Safety & How to Use Rangate Knot Filler

Rangate Knot Filler is easy to use...

...but the details is here for you. Do it once and you probably won't need to see this again. Oh yeah, be sure to check out the Safety Section below. Getting burnt is no fun!

Check out the TV section or our Rangate Instagram for some application demonstrations and references.

Step 1: Insert a polyamide-nylon rod into your Rangate Knot Filler Heat Gun. Set the temperature adjustment dial to the designed melting point in the table below, and turn on the heat gun. Let the gun stand at its upright position for about 5 minutes to heat up. The front half of the heat gun, especially its nozzle tip, will become hot. A little bit of the filler may start dripping. Lay a piece of scrape wood directly under the nozzle. Do not touch the front half of the gun and where it is becoming hot to avoid injury.

Step 2: While you are waiting for the gun to heat up, you can get rid of any loose pieces in the void you are trying to repair. Rough surface is perfectly fine, but you probably want to remove any wood dust and loose chips so that the filler can flow into the solid surfaces in Step 3.

Step 3: Use the heat gun to apply the melted filler into a wood void. Be sure to apply slightly more (top it up) at the end before Step 4. This way, do you don't get a dimple in your final result. Place the heat gun aside at its upright position where its tip is away from anyone and have the nozzle stand directly above a scrap piece of wood as some HOT filler material may still be dripping out of the nozzle.

Step 4: Quickly and FIRMLY apply ONCE the Rangate Knot Filler Cooling Block onto the melted filler to pack the filler down into the void. The filler will harden as it cools down. Hold the cooling block in place and let it sit for 10 to 60 seconds, mainly depending on the depth of the repair (not width). Most voids take 10 to 20 seconds. Deeper void can take 2 minutes. Practice will make your result perfect. Through-hole voids may need to be filled and hardened one side at a time. See the Safety Section below.

Step 5: Using a Rangate Knot Filler Chisel, remove any excess filler. Note: WENGE is the only color that is not meant for chiseling or cutting. Its hardness is designed for a wide-belt sanding application.

Step 6 (optional): Lightly sand the newly-filled imperfection to blend it in to achieve a natural-looking repair. Apply finish if desired.

Step 7: Continue repairing other voids per steps 2 through 6. Insert a new rod if the heat gun's pusher becomes empty. Or you can begin with a new color when the existing rod inside the gun is used up. 

Removing Knot Filler Rods: Once you've inserted a rod into your heat gun and begun to use it, we recommend using the rod completely instead of removing it to use a different color. If you are done for now and plan to use the same color in your next job, go to Step 8. If you really need to remove a rod, turn the gun's heating temperature up by 2 notches for a few minutes before putting the rod slowly backward from behind the pusher (back of the gun) WHILE HOLDING THE HEAT GUN AT ITS UPRIGHT POSITION and have the NOZZLES POINTING AWAY FROM ANYONE and TO A BUFFER OBJECT like a scrap piece of wood. This will minimize the risk of injury and damage to the heating element. There is always a chance of injury and damage so we don't recommend this. Plan ahead or use up the rest of the filler in the deeper voids is always best. And NEVER pull out any filler rod that has passed the rod pushing trigger for your safety. It will cause injury. If you need to use various colors often, you should consider obtaining a second heat gun to minimize filler waste, injury, and gun damage.

Section 8: When you are done with the repair, leave the rod inside the gun, turn off then unplug the power of the gun. Let the gun cool off completely at its upright position before packing it away. NEVER remove the rod when the gun is cooled off. See "Removing Knot Filler Rods" in Step 7 above. Clean and store away the cooling block and chisel.

Rod Storage: Leave the unused rods in the original packaging and store the pack away at a room temperature away from light and heat sources. If you don't plan on using any open packs for a while (more than a month), it's best to store the rods in an airtight poly-bag to protect its longevity.

Safety Section

** All Rangate products are designed for industrial and professional use in a woodworking shop environment only. All standard shop safety rules and usage instructions are to be followed and assumed to be followed. **

** CAUTION! A HEATED GUN and MELTED FILLER are EXTREMELY HOT that will cause BURNS and INJURY if touched! Seek medical attention immediately if touched. **

** DO NOT TOUCH a Heated Gun and Hot Melted Filler by hand! **

** Give yourself a stable and flat working surface that is bigger than your workpiece to avoid material slippage and movements, which may cause hot materials falling onto your body. **

** NEVER hold or place a heat gun in any other positions other than its upright position, until the heat gun is COMPLETELY COOLED! **

** Through-hole voids must be repaired with extreme caution. Be sure to be 100% comfortable with filling a standard void first before trying to repair an edge or through-hole void. Place the wood material on a steady and cooling-block type surface. Fill and repair the topside first. Make sure the filler is completely cooled and hardened before flipping the wood upside down to apply a repair from the other side. ALWAYS hold and keep the heat gun at its upright position ONLY to avoid burns and other injuries! **

** Rangate Knot Filler is designed only to repair wood aesthetically. Some has used it as a creative inlay. The filler does not provide any structural support, and it has NOT been tested for food safety. Follow food safety standards such as a food-grade barrier when using the filler on your products that potentially come in contact with food of any kind. Keep in mind that the filler has a melting point and should not be used near any heat sources to avoid any accidental product damage, injury, and ingestion. **

How to Choose Rangate Knot Filler

Our most popular colors are Black, Mahogany, Walnut, Semi-Transparent/Knot and Oak. Our users love these colors for projects like flooring, tabletops, reclaimed wood slabs, and other furniture pieces. These colors can allow you to disguise a knot, or highlight it with contrast for an artistic look. All colors can be painted and stained, which gives you even greater flexibility.

The lower melting temperature knot fillers are great for a quick application- apply, chisel and go. A very light or hand sanding can be applied to finish the repair.

Our medium range temperature variants are the most popular types- they balance the ability to be cut and shaped post-repair with being firm enough to be sanded.

The WENGE color filler is designed to endure the highest melting temperature at 410ºF (210ºC). Once applied, cooled and hardened, the repaired pieces can then be finished with a wide belt sander to remove the excess any filler.

Color Melting Point Designed Application
White Color Knot Filler White 285° F / 140°C Cut and Hand Sand
Ash Color Knot Filler Ash 285° F / 140°C Cut and Hand Sand
Pine Color Knot Filler Pine 285° F / 140°C Cut and Hand Sand
Beech Color Knot Filler Beech 285° F / 140°C Cut and Hand Sand
Oak Color Knot Filler Oak 285° F / 140°C Cut and Hand Sand
Semitransparent Color Knot Filler Semi-Transparent/Knot 285° F / 140°C Cut and Hand Sand
Black Color Knot Filler Black 320° F / 160°C Cut and Sand
Walnut Color Knot Filler Walnut 320° F / 160°C Cut and Sand
Cherry Color Knot Filler Cherry 320° F / 160°C Cut and Sand
Mahogany Color Knot Filler Mahogany 320° F / 160°C Cut and Sand
Pine Light Color Knot Filler Pine Light 320° F / 160°C Cut and Sand
Yellow Color Knot Filler Yellow 320° F / 160°C Cut and Sand
Gray Color Knot Filler Gray 320° F / 160°C Cut and Sand
Wenge Color Knot Filler Wenge 410° F / 210°C Wide-Belt Sanding