Filling nail holes in maple.

[Hot stuff]

I'm making a face frame kitchen with reclaimed maple flooring and wondered how best to fill the nail holes in the boards so that once everything is varnished the holes are as invisible as possible.
I've only really used filler in a tube sort of stuff previously and it always seems to be hit or miss whether the finished repair can be seen or not.
I'd appreciate any advice, thanks.

 

[profchris]

The only method I know to make this near-invisible is the method used by luthiers, a long-grain patch taken from matching wood with a gouge and glued to a matching gouge at the blemish. This is hard to do well, and very time-consuming.

Have you considered highlighting the nail holes with a contrasting filler? This at least has the merit of looking intentional, rather than looking like a failed repair.

 

[mbartlett99]

Depending on the finish have you tried wax sticks?

 

[Hot stuff]

Thanks for that, I'll give the gouge thing a go and see how it turns out. That sounds do-able and I've got loads of wood to experiment with.
There aren't loads of holes and they're all either on the edge or back of the frame, where the nails were driven in at an angle through the tongue on the boards.
I've used a plug cutter on other projects with the same boards but there isn't enough material to use one on the edges.
I'm looking forward to trying that now though, fingers crossed.

 

[doctor Bob]

The problem with any filler in maple is that in 2 years time the maple will be yellow and the filler will be the original colour. Try little maple plugs hammered into the holes but ensure you do them with the same grain direction, quite tricky as the little dowels will be exceptionally weak as the grain will run across the dowel.

 

[custard]

The problem with any filler in maple is that in 2 years time the maple will be yellow and the filler will be the original colour. Try little maple plugs hammered into the holes but ensure you do them with the same grain direction, quite tricky as the little dowels will be exceptionally weak as the grain will run across the dowel.

+1

Veritas make a tapered plug cutter that works well for this type of job. The problem is no plug will be truly invisible unless you sink more time into the repair than the kitchen itself took to build! Maybe go the opposite route, be loud and proud about the reclaimed timber heritage and just use some basic stopping like Brummer?

 

[profchris]

Thanks for that, I'll give the gouge thing a go and see how it turns out. That sounds do-able and I've got loads of wood to experiment with.
There aren't loads of holes and they're all either on the edge or back of the frame, where the nails were driven in at an angle through the tongue on the boards.
I've used a plug cutter on other projects with the same boards but there isn't enough material to use one on the edges.
I'm looking forward to trying that now though, fingers crossed.

This is pretty much the definitive guide to this kind of repair (click the pictures to see full size): http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier ... ehole.html

I'd try on scrap to see how you get on. I'd reckon on 30 mins work to patch one, maybe two, holes, but you might be less cack-handed!