Reclaimed Wood & Nail Holes

[Steve Southwood]

When you use reclaimed wood, what do you use to fill that occasional nail hole. I usually try and work around them, but I almost always get a board with a hole right where I don't need it.

I have thought about using epoxy and adding a black color to it.

[Todd Burch]

Sometimes I fill it, sometimes I don't. It depends on the character of the piece.

I have used epoxy, tinted and not tinted (depending on the age of the epoxy and it's normal discoloration of semi-clear to dark purple). I've also patched irregular shaped holes with irregular shaped wood pieces, and I've also drilled out the holes and filled with round wood to match.

Sometimes a hole will give you the opportunity to create a new design feature.

But PLUHHHHEASE don't fill it with turquoise.

[Von Bickley]

Sometimes I fill it, sometimes I don't. It depends on the character of the piece.

I agree..... Sometimes it just adds character.

[Steve Southwood]

Thanks, I guess I will see how it falls in the work and go from there.

[Richard M. Wolfe]

"But PLUHHHHEASE don't fill it with turquoise."

I agree.....use either silver or green glitter.

It depends on the project and the look, and I think Todd covered most of the ways. I tend to use clear epoxy if possible. By the way, I do use turquoise, but 1)only in natural voids (cracks, empty bark pockets) 2)only in selected woods, which for me means mesquite or rarely pecan, and 3)only for a specific look.

[Jim Becker]

Coffee grounds and CA glue are a nice alternative for filling small holes like this if you feel you need to fill them...or slivers of the same wood carefully cut so you can grain match to make the holes disappear.

[Steve Southwood]

Coffee grounds, now thats a new one.

[Jim Becker]

Coffee grounds, now thats a new one.

It's a favorite of turners for filling holes and it works well in furniture, too. Can't beat the price, too, at least if you drink coffee. If you grind your own beans like I do, you can also take some stale beans and make them finer or coarser to suit the piece you are working on.

[Steve Southwood]

Pretty neat. Guess I am just too old school.

[Jim Becker]

Tinted epoxy certainly will work but it tends to, well...look like tinted epoxy. The nice thing about the coffee grounds (or other material like that) is that it tends to lend a more natural look because of the texture within the mixture. Actually, the coffee grounds and epoxy can be combined for a strong filler for larger voids, too.