Prep work for my fireplace surround question?

jpc

hello everybody, Hoping someone can point me in the right direction...I demo'ed the surround wrapped around my fireplace to build a new and better one, I decided ahead of time i wanted to paint it to match rest of the rooms off white.Got all the stuff cut to size and have assembled in sections, being two square columns,friez board and the mantle/. All built with butt joints and using kreg pocket screws.I Put putty over any screw or nail holes and on butt joints, a few of those exposed ends of the butt joints are birch plywood, that evening I sanded,cleaned off and applied putty were needed, well next day after sanding, I thought it was perfect, so i put first coat of primer on . Primer dried and noticed that all of the plywood butt joints looked crappy? My question is this, should i strip the primer and putty agian, or can i putty over the primer? or is there something else i need to do or use?, And for the rest of the project is there another product used on the ends other than putty? I My stomach cringed when i saw it,because i just new i took my time,lol Thanks ahead of time everyone

jsheridan

Hey JPC, a posted pic will help to illustrate the problem you're having with the joints. Were the butt joints glued and screwed? What are you attempting to do with putty, fill a gap or flush an imperfect joint? Would a good machine sanding have helped to flush the surface, avoiding the need for putty? Non-flexing putty is not the best for filling gaps in joints, especially if not glued. You can putty over primer, but, since I don't know what you're currently using, I can't tell you if anything would be better.
Joe

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m1951mm

Your first coat of putty probably shrunk, which is normal. You can easily spackle over primer, in fact it is better to do the spackling after priming since the wood will suck all the moisture out of the spackle product. I love a spackle paste I can only get at Home Depot -- MKB or something like that, I just know that it is in a black and orange container. It dries hard yet sands down very well and seems to hold well!!! Since its consistency is more like a paste it applies very well and pretty smooth. It may take you more than one coat because of shrinkage to get totally smooth. Apply, sand and feel free to do another coat of primer (you can really only tell what a painted surface will look like after a primer or paint is applied). Once you have your nice smooth surface make sure your last application is a primer prior to your finish coat and dont forget to clean your dust off!!

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Mickey
Fantasy Walls and Windows


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m1951mm

Good Morning Joe, seems you and I were typing at the same time. You are so right about the glueing and screwing of those butt joints. Since I have seen some of the work that JPC has done in the past I did not go to in that direction, JPC has done some really good looking stuff!!!!! and I figured he would have done the construction the right way.

Glad to see you Joe!! You are a true artist!!

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jsheridan

As to the spackling, I believe that black and orange label is MH. Personally, I favor Synkoloids. Regardless, more often than not, spackle used to cover wood joins is likely to crack. Thanks for the nice words M.
Joe

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m1951mm

I agree that the intersection of one piece of wood to another (a flat seam) will tend to crack over time. I was speaking to the end cuts of the butt joints and filling in the voids of the plywood. A possible fix would be to do a screen moulding to span the flat joints, prime and then caulk the edges of the moulding to the flats.

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jpc

Hey there, thank you both for your responce's, I remember both of your timely responce's last time I was in a funk. Yes the joints were glued and screwed with pocket screws. I did not previously seal the plywood ends with anything until after the joint was togather.On one of the posts my joint slip a hair out of alignment like a 1/16, after working it for a bit got it closer but still a light lip, so i figured it would work itself out, but lol nope. So wasnt sure if the ends being previously sealed if i would have had a better outcome? Spackly...Ive heard that a few times,spackly like the stuff you put in drywall? or am i totally out there? Im going to grab some breakfast then take a few pics to post. And thank you MSher for your words of confidence.

jsheridan

I kind of thought that might be what you were trying to spackle out jpc. For my money, and long term success, I would try to sand it out. Spackle not only runs the risk of cracking and/or delaminating, but some finishes may reveal it through a texture flash. Spackling wood surfaces is best left to filling depressions only, not flushing ridges or highpoints, especially on furniture grade pieces like a mantle. Short of sanding it flush, I'd personally rather have the bit of lip than a spackle patch. I'm used to getting lip, lol. And drywall joint compound is a no no for wood patches, except in rental units.

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jpc

I think thats the way im going to go on that, i was so mad at myself the next day about me not taking it back apart and resetting it, but thought it wouldnt be a big deal and i could fix it at the next step,but im sure being lazy about cleaning up the glue mess probibly had more to do with it,lol

m1951mm

[I'm used to getting lip, lol. And drywall joint compound is a no no for wood patches, except in rental units.[/quote]

@ Joe!!not from anyone around here.

Putty to me is what you fill nail holes with. Spackle is premixed and comes in a couple of different weights and textures (light weight vinyl spackle for example good for filling picture nail holes prior to painting or as in this case a good exterior spackle is more of a paste like consistency) Different from joint compound. If I am not mistaken there maybe a thread discussing the difference between spackle and joint compound, I know there have been some discussions about it from time to time.

Joe again is right about sanding being the best solution.

Good Luck JPC on this new project. I really did like what you did with that star in your son's bedroom.

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jpc

thank you M1951, and im still going to post pics of the before and final pics of fireplace surround when i finally get done, thanks eveyone

chrisn

@ Joe!!not from anyone around here.

Putty to me is what you fill nail holes with. Spackle is premixed and comes in a couple of different weights and textures (light weight vinyl spackle for example good for filling picture nail holes prior to painting or as in this case a good exterior spackle is more of a paste like consistency) Different from joint compound. If I am not mistaken there maybe a thread discussing the difference between spackle and joint compound, I know there have been some discussions about it from time to time.

Joe again is right about sanding being the best solution.

Good Luck JPC on this new project. I really did like what you did with that star in your son's bedroom.[/quote]


If he ever uses the term " sizing" agin, he is going to get some

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