# small 5 inch, 1mm wide gap. Should I be worried? **URL:** \ **Category:** Builder's Forum\ **Created:** [June 7, 2016, 4:37am UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/small-5-inch-1mm-wide-gap-should-i-be-worried/44223 "2016-06-07T04:37:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nathan\_Gerhards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9a140/32.png) [@Nathan\_Gerhards](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Nathan_Gerhards)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 4:37am UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/small-5-inch-1mm-wide-gap-should-i-be-worried/44223/1 "2016-06-07T04:37:06Z")
I've begun to sand and notice a few small gaps that are about 1mm wide gabs between two strips.  They taper to fine points on both ends.  the gap overal length is about 5 inchs.  Do I do anything about it? Do I fill it with wood flour/epoxy? or just leave alone and let the epoxy fill it in while layin the FB cloth? ---
**Author:** ![Laszlo\_Morocz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Laszlo\_Morocz](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Laszlo_Morocz)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2016, 11:30am UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/small-5-inch-1mm-wide-gap-should-i-be-worried/44223/2 "2016-06-07T11:30:47Z")
What boat, what strips? Laszlo   ---
**Author:** ![Nathan\_Gerhards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9a140/32.png) [@Nathan\_Gerhards](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Nathan_Gerhards)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 3:49am UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/small-5-inch-1mm-wide-gap-should-i-be-worried/44223/3 "2016-06-08T03:49:33Z")
Night Heron Hybrid 18.  Deck strips.  It is located  inbetween two strips.  Aparently I didn't lay the next strip tightly into the grove in that area so it left a small gap about 1mm or less wide and tapers at both ends where the edge of each strip joins back and tightly.    ---
**Author:** ![Laszlo\_Morocz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c68b51/32.png) [@Laszlo\_Morocz](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Laszlo_Morocz)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 8:38am UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/small-5-inch-1mm-wide-gap-should-i-be-worried/44223/4 "2016-06-08T08:38:40Z")
If I was worried about strength, I'd fill it with epoxy/woodflour putty. If I was worried about looks, I'd plane or sand a piece of wood to fill it in. Good luck, Laszlo   ---
**Author:** ![Nathan\_Gerhards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e9a140/32.png) [@Nathan\_Gerhards](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Nathan_Gerhards)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2016, 11:00pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/small-5-inch-1mm-wide-gap-should-i-be-worried/44223/5 "2016-06-08T23:00:43Z")
Thank you for the advice.  Though curious, could you  explain in laymans terms how to create a piece of wood smaller in width of a toothpick but as long as 5'' tapered?  I can see the idea of making it stick out a bit then sand it flush,  I get that part but how to make it narrow enough to puzzle it into the crack?  Last question.  I've heard that the woodflour becomes much darker.  Though if I sand a stock of the same strip to make sawdust,  wouldn't that allow it to match when mixing it with eopxy to fill it?    ---
**Author:** ![Adam\_Jangula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Adam\_Jangula](https://forum.clcboats.com/u/Adam_Jangula)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2016, 2:22pm UTC](https://forum.clcboats.com/t/small-5-inch-1mm-wide-gap-should-i-be-worried/44223/6 "2016-06-11T14:22:57Z")
A guy could cut a wood strip as thin as able, then plane or sand it down as thin as needed from there. Just clamp a long piece to a solid work surface for the planing to take place away from the clamps. I have also been able to use a bandsaw to taper cuts down to even thinner than a toothpick.  As for the wood flour/epoxy color, my experience has always resulted in darker goop even when adding dust from the same wood species. If I was trying to color match to a light colored wood, I would try mixing in almost entirely cellulose on a test batch; that is one way I know of to end up with a light epoxy fill.