Larry Blanchard wrote in message ...
I'm building a secretary desk (to fit under the model railroad) out of
"natural" birch. Thats where the white sapwood and the brown heartwood
are both used. I think it's a great effect, some think it's too garish.

But that's not the question. A lot of the heartwood has small tight
knots. Some of these knots have cracks (usually radial) but they're not
loose.

I've got two ideas for dealing with them.

One, and the way I'm leaning, is to fill the cracks with a clear epoxy
so they're still visible but the surface is smooth.

My other idea is to drill them out and put in a patch.

Any comments? Anyone got other ideas?

Hi Larry, I'd suggest the epoxy. I too, love the variation in
heartwood and sapwood. But then, I like it in cherry and walnut, also,
in the right piece or floor. I would like to comment on the knots and
cracks in the heartwood, which I personally like the look of but
wonder why so many people think that heartwood has superior quality
when it's actually the dead part of the log and where the knots,
cracks, and rot are? I'm thinking of the Lowe's commercial that says
all their framing materials come from heartwood. Like that's a selling
point?! I can tell that guy never spent a day on the sawmill. Another
one is "heart pine". Guess I should quit sawing cants.
One other little bit of information about birch that you may or may
not know is that "red pine" is just the heartwood sorted out of white
birch. Jana