High temp.-tolerant filler needed

I want to fill the gap that remains after fitting between the tapered rectangular-section brass tang of a tool and the round hole it is inserted into in a wooden handle. The tool in question is a bookbinder's hand typeholder.

I've made several of these and have used several different fillers, none of which completely meets my needs.

The primary requirements of the filler are that it:

• is temperature tolerant [up to around 150 degrees Celsius]
• bonds well to brass and wood
• won't crumble/disintegrate in use and fall out
• is a wood [or a brass] colour

Standard JB Weld meets the temp. tolerance requirement but is the wrong colour.

JB Weld Wood Weld is the right colour but not remotely temp. tolerant.

Ronseal two-part epoxy wood filler is a good colour, gives a very firm bond, but is also not sufficiently temp. tolerant.

Everbuild wood filler is a good colour but a little too crumbly once dry and yet again not sufficiently temp. tolerant.

If anyone has a suggestion for a filler, whether commercially available or home made, I'd be grateful to hear of it.

Edited By Bill Phinn on 24/03/2021 21:08:47

High temperature Silicon?

Milliput is good to 130 deg C, available in various colours, and can be stained

Not quite to your spec. but probably worth a try

MichaelG.

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**LINK** : https://www.milliput.com/howto.html

Can you not fit the handle in the traditional way of heating to red hot and plunging into an undersize guide hole in the wooden handle?

Would agree with JasonB. The traditional way has always proved virtually permanent for me, I would imagine any kind of 'filler' would come loose eventually. If one fitted as described comes a bit loose in time a quick tap on the end with a hammer soon puts things right.

regards

Thanks, Michael. I've ordered some of the standard colour and will give it a go.

That would be a bit risky, Jason, as the tang is silver-soldered to the type chamber, and the joint between the two is milled perfectly square on one side to accept a stepped screw-on mounting boss for a central adjusting screw. Any movement at the joint at this stage would be pretty disastrous. Burning in for me is also a bit more unforgiving with regard to getting a handle perfectly straight, but I accept that others may be much more adept at this method than I am.

It's apparent from the dozen or so secondhand typeholders I own that the handles very often do work loose. I think this is almost always due to users leaving their typeholders on the stove for too long and scorching out the hole in the handle. I say this because in my own case typeholders with wooden handles I bought new twenty-five years ago show no loosening of the handle, and I assume this is because I never leave them on the stove longer than is necessary. Asbestos handles have been tried over the years instead of wood, but they've never been popular.

Edited By Bill Phinn on 25/03/2021 13:19:15

Just a very dull red would do, not hot enough to melt any silver solder, as I said a predrilled pilot hole will guide the tool in straight. have a practice on a bit of scrap wood and see how you get on

Thanks, Jason. I'll practise my burning-in technique. Doing it that way may save some mither in the long run.