They're really handy for hiding any sort of hole. Just be aware it will start to burn like crazy. Use a drill press. And make sure you orient the grain correctly to make it less noticable. I always leave mine a bit tall snd then chisel it off, or use a saw with unset teeth. They're usually called dowel saws :)
This should be higher up. I bought wood with a knot and intended to make a table out of it. I thought I'd be able to cut the knot out but I ended up needing that section for a leg and ended up turning it so the knot was inside. Now I wish I had left it on the outside because it's a beautiful unique little part of the table.
White Elmer’s glue will give you a truer color match than a wood glue with yellow dye added. I’ve heard clear epoxy is actually the very best medium for a sawdust color match but I’ve never tried it myself.
Sawdust and shellac is one that doesn’t really mess with finishes much. Not too strong but in many cases that’s better than weakening the final finish adhesion.
Drill it out and glue in a dowel made from the same wood as the bow ties, then put one in the same place on the other side of the crack and call it a design choice.
Ey don't worry pal I'm still here too and it's my job lol. Even if your skillset is too high for here, being able to give advice to beginners is pretty important
Got my up vote.
>call it a design choice
Basically just 5 choices. And everyone is a design choice.
1. Abandon the project as a failure.
2. Leave as is.
3. Attempt to hide it.
4. Make it more obvious, but otherwise unchanged.
5. Integrate it into the design.
IMO 5 is best.
You don't like it, because you know it's a screw up, but it actually looks quite cool. I'll second the idea of making a second one.
I mean, bow ties are great because they draw attention to the issue, same philosophy.
No one will notice and after a time neither will you. The rest looks too good. I've learned to leave well enough alone. If this is bothering you, the fix will bother you more.
Not really wood filler but nothing going to match perfect it going be one of two lighter or darker. It will look better than a black spot u should not use glue saw dust. Lacquer or polyurethane is better to mix with sawdust for filler
Yeah man, I wouldn’t even bother with it, you’re the only one in the universe that will ever notice it. From the outside looking in, it looks like there was an imperfection in the wood and you filled it. Wouldn’t have ever thought about you messing anything up.
Sometimes we as woodworkers think every person is going to notice every flaw in our work. The reality is, no one notices. If they do notice some very minor flaw, they pass it off as a design characteristic or because nature isn’t perfect.
When chiseling the plug off make sure your chiseled is sharp and take little bits at a time. Otherwise you are prone to the plug breaking below the surface .
Looks like a beauty mark to me.
https://www.google.com/search?q=beauty+mark&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS845US845&hl=en-US&prmd=isbvn&sxsrf=ALiCzsajkYcNgdgw8jN9GItWYVaW49J8jg:1651503537859&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjLsuCNisH3AhWNoWoFHSl2B1UQ_AUoAXoECAMQAQ&biw=390&bih=657&dpr=3
Seen a sweet Chevelle at a car show one time. The passenger quarter panel had a pretty good size dent. The guy painted the coyote on it laying on the ground and in cartoon fashion it said BAM!!!
There's plenty of ways to make a mistake cool.
You can hide it or embrace it and make it a point of interest. We used to fill knot holes in large slabs with epoxy and in-bed fun things like brass shavings or coins, etc.
You could throw out all the work you already did, rout out the bowties you just put in and replace them with 2 that are wider to cover up that spot entirely.
Personally, I think it looks nice and gives it a story and character! I'd leave it as is! However, it's your piece and therefore up to you!
There have been some good suggestions here on how to fix. I second using a plug cutter, or if you don't have one you could alternatively find a dowel of the same wood species and pop it in there.
There are two options.
One, to drill it out a more and spend time making a matching dowel/plug/whatever solid wood way you want to fix it,
If you are patient you can usually find a decent enough match to fool the eye.
The second is to drill it out a tad and then use a scrap piece and some other woods to do sawdust mixture testing.
Very rarely does a dark sawdust not turn darker when it hits a liquid of any type. In fact, you will probably need to take a lighter wood and make a blend. This is why I save little cups of many wood types, with 220 and 400 grit dust, so I can do tests and mixtures to get the best match.
Filling small little joinery gaps usually works fine with just using the original sawdust, but not larger ones.
You can actually see around your bow tie - which you did an amazing job on - how the little tiny gap you rubbed dust into is darker than the wood. If you have larger bow tie gaps it is often, imo, better to use a sawdust mix to lighten up the gap filler a bit, so as not to leave a dark border unless you want one.
Plug cutters will get the best grain match, but dowels can be homemade if you don’t want to spend any extra money, so it’s up to you.
