Core77

Woodworking by Tron? Filling Wood Voids with Photoluminescent Resin

By Rain Noe - December 16, 2014

in Materials | Furniture Design

In our series on Beetle Kill Pine, we showed you how some designers are trying to find useful functions for undesireable, fungus-damaged wood. Another tree with fungal woes is Pecky Cypress, whose innards are scarred by rotted-out voids, making its gap-laden boards unsuitable for say, smooth tabletops.

Instructables Community Manager Mike Warren, a/k/a/ Michaelsaurus, has a workaround: He fills the voids with resins, a technique you've probably seen before. But Warren doesn't use any old resin—he adds photoluminescent powder to the mix, producing a filler that "charges up in sunlight and emits a cool blue glow when in partial or complete darkness."

The full Instructable is here, but peep Warren's cool video first:

o

Favorite This
Q
9

Comment

Comments

Brent McDonald

8 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

I love this project. Finding Pecky Cypruss in Arizona is not easy. That stuff seems to be rare and expensive. Do you recommend any other type of lumber?

!Report as spam
Paul Pickard

9 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Tom,

yeah that makes a lot of sense actually thanks!
!Report as spam
Tom Mc

9 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Paul: He uses the guide because the bearing is following the edge of the wood which may be pitted in some locations. If the bearing hits a low spot the bit will dig in and ruin the straight edge. Undoubtedly the bearing is still doing most of the work but the edge is there to prevent drift.
!Report as spam
Paul Pickard

9 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

At 1:42 why does he need the Festool guide if he is using a bearing bit?
I don't dig the color much, but I like the idea...white light maybe?
!Report as spam
Tony

9 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

And I thought I thought of this first. Did this same thing with live edge sycamore this past year. Turned out awesome. A lot more work than you think though...but well worth it. Waiting til it warms up to do the benches.
!Report as spam
bill

9 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Really, who thinks this actually looks good at night? Nice process... but the final result, is unappealing.
!Report as spam
Cameron Nielsen

9 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Love the photoshop. Made me smile, thank you!
!Report as spam
Rob Wilkey

9 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Coolest project I've seen in a long time. I'm gonna have to do this with some split out oak boards I've been ignoring for a while...
!Report as spam
Toby

9 years ago

Z

Z

Reply

Fun. You can get strontium aluminate in various colors on ebay etc. I have kneaded it into Sugru too, and also used to it make very bright luminous paint for clock hands...
!Report as spam