Filling a BB size hole in a maple fretboard.

[Slobrain]

Hey Folks,

I wanted to as for any trade secrets to those who had to fill in a hole in a maple fretboard to match the fretboard really well? I know about using dowels but I wanted to see if anyone had a better way to do this? I thought about mixing maple dust with wood glue but not sure how well that would match to make the hole not so noticeable...

Thanks

Slo

[Kazooman]

Hey Folks,

I wanted to as for any trade secrets to those who had to fill in a hole in a maple fretboard to match the fretboard really well? I know about using dowels but I wanted to see if anyone had a better way to do this? I thought about mixing maple dust with wood glue but not sure how well that would match to make the hole not so noticeable...

Thanks

Slo

I have never done this, but I do quite a bit of woodworking. The sawdust and wood glue repair will stick out like a sore thumb. Try it on a piece of maple scrap and see. The problem with using dowels is that you have the end grain showing and that is also very apparent, especially when it soaks up finsh and darkens. To do this kind of repair well you need to prepare a plug that will have the face of the grain exposed and you need to try for the best color and grain match with the piece you are repairing. Also, a symmetrical, round repair will probably be more noticed than one with an irregular shape. Slightly enlarging the defect trying to follow the grain pattern can help hide the repair.

[R.G.]

I never did it either, but I did patch a ding on some furniture. Dead correct on irregular being less noticeable. One thing that works, but may need work again with fretboard wear is to fill the hole, then insert a small, but carefully chosen top layer of veneer. This way you get to sort through samples of veneer to get a bit of matching grain and cut your own irregular patch. If it doesn't work, try again. Finding the right pieces of veneer is the challenge here. Woodworking and marquetry suppliers with a storefront you can stand in and look at veneers would be the ticket.

Careful cutting for the patch, using dark grain lines to hide edges, is a really good thing to do.

[888guitars]

Use a plug cutter on similar wood color. I use that and a forstner bit.Or decide to put an inlay over the hole?

[tedmich]

time for a unique position marker!

kidding, I'd do the drill, short dowel and matched veneer patch

[Chuck H]

If it's that small then a carefully chosen dowel TYPE patch might work fine without the veneer. IMHE it's usually better to make the shape a little irregular. The symmetry of a circle is easy to detect. You need to find a piece of the same type of maple that has similar colored grain lines. I've done this and it barely shows. Try to cut the patch piece so any color differentiation is minimal. That is, alight the grain and cut your patch piece so any grain lines are similar.

[rjb]

Dumb question: How do you get a BB size hole in a fretboard?

[Slobrain]

Dumb question: How do you get a BB size hole in a fretboard?

many different ways....



Thanks for the info guys, its a repair and I wanted to see if anyone had good tips on making a patch look good. you all had good ideas.


When I have filled holes on a headstock I just use a maple plug and then seal it with lacquer but this was on a maple fretboard. shame too its a killer playing neck...

Slo

[Chuck H]

shame too its a killer playing neck...

SOOO many necks out there that require compromises in some way. A killer playing neck with a bb sized cosmetic flaw is pretty low on my "bitch about it" list.

[Sweetfinger]

Was this hole drilled or is it a dent? How deep is it? If it isn't that deep you might be able to steam out most of it and fill the rest with CA glue.

[David Schwab]

Most dowels are end grain when cut. So that wont work, unless the fingerboard is quarter sawn.

I have a similar problem on the headstock of a Tele style neck where the string retainer was moved. I doubt it can be filed without being noticeable.

Dan Erlewine has demonstrated a method for touching up repairs by painting wood grain on a patch or repair to make it blend in.

[Chuck H]

Most dowels are end grain when cut. So that wont work

Exactly. I failed to mention that. But it IS why I said "dowel TYPE patch" and also that the hole should be changed to a different shape and the grain matched up as best you can. The idea being that you would then need to carve a piece to fit the patch.

My wife and I are a painting company. She was taught several old world wood graining techniques by her father (who was a painter all his life in Denmark). She's also a skilled faux finisher and canvas artist. I once saw her paint wood grain onto patches in a floor we refinished. Many patches in highly visible areas. You almost couldn't see them. So I can testify that it's possible.