Repairing a mis-drilled hole.

[greymount]

I recently mis-drilled a hole in my stock while attempting to install a ramrod thimble.  What is the best way to repair it.  I was thinking that I could use a round maple toothpick and file flush but would that be visible when the stain is applied or is there a better technique.

[J Henry]

Before you apply the stain,take another tooth pick and put a drop of BLO on the misdrilled tooth pick,,that will help prevent the end grain of the toothpick from absorbing as much stain.You might try this with the end grain of a toothpick to see the results.I put BLO on the end grain when I build furniture to prevent the stain from bring to dark.

[conquerordie]

It works my first rifle was made of toothpicks

[oldtravler61]

Ok what is BLO. Just wondering. My brains not functioning on this one. Thanks

[gunmaker]

Boiled linseed oil

[Mark Elliott]

I cut a square plug with the same grain orientation of the stock at that point.   I know that is hard to do, but you just have to persevere.   Once driven in and glued in place tight, you can't tell on finishing.  The only thing I use toothpicks for is for glue applicators and for pegs that are supposed to show as in powder horns and drawer/box bottoms.  I also use them to fill over-size screw holes where they won't show. 

[T*O*F]

The other thing you can do is to stain the toothpick black.  It'll look like a small knot in the wood.

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Or take a Sharpie and make a short black line across the end of the peg, to disguise it as curl.

[J Henry]

  Be Careful of trying to "hide" a Mistake...you can chase it to forever,,,,,,draw a "perfect" circle free hand   now color it in, do not make it any bigger than the original,oops went outside the lines correct your mistake oopps got bigger and so on. If the tooth pick misdrill was close enough to where it was surpose to be,when you redrill it ,you probably wont see it anyway.

[dogcatcher]

Drill it out with a bigger bit, then plug the hole with a contrasting lighter colored "dowel" plug.  That will make the mistake look like it was an intentional decorative idea. 

[smallpatch]

We're talking about a 1/16" patch.  I've done lots of them.  You'll be the only one to notice.

[Dphariss]

I recently mis-drilled a hole in my stock while attempting to install a ramrod thimble.  What is the best way to repair it.  I was thinking that I could use a round maple toothpick and file flush but would that be visible when the stain is applied or is there a better technique.

Best idea is to cut a piece of wood that will match the grain for a cutoff from the stock blank. But this is tough/impossible if working with a precarve. Next is to use a piece from the stock. Next is to use a piece that is handy and hope it can be matched. Just remember they had this problem back in the day and glued in plugs that might or might not match well.
If it matches a dark curl its possible to "tattoo" stain into it till it matches. This will work on broken stocks as well allowing the curl to be matched on pieces added to fix the break.

Dan

[Dphariss]

Be sure to used a color fast stain or the same stain (which should be color fast anyway) used on the stock for the "tattooing".  Put stain in the area and then go to work with a needle.

Dan

[Acer Saccharum]

It works my first rifle was made of toothpicks

Gotta love this forum......

[Topknot]

aint that the truth

[Curt Larsen]

I've used toothpicks for repairs and followed up with a dark stain for the stock.  They don't show much.  I do like Mark and Taylor's methods.  In a recent rebuild of someone else's discarded stock I had to add wood to fill barrel wedge slots.  The stock is old cherry so the repair wood was as close as I could get.  Fortunately, there are several imperfections of black on the stock.  I figure that I will use the black sharpie fix for the exit side of wedge if necessary.

[flinchrocket]

I saw an original longrifle with inlays just above the ramrod pipes that hid the end of the pins.

[B.Habermehl]

I've used tooth picks and "Heaven forbid!" Colored epoxy. I've never had one yet be visible enough that if I didn't know it was there, I probably would not notice it. A little creativity when finishing makes little things disappear nicely. The biggest part of being good at this game is learning how to fix mistakes good enough that only you know they are there. Then maybe not repeating them, enphesis on maybe. BJH

[smylee grouch]

Be careful with the glue, some stains will not penetrate any wood with glue on them. Stock wood or peg wood.

[BOB HILL]

Use a stain that will blend in with your final stain and stain all around the area you are repairing and the toothpick or whatever. Let it dry before using any glue this will soak in as deep as the glue and once sanded it will probably not show. Try it on a scrap first. I always have some alcohol based leather dye on hand and use it for this sort of thing. Dye first anytime I use glue. Drys fast can go on with my work.      Bob

[flehto]

Using 1/16 music wire has a definite advantage....an insignificant hole. Stain the hole and toothpick w/ a closely matched stain or the final stain. Apply a small amount of super glue when the stain is dry to both the hole and toothpick. The super glue dissolves the stain and becomes that color...insert the toothpick, wait a couple of minutes and saw off the excess. Continue w/ the finishing. Have done it this way for 2 holes and forgot about them because they sorta "disappeared".....Fred