blackbat wrote:
On Fri, 5 Mar 2010 20:05:05 -0000, "Nick"
wrote:

Retain the sandings. Mix stiffly with pva or similar. Use result as filler.

Good idea but not in this case - the sandings are very dark, 90 years
of use! The bare wood is a weathered pine shade.

Sandings are always much darker, whatever the wood. It seems a logical
solution but it doesn't work in practice. I recently collected sawdust
from some Victorian pine floorboards and it was as near as dammit a
terra cotta colour, completely different from the face of the boards.
IME a light oak shade of filler is usually the closest match for clear
varnished wood