Filling Worm Holes

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rcnewcomb
Posts: 359
Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:04 pm
Location: San Jose, CA, USA

Filling Worm Holes

Post by rcnewcomb »

I watched John Hall's video on filling worm holes with CA. Is that still the preferred method? I have some black limba (Terminalia ivorensis) with a few worm holes.
- Randall Newcomb
10 fingers in, 10 fingers out - another good day in the shop
Ben-Had
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Joined: Fri Sep 03, 2010 2:14 pm
Location: Creedmoor, NC

Re: Filling Worm Holes

Post by Ben-Had »

It is for me depending on the size and color of the area to be filled. Very large holes can be filled with a small plug and CA.
Tim Benware
Danl8
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Location: Chadds Ford, PA

Re: Filling Worm Holes

Post by Danl8 »

For ebony, I had always turned a little round toothpick and glued in with tbond. John showed me how to do the CA/accelerator trick. I will still do the same but substitute CA/accelerator to secure the wood fill. Would be simpler to do a CA fill, though. The CA fills around inlays are really hard to see.
tippie53
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Re: Filling Worm Holes

Post by tippie53 »

on worm holes there are a few woods that don't like CA. Do a test piece. If you can't do a test my glue of choice is then tite bond or Hide glue. Same basic procedure. If the hole is large enough make a plug and be aware of grain direction.
If you have a large uneven hold and you need to fill after plugging I like to use dust and shellac. Glues can leave a footprint where the shellac will blend in with the finish.
There are many ways to do this. Experiment once in a while , it can be fun to just make a mess and see what happens.
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
rcnewcomb
Posts: 359
Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:04 pm
Location: San Jose, CA, USA

Re: Filling Worm Holes

Post by rcnewcomb »

Experiment once in a while , it can be fun to just make a mess and see what happens.
Now there is a plan that I can embrace!
- Randall Newcomb
10 fingers in, 10 fingers out - another good day in the shop
tippie53
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Joined: Fri Mar 03, 2006 7:09 pm
Location: Hegins, Pa
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Re: Filling Worm Holes

Post by tippie53 »

my best discoveries were mistakes at the time but showed me things to or not to do. Sometimes knowing what not to do is more important than knowing what to do.
John Hall
Blues Creek Guitars Inc
Authorized CF Martin Repair Center
president of Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans
http://www.bluescreekguitars.com
rcnewcomb
Posts: 359
Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2015 9:04 pm
Location: San Jose, CA, USA

Re: Filling Worm Holes

Post by rcnewcomb »

Do you recommend filling the holes before or after bending? If it matters I am doing the bending by hand on a hot pipe.
- Randall Newcomb
10 fingers in, 10 fingers out - another good day in the shop
ruby@magpage.com
Posts: 1564
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 8:03 am
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Re: Filling Worm Holes

Post by ruby@magpage.com »

Another option is to do nothing

I just finished a guitar yesterday that was made from an ash log from a friend's farm in Talcott WV. He lives on top of Big Bend Mountain and John Henry died tunneling under Big Bend Mountain - so I think that his DNA is in the wood. I left the "tunnels" from the worms in his honor. There are about 8 of them and you can see one in the heel of the neck just below the double 12th fret marker in the binding:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ruby1638/ ... 458169080/

Ed
Ed M
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