Filling worm holes
 

Hello all,

I've got an approximately 8' long section of spalted maple sitting by
my lathe just waiting to be turned- I've used a bit of it, and it's
pretty nice, dried, with a good spalting pattern and a bunch of worm
holes. I kind of line the holes, but I'm a little concerned that
they're going to get filled with bits of crap over time if I leave
them open. I know some of you guys fill such things in with various
things ranging from coffee grounds to turquoise, but I'd like to keep
the appearance of a hole there. Any suggestions for a clear product
that will fill those smooth bore holes that won't yellow too much with
time, or pop out if the humidity changes? If need be, I'm sure I can
fill them in with mulitple coats of polyurethane, but it's likely to
look like a hunk of plastic by the time I've got all the little bits
filled in.

So what works for you in these cases? Specific brand names would help
out a bit, as I've found that there are rather signifigant differences
in performance of some products depending on the manufacturer's
formula.

Thanks!

I wouldn't fill them at all. People pay extra money for strategically
placed worm holes and other such imperfections that only time and
nature can provide.

Ted

I too like the effect of worm holes and never fill them. I use an awl
and high pressure air to clean them out then use tunge oil or Minwax
polywipe to finish. I slop on a heavy coat to penetrate the holes then
spin the piece fast to clear out the excess and prevent runs. Wipe then
finish normally as one or two coats in the holes seem to work...

bill

I wouldn't fill them at all. People pay extra money for strategically
placed worm holes.

Ted, please excuse my impertinence but I have never seen strategically
placed worm holes! Are they something I have missed out on over the
years?

All the holes I find are usually in the middle of some particularly
beautiful and expensive exotic hardwood!


Regards,
Peter Charles Fagg
Freshwater, Isle of Wight,
www.petersplatters.co.uk
Each can do but little!
But if each DID that little,
ALL would be done!

"Peter Charles Fagg" schreef in bericht
oups.com...


I wouldn't fill them at all. People pay extra money for strategically
placed worm holes.

Ted, please excuse my impertinence but I have never seen strategically
placed worm holes! Are they something I have missed out on over the
years?


He means that people make a worm whole with the head of a nail.
Place the nail horizontal on the wood and bang on it (the head of the nail)
and if needed give it a dark color.
So it will looks as if it where worm wholes.
I do not know if you have missed something over the years, it all depends on
where you live, in France and Holland and Belgium they lke to do it (have
it).

"Anti-Virus" wrote in message
...
"Peter Charles Fagg" schreef in bericht
oups.com...


I wouldn't fill them at all. People pay extra money for strategically
placed worm holes.

Ted, please excuse my impertinence but I have never seen strategically
placed worm holes! Are they something I have missed out on over the
years?


He means that people make a worm whole with the head of a nail.
Place the nail horizontal on the wood and bang on it (the head of the
nail)
and if needed give it a dark color.
So it will looks as if it where worm wholes.
I do not know if you have missed something over the years, it all depends
on
where you live, in France and Holland and Belgium they lke to do it (have
it).


===Seems to me that would make two worms with that process! Besides,
them's horizontal worm holes. I think Prometheus was talking about vertical
worm holes. Those I strategically place using the appropriate worm drive
drill. Just a hint to save on having all sorts of bifurcated worms lying
around, you can use the drill and just drag it across the surface of the
wood to simulate a horizontal worm hole! *G*

Leif

Hi P

I just finished a 15" wormy spalted silver maple shallow bowl, there are
enough smaller and larger holes in there to make it interesting, don't
know how yours is but I know that my bowl is definitely not a salad
bowl, would make a good fruit bowl, lots of air circulation G.
Point is if there are only a few holes, maybe fill them, if there are a
lot make it an attribute, whomever wants the bowl certainly knows the
holes are there and they will be able to keep or get them clean, blow or
rinse clean comes to mind, filling the holes with clear plastic does not
do it for me.
A 2 part epoxy polymer can be use to fill, but it won't be easy to do on
a bowl form, unless you fill the whole bowl.
Lee Valley sells some, but I have no experience with it though.

