I'm fixing a hole...

[Greg Guarino]

With apologies to the Beatles, there's no rain getting in, but there is definitely some "mind wandering" involved.

In short, I made a mistake last night that has left a maybe 1/8" hole in the side edge of a maple face frame. Two actually. I measured once, at night, at the end of a day filled with family obligations, so an error was to be expected, I guess.

Anyway, how do I fill it? The face frame is as yet unfinished, and won't be stained. Is it as simple as a light-colored wood putty? Or is there a cleverer approach? If sawdust from the same stock is required, I have a more than adequate supply.

[Swingman]

You can try to use a "Dutchman", for only an 1/8" hole I would use a Maple wood filler, mixed with some of that fine sawdust.

I like either "Famowood", or "MinWax", both can be purchased for maple, and either one will work ... just buy as small an amount as you can purchase.

[John Grossbohlin]

I think this is an "it depends" question. If the holes are on the edge of the face frame where they end up inside a door/drawer opening, tinted wood filler is probably fine. If the holes are on an outside edge where they are kind of "in your face" (like next to a well lighted sink at eyeball level or something similar) I'd try an inlet patch made of the same material that matches the grain and color as close as possible as it would be less noticeable than round "spots." Failing that, if the option exists, I'd make another part or plane the edge off and apply a relatively thin veneer piece to the entire edge. If you keep the new piece thin it will not be noticeable if the edges of the frame are eased.

A few years back I had a similar disaster when the depth stop lock handle on my hollow chisel mortiser cracked, unnoticed, while the machine was in use. The result being that the depth stop was slipping with each plunge until I finally blew a hole through the side of a style where there was supposed to be a blind mortise. It figured that it was in the most noticeable location on the whole project! Efforts to grain and color match a patch/veneer to the quarter sawn white oak failed. I ultimately made a new style which was no small feat as the color, grain, and ray fleck all had to match the original...

BTW, it turns out that those stop lock handles are the most commonly replaced part on the mortiser... which makes me wonder how many others ruined parts!

John

[woodchucker]

I saw the other suggestions. Mine would be to enlarge the hole to 1/4 or 3/8 Then make a plug to fit the hole. I have a set of tapered plug cutters Choose your plug wood from a relatively close grain pattern, and install, flush cut and plane. If you do it right it will barely be noticeable , or not at all.

[-MIKE-]

Another option along the lines of a plug, is to not enlarge the hole but look for a knot in some scrap to cut out and sand to fit the hole.

[RonB]

I'm with woodchucker.

I made a similar goof a few weeks ago on a cabinet door and repaired it wit h a plug. When I say "plug" I do not mean dowel. As woodchucker said, get a tapered plugcutter and enlarge your hole to accept a plug from the small est plugcutter you can get. Cut the plug from a piece of stock that closel y matches your frame. When you insert the glued plug into the hole take yo ur time to align the grain in the plug with the host grain. Use a plug or dowel saw to trim the plug flush and sand. If you haven't used a plug cutt er before you might want to practice, but with a little practice and luck y ou can get a repair that is nearly invisible.

RonB