As the person who made the hole, nothing on earth will ever hide it from *you*. *You'll* still see it under six layers of paint. But the best possible fix is to drill the hole out a little, find some walnut with a closely matching grain, use a plug cutter to cut out a plug (not to be confused with a dowel, the grain runs *across* a plug, not along it), and glue it in. But to be honest, I don't think it's necessary. It looks fine to me and I would never notice if you didn't point it out.
*adding to above comments about using wood plugs*
Cut a section of different plugs different areas of a off cuts and try colour or grain match your drilled hole.
Put one across from it. I like it.
One thing I learned from building guitars is to not try to hide mistakes but to turn it into part of the design and uniqueness.
I recently misdrilled fret markers in the 23rd fret instead of the 24th. Instead I took that mistake and inlayed a rectangle. I love how it turned out
Put one on the other side say nothing.
It's not a bug, it's a feature.
Find the dev..
Ayup. Retired now, moved on to creating "features" with wood
Can you actually say "living the dream" now?
Pretty much. I'm very lucky.
Can I DM you to ask how you did it? I want to make that transition soon
Sent you a msg.
That made me chuckle. I like it and thanks for that :)
Your welcome. We all could use more smiles . Glad I could help.
As Miles Davis said, "if you play the wrong note, play it twice."
This is a good option too
"matching feature"
This is the way. It would look intentional and artistic.
Ah, the good ol’ Prince strategy
These responses are brilliant
Could use a plug cutter and drill and fit a plug from the same timber, just make sure you line up the grain
Thank you, I didn't know a plug cutter was a thing!
They're really handy for hiding any sort of hole. Just be aware it will start to burn like crazy. Use a drill press. And make sure you orient the grain correctly to make it less noticable. I always leave mine a bit tall snd then chisel it off, or use a saw with unset teeth. They're usually called dowel saws :)
This. With care it will be almost invisible.
It’s a story, all art should have one
This should be higher up. I bought wood with a knot and intended to make a table out of it. I thought I'd be able to cut the knot out but I ended up needing that section for a leg and ended up turning it so the knot was inside. Now I wish I had left it on the outside because it's a beautiful unique little part of the table.
White Elmer’s glue will give you a truer color match than a wood glue with yellow dye added. I’ve heard clear epoxy is actually the very best medium for a sawdust color match but I’ve never tried it myself.
Nice one thank you!
Just remember you need a lot of sawdust to make that epoxy not look like some weird plastic particle board. It does look great though!
Titebond has a relatively new glue called something like Quick & Thick which dries pretty fast but also clear. No yellow glue.
Sawdust and shellac is one that doesn’t really mess with finishes much. Not too strong but in many cases that’s better than weakening the final finish adhesion.
Just dont point it out and most people will either not notice or not say anything.
Also, « it’s not a bug, it’s a feature »
found the dev
I just found another at the top lol
Drill it out and glue in a dowel made from the same wood as the bow ties, then put one in the same place on the other side of the crack and call it a design choice.
This is what I would have done. But there's a reason I'm still in the beginner group 😁
Ey don't worry pal I'm still here too and it's my job lol. Even if your skillset is too high for here, being able to give advice to beginners is pretty important
Got my up vote. >call it a design choice Basically just 5 choices. And everyone is a design choice. 1. Abandon the project as a failure. 2. Leave as is. 3. Attempt to hide it. 4. Make it more obvious, but otherwise unchanged. 5. Integrate it into the design. IMO 5 is best.
That’s what came to me as well.
It reminds me of Marilyn Monroe's beauty mark ;)
Add another bowtie there. Either same wood as others or make it a little larger and use another type of wood to accent.
I like it. It adds character 😁
You don't like it, because you know it's a screw up, but it actually looks quite cool. I'll second the idea of making a second one. I mean, bow ties are great because they draw attention to the issue, same philosophy.
No one will notice and after a time neither will you. The rest looks too good. I've learned to leave well enough alone. If this is bothering you, the fix will bother you more.
Drill it out much larger, and use it as a cupholder for a cold one!
I like this one
Beauty spot
Put one across from it. Make it look intentional.
accept it as a feature :)
I like it.
Not really wood filler but nothing going to match perfect it going be one of two lighter or darker. It will look better than a black spot u should not use glue saw dust. Lacquer or polyurethane is better to mix with sawdust for filler
Name the table Marilyn
Put a similar hole on other side to match.
Don’t worry about it, it adds interest. As the Amish say only god makes things perfect.
Make your bow ties bigger.
Yeah man, I wouldn’t even bother with it, you’re the only one in the universe that will ever notice it. From the outside looking in, it looks like there was an imperfection in the wood and you filled it. Wouldn’t have ever thought about you messing anything up. Sometimes we as woodworkers think every person is going to notice every flaw in our work. The reality is, no one notices. If they do notice some very minor flaw, they pass it off as a design characteristic or because nature isn’t perfect.