Have fun and take care
Leo Van Der Loo

Prometheus wrote:

Hello all,

I've got an approximately 8' long section of spalted maple sitting by
my lathe just waiting to be turned- I've used a bit of it, and it's
pretty nice, dried, with a good spalting pattern and a bunch of worm
holes. I kind of line the holes, but I'm a little concerned that
they're going to get filled with bits of crap over time if I leave
them open. I know some of you guys fill such things in with various
things ranging from coffee grounds to turquoise, but I'd like to keep
the appearance of a hole there. Any suggestions for a clear product
that will fill those smooth bore holes that won't yellow too much with
time, or pop out if the humidity changes? If need be, I'm sure I can
fill them in with mulitple coats of polyurethane, but it's likely to
look like a hunk of plastic by the time I've got all the little bits
filled in.

So what works for you in these cases? Specific brand names would help
out a bit, as I've found that there are rather signifigant differences
in performance of some products depending on the manufacturer's
formula.

Thanks!

On Thu, 09 Jun 2005 03:54:37 -0400, Leo Van Der Loo
wrote:

Hi P

I just finished a 15" wormy spalted silver maple shallow bowl, there are
enough smaller and larger holes in there to make it interesting, don't
know how yours is but I know that my bowl is definitely not a salad
bowl, would make a good fruit bowl, lots of air circulation G.

It's just a little one, as I just have a little lathe! It's got a
good sprinkling of holes that don't go all the way through the wood,
and are about the size of pencil lead. It is an interesting hunk of
maple, because there is simply so much going on with it- spalting,
wormholes and various areas that are discolored. Kind of looks like a
moth-eaten piece of desert camoflage, and it's dry as a bone, without
being punky. Had a big crack down one side, but that was pretty easy
to work around- I just cut it in half along the crack, and the problem
was gone. :)

Point is if there are only a few holes, maybe fill them, if there are a
lot make it an attribute, whomever wants the bowl certainly knows the
holes are there and they will be able to keep or get them clean, blow or
rinse clean comes to mind, filling the holes with clear plastic does not
do it for me.

Ah, but they're for me- and I'm lazy when it comes to cleaning things
like that!

A 2 part epoxy polymer can be use to fill, but it won't be easy to do on
a bowl form, unless you fill the whole bowl.
Lee Valley sells some, but I have no experience with it though.

Hmm. I see everyone just likes wormholes! :) The main problem that
I'm having is that in the last bowl I turned from the same wood, the
paste wax I used to finish it off filled part of the holes, and
remained as rather unsightly amber-colored blobs that I'm going to
have to pick out with a pipe cleaner or something. Maybe I can melt
'em out with a hair dryer, and save myself some work- it's got shellac
underneith, so the wax wasn't really strictly necessary anyhow.

Maybe it really isn't an issue- the wood was free, after all, so it's
not going to hurt anything to leave the holes open for now, and see
how they look in a year or two. I might try out the epoxy, but I just
have this feeling that it'd just pop out once the humidity drops.

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!

On Wed, 8 Jun 2005 20:14:41 +0200, "Anti-Virus"
wrote:

"Peter Charles Fagg" schreef in bericht
roups.com...


I wouldn't fill them at all. People pay extra money for strategically
placed worm holes.

Ted, please excuse my impertinence but I have never seen strategically
placed worm holes! Are they something I have missed out on over the
years?


He means that people make a worm whole with the head of a nail.
Place the nail horizontal on the wood and bang on it (the head of the nail)
and if needed give it a dark color.
So it will looks as if it where worm wholes.
I do not know if you have missed something over the years, it all depends on
where you live, in France and Holland and Belgium they lke to do it (have
it).

Yeah, I've seen that done, but I like shiny stuff- it's all a matter
of taste. Of course, that doesn't stop me from making rustic things
from time to time, just in case my tastes change.

