Replies

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Jun 21, 2006 03:14pm | #1

   1/8th inch holes are going to be pretty hard to make disappear in ash, with its distictive pore structure.  I have only used ash a time or two but if I were doing this I would apply the first coat of varnish to establish the basic color, and then fill with melted shellac (or lacquer sticks).  With a little mixing (a bit messy since it needs to be done with a warm pallet knife) you should get the color right,  (Other things--glue and sawdust, epoxy, etc. may, with experimentation also get the color right.)  But if you want these to really go away, the shellac fill can then be textured with a hot needle to match the grain surrounding them.  If the grain has color variations you can paint these in with a little pigment powder mixed with shellac, or even oil paint, using a very, very fine artists brush. Then complete your finish with an additional coat or two of varnish.  In small patches, under varnish I would think the shellac or lacquer filler would be more than sufficiently durable. 

   Definately practice the technique on scrap before starting the finish on the project.  (This is a good thing in any circumstance.) 

2. 
   JeffHeath | Jun 22, 2006 12:24am | #2

   j

   Make yourself a square stick of ash about 1/4" X 1/4".  Put one end in a pencil sharpener, and sharpen it to a point.  A little glue, stick it in, flush and sand.  Done!

   Jeff

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Jun 22, 2006 02:45am | #3

   This might work well, but remember you need to make sure that the grain runs across the "pencil" so that the grain matches up reasonably well.  End grain would stand out like a sore thumb. 

1. 
   jwickham | Jun 22, 2006 09:20pm | #4

   Neat ideas -- thank you! What do you think about mixing the pencil sharpenings with some epoxy? I just want to be sure that there is absolutely positively no chance of the plugs loosening up and popping out in the future.

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Jun 22, 2006 10:13pm | #5

   I would glue the plugs in place, but I would use hide glue, not epoxy.  Epoxy is messy, messy and would be a bear to remove from the grain of the ash.  Hide glue is both easy to clean from the surface, and probably accepts the finish more naturally.  I am a touch confused--as I understand the idea the "pencil" points are what are inserted--the shavings are just waste.  The real problem I see is sharpening the short (as long as the ash is thick) cross grain sticks. 

2. 
   JeffHeath | Jun 24, 2006 02:13am | #10

   Don't use the shavings, use the "pencil".  Bevel the edges like an octagon before you sharpen, and that will help keep the "pencil" of ash from breaking, as the short grain across will be very weak.

   Also, glue is the way to go, as epoxy will show for sure as a little circle around the plug.

   Jeff

2. 
   JeffHeath | Jun 24, 2006 02:09am | #9

   Well, of course.  Sorry I forgot to mention grain orientation.  I thought that was a given.  My bad.

   Jeff

3. 
   WillGeorge | Jun 22, 2006 10:25pm | #6

   I use ASH all the time.. But I'm a bit different.. I'd just leave the holes AS IS!.. Well, drip something down there though!

   By the way.. I just saw/heard something that American ASH may be History in a few years.. DAMN! Way of the Dinos! Geee I love that wood! and Hickory...

1. 
   Jfrostjr | Jun 23, 2006 07:31pm | #8

   You heard right! The Emerald Ash Borer has/is eliminating ALL Ash trees in Southeastern Michigan and is slowly migrating to surrounding states.Jerry

4. 
   philip | Jun 23, 2006 09:03am | #7

   This is what I do:- cut a strip of straight grained Ash just a little thicker than 1/8th by about one inch wide.Use a chisel to split it along the grain and cut lengths of about one inch- match stick like.Point each by paring with chisel or using disc sander, squirt glue down hole and hammer the stick in . Because it is irregular in cross section i.e not round it will look natural having also changed the shape of the hole. The end grain will look like little knots then. When glue is dry, sand level and scrape.There you go- never to pop out.
   Philip Marcou

   
   

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   Edited 6/23/2006 3:00 am by philip