A neat way to fill drill holes

[Blaughn]

I am sure this is well probably known to the old hands but I have not run across it in my reading.  When I did the walnut inlay on this project, I used a #63 drill for the blade entry.  I located the hole in the walnut.  The oak and the walnut were each 3/8" thick with the walnut below the oak and I used a No. 3 FDSR set at less than 1 degree angle.  (determined by cutting scrap test piece until a press fit was achieved.) 

 

Here's the trick I tried:  After completing the letters I kept the blade set at the same angle and cut a tight circle about 1/8" diameter out of a 3/4" scrap piece of walnut.  With the angle of the blade - I ended up with a "walnut tooth pick"  This sharp piece was placed in the drill hole of the work piece and then lightly tapped into the hole.  You can see the fill but only if you look closely.  In this case, I could have chosen a lighter shade of walnut for the peg and it would be even less apparent.

 

 

I found this to be much faster and less messy than trying to till the hole with sawdust and glue.

 

For what it is worth......

 

Bruce

[Scrolling Steve]

Very clever, Bruce....blends in very well !

[WayneMahler]

Nice work. Looks good.

[Phantom Scroller]

Good idea thanks for the tip. Roly

[heppnerguy]

 I love seeing something that one discovers and shares that is a little different twist on things. I have not liked the glue/sawdust  mix for the drilled holes with inlay-ed pieces so I just might give this idea a try on my next effort.

 

Dick

heppnerguy

[Dan]

Great tip. Thanks for sharing.

[Sam777]

Smart way

Thank you for sharing

Sam

[hawkeye10]

I will remember this for sure. Thanks.

[Rolf]

Another idea is to drill the entry hole at a slightly different angle so that the hole goes through the waste just to the side of the cut line. No fill at all.

[Blaughn]

Another idea is to drill the entry hole at a slightly different angle so that the hole goes through the waste just to the side of the cut line. No fill at all.

Ok,  I am intrigued.  I have 3/8" oak backed with 3/8" walnut.  I have the #3 blade set at an angle so that the top of the walnut cutout will match the top of the oak cutout.  In other words the angle of the blade is so slight that the kerf width replicates the piece cut out of the oak with the piece cut out of the walnut.  The oak cutout is scrap and everything outside of the walnut cutout is scrap.

 

Are you saying drill your hole at roughly 2-3 degrees so it starts inside the cutline of the oak and exits outside the uppermost cutline of the walnut.  I will have to try that.  I get it conceptually but would be open to suggestions as to how to drill the hole at the precise position and angle.

[Lucky2]

Nat idea Bruce, thanks for sharing it with us.

Len

[amazingkevin]

I am sure this is well probably known to the old hands but I have not run across it in my reading.  When I did the walnut inlay on this project, I used a #63 drill for the blade entry.  I located the hole in the walnut.  The oak and the walnut were each 3/8" thick with the walnut below the oak and I used a No. 3 FDSR set at less than 1 degree angle.  (determined by cutting scrap test piece until a press fit was achieved.) 

 

Here's the trick I tried:  After completing the letters I kept the blade set at the same angle and cut a tight circle about 1/8" diameter out of a 3/4" scrap piece of walnut.  With the angle of the blade - I ended up with a "walnut tooth pick"  This sharp piece was placed in the drill hole of the work piece and then lightly tapped into the hole.  You can see the fill but only if you look closely.  In this case, I could have chosen a lighter shade of walnut for the peg and it would be even less apparent.

 

IMG_0590peg.jpg

 

I found this to be much faster and less messy than trying to till the hole with sawdust and glue.

 

For what it is worth......

 

Bruce

i think the tooth picks add to it if strategically placed like rivets

[lawson56]

Bruce,now that is clever.Love the tip, Thank you.

[Rolf]

There was an article about this inlay technique in an old issue of SSWWC ( Fall 2009) I did a presentation on this at one of the Open houses. I had permission from Fox Chapel to use this image.

Most of my inlay work is small so what I did was cut some wedges with the angle that I needed that way I didn't have to change my drill press table. 

You could use the edge of a block of wood cut at the right angle as a guide for a small drill or Dremel. I think Carole Rothman uses this technique for her bowl work. 

Edited December 29, 2016 by Rolf

[Jim Finn]

I have done thousands of inlays and the way I avoid this issue is like Rolf mentioned.  I also use 3/8" stock and cut at about 2° but I drill a 1/16" hole at about 6.5° just inside the pattern with the wood to be inlayed below the background wood.   The reason for the larger degree angle is because the drill bit is much wider than the saw blade is.  I am using a #5 blade so the angle could be just a little less using a #3.  I have a small radial drill press with a rotary tool mounted in it. (Black and Decker, but a Dremel will also work) fixed at my 6.5° to keep my angle the same each time.

[spirithorse]

Great tips and excellent explanations, Bruce, Rolf, and Jim,

Thanks for sharing your expertise!
God Bless! Spirithorse

[Blaughn]

What a great technique.  I will have to give it a try.  Thanks Rolf and Jim!!!

[buck_lake]

Very clever. Thanks for sharing.

[Blaughn]

I have done thousands of inlays and the way I avoid this issue is like Rolf mentioned.  I also use 3/8" stock and cut at about 2° but I drill a 1/16" hole at about 6.5° just inside the pattern with the wood to be inlayed below the background wood.   The reason for the larger degree angle is because the drill bit is much wider than the saw blade is.  I am using a #5 blade so the angle could be just a little less using a #3.  I have a small radial drill press with a rotary tool mounted in it. (Black and Decker, but a Dremel will also work) fixed at my 6.5° to keep my angle the same each time.Rotary tool jig.jpg

Jim, do you find that the speed of the saw and the speed of the cut also tends to influence the width of the kerf?  When I do my sample cut on a piece of scrap, if I use a higher speeds, I seem to get a wider kerf which influences the fit.  In a perfect world, I would love to have the inlay a tiny bit smaller so that it needs to be lightly tapped into place.  Even when using scrap pieces cut from the working stock, I am experiencing variability that is puzzling.  It seems that the speed of the blade and the speed of the cut will influence the width of the kerf.  I would be interested to get your perspective on this.  

Bruce

[Jim Finn]

Yes,  I find that the results of the test cuts on scrap are not always the same  when cutting the final inlay.  In my experience, an inlay-ed image that has a bunch of interior cuts will fit  in easier than one without.. (Photo of an inlay like that is attached)

     I have one scroll saw dedicated to making inlays and leave it tilted at the best angle for me.  I am almost always inlaying maple into cedar so if I need to tap the maple in place the cedar splits.  Cedar is not a strong wood.  I prefer to have the inlay a little small to avoid this issue.  It is a simple matter to fill in any slight gap using a mixture of sanding dust and white glue.  I do a fill in like that on almost all my inlays.  This also fills in the lines of the interior detail cuts.

 

[Blaughn]

Beautiful work, (and a great subject too)Jim.  When you fill the cracks with glue and sawdust, does this cause a Watco oil finish to be uneven in color or are you finishing with lacquer?

[Jim Finn]

After applying the glue- sanding dust,. mix I need to sand very well or it will show up badly under any finish. no problem with the mixture in the cracks.  Before finishing I wipe the image down with a  rag damp  with minneral sprits and it will be oblious if I need to sand any more. I have used lacquer successfully, but now I use Poly.  I thin it with naphtha and wipe it on.  Takes 2-3 coats this way. I make my boxes 10 or more at a time and finish them 10-30 at a time.

[Blaughn]

Thanks, Jim!