Indents in wood. Bugs?

[jwood123]

I recently started making a hallway table from kiln dried sweet chestnut. Yesterday I noticed several small little circular notches (not full holes, approx 1mm) on the top piece. I do work in a communal workshop and the wood has been moved around quite a lot so I initially assumed they were just nicks from it being out and about but the amount of them has me a little concerned they might be some kind of bug/worm starting. I don't know much too much about this but know this is unlikely as the wood is so dry but wanted to check i'm being overly cautious?

Pictures are attached. Apologies for quality, my camera can't pick up that small very well. Thank you for any help.

 

[mrtree]

I think they might be glue bumps. Check the work bench and any vice or clamps you're using. There might be small blobs of set glue that someone has left behind, when you clamp or rest the wood these bumps will leave an indent. Run your hands over the work area, you'll soon feel any bumps.

 

[custard]

Or the boards have been laid down on the ground and have rested on gravel or discarded old screws etc.

When I was training as a cabinet maker it was beaten into us that as a project progresses you become ever more obsessive about laying freshly shaken blankets or scraps of leather down on the bench to protect the workpiece, and also sweeping off the bench top and keeping it tidy.

However, if you have dents then no worries, as there's every chance you can steam them out.

Here's a Cherry drawer front that I've stupidly laid down on a screw,

Here it is in close up,

Dampen the dent and lay a damp rag on top. Give it a minute for the fibres to absorb the moisture and swell up. Then apply an iron on the "cotton" setting,

Don't leave it on too long or it'll scorch, just enough to steam out the moisture from the rag. For a deep dent you may have to repeat the process. But as long as no fibres have been severed it's amazing what you can remove, here's the final result,