Thread: Help there must be a better way????

Hi 195yon,

How big are the filled holes eg approx 8mm dia.

Not sure what suppliers are like in Armidale but can you source some Teak dowels. Drill out the filled area with a bit equal in size to the dowel..if the hole is 8mm say...buy 10mm dowel .

Use these to plug the hole..it should be closer to the colour and fairly neat.

Try Bunnings for the dowels.

Hi 195yon,
If the holes are only small you could try mixing a blend of sawdust
of the same wood with wood glue and use as a filler.

get yourself a few artists' paint brushes

You say you finished the repair with a Redish wax stick
which one?

you will probably need to blend two or three colours to get a good match

once that is done, use the artists' brushes to paint on a matching grain pattern over the patched area

I should have also commented on the previous owner's "repairs"

if they've used nails and screws, then it's probable that the joints are shot.
I don't think Parker used hide glue, so you probably need to enlarge all the mortices and trim all the tenons leaving you with very loose joints. These can be brought back to snug using veneer glued to the tenon faces

the best way to cover up holes properly is to make a diamond shaped inlay in the same timber so that the grain is running in the same direction, its easier to plug with a dowel but much more noticeable. after you have inlayed the diamonds you can then colour them out if you want

You could cut plugs from a matching piece of teak with a plug cutter. This is a hollow punch which is driven into the timber and cuts a plug with the grain across the face that can then be matched with the grain in your furniture.