"Prometheus" wrote in message
...
..

Hmm. I see everyone just likes wormholes! :) The main problem that
I'm having is that in the last bowl I turned from the same wood, the
paste wax I used to finish it off filled part of the holes, and
remained as rather unsightly amber-colored blobs that I'm going to
have to pick out with a pipe cleaner or something. Maybe I can melt
'em out with a hair dryer, and save myself some work- it's got shellac
underneith, so the wax wasn't really strictly necessary anyhow.

Prometheus,
Since the piece is finished with shellac, you might look into the shellac
sticks that are meant for repairing finishes. I've never used it, but you
melt it into the area you want.
Martin

Prometheus wrote:

Point is if there are only a few holes, maybe fill them, if there are a
lot make it an attribute, whomever wants the bowl certainly knows the
holes are there and they will be able to keep or get them clean, blow or
rinse clean comes to mind, filling the holes with clear plastic does not
do it for me.

Ah, but they're for me- and I'm lazy when it comes to cleaning things
like that!


Clean it with the compressor hose.

And, BTW, those are 'Feature Holes' not 'Bug Holes'.

Prometheus wrote:
Hello all,

I've got an approximately 8' long section of spalted maple sitting by
my lathe just waiting to be turned- I've used a bit of it, and it's
pretty nice, dried, with a good spalting pattern and a bunch of worm
holes. I kind of line the holes, but I'm a little concerned that
they're going to get filled with bits of crap over time if I leave

Snip

Thanks!


If there is any question of any of the critters still in there, a
microwave does wonders killing them off.

--
Gerald Ross
Cochran, GA

Nothing is what it seems, all things
are what they are.





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On Thu, 9 Jun 2005 08:03:23 -0400, "Martin Rost" rostmartin @ hot
mail . com wrote:


"Prometheus" wrote in message
.. .
.

Hmm. I see everyone just likes wormholes! :) The main problem that
I'm having is that in the last bowl I turned from the same wood, the
paste wax I used to finish it off filled part of the holes, and
remained as rather unsightly amber-colored blobs that I'm going to
have to pick out with a pipe cleaner or something. Maybe I can melt
'em out with a hair dryer, and save myself some work- it's got shellac
underneith, so the wax wasn't really strictly necessary anyhow.

Prometheus,
Since the piece is finished with shellac, you might look into the shellac
sticks that are meant for repairing finishes. I've never used it, but you
melt it into the area you want.

Shellac sticks? That's a new one on me- I'm going to have to look for
those. I know they have some colored wax ones, but I'd prefer to keep
the holes looking sorta like holes.

On Thu, 09 Jun 2005 21:49:20 GMT, Lobby Dosser
wrote:

Prometheus wrote:

Point is if there are only a few holes, maybe fill them, if there are a
lot make it an attribute, whomever wants the bowl certainly knows the
holes are there and they will be able to keep or get them clean, blow or
rinse clean comes to mind, filling the holes with clear plastic does not
do it for me.

Ah, but they're for me- and I'm lazy when it comes to cleaning things
like that!


Clean it with the compressor hose.

Sadly, no compressor yet. It's near the middle of a mile-long list of
things I need to get. A never-ending battle, that.

And, BTW, those are 'Feature Holes' not 'Bug Holes'.

On Thu, 09 Jun 2005 19:33:24 -0400, Gerald Ross
wrote:

Prometheus wrote:
Hello all,

I've got an approximately 8' long section of spalted maple sitting by
my lathe just waiting to be turned- I've used a bit of it, and it's
pretty nice, dried, with a good spalting pattern and a bunch of worm
holes. I kind of line the holes, but I'm a little concerned that
they're going to get filled with bits of crap over time if I leave

Snip

Thanks!


If there is any question of any of the critters still in there, a
microwave does wonders killing them off.

Yeah, but then where's the fun of having a gigantic live bug come
flying out of the wood and onto you?