear. See what you think. Stain luminates through the caulking and it seals so food and other can't get in the seams.

End Caps, sticking out is a normal thing with wood movement. Have your touch up kit ready!

Since wood moves width wise the end cap can stick out from the main table with is normal.

Here are options, have your touch up kit ready -

Take the stain, I recommend taking sand paper and sand off corner edge a little before stain applied, and stain the ends. Leave the stain on for 3-5 mins for Rustoleum and 10-15 mins for Minwax or SW, then wipe off with a paper towel. Whatever you use to wipe the stain up, soak it with water before throwing in the trash, same with brush. Let that stain dry for 8 hours. Next take the urethane from the touch up kit, looks like 2% milk. Take a foam brush or paper towel apply to the stained area. It will look white, milky but it will dry clear. Wipe off an excess and let dry...usually touch dry in 1-1.5hrs.
If you have a orbital sander or by hand with a sanding block, you can use it to sand down the corner edge to bevel into the main part of the table at an angle. I would just do small area the edge to table just to bevel in. Then go to step 1 above to apply stain to sanded area. Since more clearcoat with be applied - Urethane total dry time: 24 hours before light use, mainly don't clean it for 24hrs then no standing liquid on the fresh urethane for a few weeks.

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