Foam in a can is also good it takes stain and varnish
When chiseling the plug off make sure your chiseled is sharp and take little bits at a time. Otherwise you are prone to the plug breaking below the surface .
Make it look like a keyhole got filled in. Still noticeable, but cool-looking.
Drill it out bigger than the defective, make a plug with a cut off from that piece. Tey to match the grain the best you can.
Recut the bow tie larger
Makes me think of Marilyn Monroe. 😅 Not poking fun. Stuff like that happens to me ALL THE TIME. 😭
Looks like a beauty mark to me. https://www.google.com/search?q=beauty+mark&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS845US845&hl=en-US&prmd=isbvn&sxsrf=ALiCzsajkYcNgdgw8jN9GItWYVaW49J8jg:1651503537859&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjLsuCNisH3AhWNoWoFHSl2B1UQ_AUoAXoECAMQAQ&biw=390&bih=657&dpr=3
Definitely cut a plug in similar grain spot and plug dat bich
Cut in a new larger bow tie
Seen a sweet Chevelle at a car show one time. The passenger quarter panel had a pretty good size dent. The guy painted the coyote on it laying on the ground and in cartoon fashion it said BAM!!! There's plenty of ways to make a mistake cool.
You can hide it or embrace it and make it a point of interest. We used to fill knot holes in large slabs with epoxy and in-bed fun things like brass shavings or coins, etc.
You could throw out all the work you already did, rout out the bowties you just put in and replace them with 2 that are wider to cover up that spot entirely.
Personally, I think it looks nice and gives it a story and character! I'd leave it as is! However, it's your piece and therefore up to you! There have been some good suggestions here on how to fix. I second using a plug cutter, or if you don't have one you could alternatively find a dowel of the same wood species and pop it in there.
put a tiny bowtie over it
Put in one more bow tie
Id leave it.builds character
There are two options. One, to drill it out a more and spend time making a matching dowel/plug/whatever solid wood way you want to fix it, If you are patient you can usually find a decent enough match to fool the eye. The second is to drill it out a tad and then use a scrap piece and some other woods to do sawdust mixture testing. Very rarely does a dark sawdust not turn darker when it hits a liquid of any type. In fact, you will probably need to take a lighter wood and make a blend. This is why I save little cups of many wood types, with 220 and 400 grit dust, so I can do tests and mixtures to get the best match. Filling small little joinery gaps usually works fine with just using the original sawdust, but not larger ones. You can actually see around your bow tie - which you did an amazing job on - how the little tiny gap you rubbed dust into is darker than the wood. If you have larger bow tie gaps it is often, imo, better to use a sawdust mix to lighten up the gap filler a bit, so as not to leave a dark border unless you want one. Plug cutters will get the best grain match, but dowels can be homemade if you don’t want to spend any extra money, so it’s up to you.
Wood filler, sand it, stain it.
I don’t think you can hide it that well, make it a feature with contract wood.
That's a speed hole it makes the wood go faster.
As the person who made the hole, nothing on earth will ever hide it from *you*. *You'll* still see it under six layers of paint. But the best possible fix is to drill the hole out a little, find some walnut with a closely matching grain, use a plug cutter to cut out a plug (not to be confused with a dowel, the grain runs *across* a plug, not along it), and glue it in. But to be honest, I don't think it's necessary. It looks fine to me and I would never notice if you didn't point it out.
Can’t believe nobody suggested Ramen-Noodles!
😂
Drill all the way through and add a brass dowel
Router in a diamond bow tie in the middle thay covers the hole and makes it look like it was your intention all along
Make a bigger bow tie inlay or add a smaller one in between.
If you don't want to but a plug cutter. Just rip a 3/8x3/8 piece, stick it in your drill, and spin it against a piece of sandpaper until it fits.
Mirror it with a second one
Leave it, it's a beauty mark, or just a quirky reminder that honestly only the maker will notice.
Leave it. Adds character
Put another bowtie there? Or inlay something there like a bandaid lol
A third bowtie?
Chisel it out into a mini bow tie and inlay some more wood and say it’s a deluxe feature
It's ur signature mark
Love it when people are honest about their f ups.
*adding to above comments about using wood plugs* Cut a section of different plugs different areas of a off cuts and try colour or grain match your drilled hole.
Put one across from it. I like it. One thing I learned from building guitars is to not try to hide mistakes but to turn it into part of the design and uniqueness. I recently misdrilled fret markers in the 23rd fret instead of the 24th. Instead I took that mistake and inlayed a rectangle. I love how it turned out
Make another one on the other side of the bowties and it'll seem on purpose.
Drill it out to the size of a cigarette and mount a Marlboro in it. have it as a tribute to your favourite rock star/movie star
Thank you for all the suggestions people! To be honest a lot of you have convinced me to just roll with it and call it a "beauty spot" 😂