Entry Holes

[pecohen]

For projects like making bowls or for segmentation, hiding the entry hole is always an issue. Even for fretwork projects this is sometimes an issue as well.

 

I'm wondering if anyone has some tricks up their sleeve to deal with this problem. I've found some things that help, but it seems that no matter how much care I take the entry hole still leaves a flaw that I see; perhaps no one else does but it still bothers me.

 

Let me add that over the last year I have discovered the very small numbered drill bits and I found that a convenient way to use them is with a so-called woman's drill that I picked up in a crafts store for about $20. It is much like a hand-held plug-in Dremel tool but somewhat lighter in weight and it has a pin-vice suitable for holding the smallest of bits.

 

This morning, I made an entry hole using a #68 bit, then passed a tiny spiral blade through the hold and used a hand-held frame to tension the blade. This allowed me to enlarge the hole enough to fit a small flat blade and enlarge the hole a bit more until I could fit the blade I wanted to use to make the cut. The entry hole was pretty small, but it still is a visible flaw in the final cut. Perhaps I just need more practice, but again, if anyone has some better way to do this I'd certainly be interested.

[grampa]

There is not a lot you can do really, what I do is where you put the entry hole incorperate a teadrop in to the pattern just wide enough to hide the hole, if its not possible try making a toothpick out of the wood material your cutting and push it into the entry hole the sand off, but you have to remember you know where it is and you will keep seeing it someone else looks at it they will not notice it.........Paul

[amazingkevin]

Granpa .You hit the nail on the head that time.It's amazing how simple things can frustrate us to know end.What a great idea to fill the hole! I use tooth picks to stuff in holes where screws won't hold anymore and you can't use a differant size screw,like on counter sunk door hinges.

[Lastchance]

I bow to the smart people in the room.

[Dan]

For inlays, I have a few bags of sawdust I collect and make some filler to match the wood that the hole is in. This may not always be true, but I've found that if I drill the blade entry hole closer to the darker colored wood, I can usually hide the hole pretty well. As for fretwork, I do like grampa and make a teardrop shape. When I make bowls, I just sand,sand, and sand until the hole disappears.

 

Dan

[Clayton717]

I keep a little can of different colored sawdust to hide holes in inlays, and do like Paul and Dan on the fretwork with the tear drop shape to hide the hole.

[qlty]

I use a dremel drill with a flex shaft after carefully marking the hole to be with an ice pick like tool less likley to go off the mark than a drill press.

[GrandpawB]

I'm not quite following what you're saying about the teardrop idea. Can anyone make this "idiot clear"?

[grampa]

I'm not quite following what you're saying about the teardrop idea. Can anyone make this "idiot clear"?

Hi Dale, It is just where you make your line a bit wider to hide the start hole.....Paul

[GrandpawB]

Aw,I see said the blind man. Thanks