I have been working on this Hemlock to reduce the bulge at a turn in the trunk. It has been healing slowly but the cavity i carved was a bit too deep for the callus to roll over easily! Decided to help it along with a bit of filler! This is a tree i like to have on the bench for viewing so i decided to camoflage the filler while the healing takes place. I chose a two part epoxy that would seal well and also accept some color. The natural bark is lighter gray and black. Also tried to shape the filler to reflect the form i would like the callus to take! Here is the result and the products i used.
First, cleaned the site and applied a penetrating sealer to the exposed dead wood. Avoiding the live areas. The product is milky white but dries clear, Samran brand, normally used as a base sealer for hardwood floors. Then I mixed the two part epoxy, Oatey brand ( $8.99) used 1/4 of a stick. I find this just as good as the JB Weld Kwik Wood but more economical. Then after allowing it to dry for an hour i brushed a light coat of India Ink and blotted off, repeat until i got the effect i wanted. I will reactivate the callus in the spring to encourage quicker healing and also allow branches and foliage in the vicinity of the scar to grow out more aiding the process. Hemlocks are a vigorous species and i think this will heal over completely in four or five years. It already healed once but the initial carving was not quite the way i wanted it so it had to be redone. What can i say, i changed my mind or i screwed up the first time.
. Overall height is 16 inches with a 3 inch base. the picture attached shows some wiring and thinning for the coming year!
