I spaced out installing cabinets and drilled 2 neat 1/8″ inch holes in the new walnut floor. The floor is to get a screening and final coat of finish later.
I haven’t told my super yet but I will. Just wondering if you guys feel a good flooring man will be able to make them “disappear” pretty easily.
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Replies
Probably, yes. Experienced wood workers have lots of tricks for hiding such things. You yourself will always know it's there, but someone walking in and taking in the beauty of the entire room will never see it.
The best way to disappear accidental holes in hardwood is to use a plug cutter to cut some plugs from an off cut. The plug cutter MUST be of a type that cuts TAPERED plugs. Do not get the type that makes parallel plugs. They must be TAPERED. Veritas do some cutters that cut tapered plugs.
Then you need to cut holes to fit the plugs across their narrowest dimension (narrowest because they are tapered). These holes need to be very clean, no mashed up edges. The best way to do this is with a plunge router and the correct size cutter.
Then, all you have to do is to line up the grain on the plugs with the holes in the floor, tap the plugs into the holes until they jam and then sand or plane them flush. Do this right and even you will not be able to find them afterwards. Do it wrong (especially by using parallel plugs or drilling a rough-edged hole or using a loose plugs and the evidence will be there and visible for ever more.
Don't even think of using filler, it may look OK for a little while but eventually it will shrink and leave dimples in the surface
John
Thanks for your reply but...
This floor is stained and first coat of finish is on. Later a light sanding (screening) will happen and the final coat will be applied.
I see big problems with sanding, planing or cutting the plugs flush. The surrounding finish would surely be damaged
I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but if you tap the plugs in and then use a Japanese-style pull saw with no set to the teeth (the kind that a flexible enough to be held flat against the floor) and maybe even protect the adjacent surface with masking tape (though if the floor is getting screened, I doubt it's necessary) all you will need to do is dab on a little finish on the cut ends with an artist's brush.
Edited 11/20/2005 3:36 pm ET by Danno
1/8" holes? Probably color fill before final coat. I would be tempted to color fill myself and pray no one would notice considering its very likely no one would ever notice. A walnut fireplace mantle is full of holes that size before they magically disappear.
I'd mention I was sorry if the super is cool about the inevitable small repairable human things that happen on a jobsite and is not one of the "I'd better call the flooring people and set up a meeting with the floor finishing people and the backcharge stain specialist and at least point it out to 4 potential buyers and tell every other trade on the planet and the people at the office at every opportunity about your ineptitude ('Hey you're the stupid guy who put the holes in the walnut floor!") and we'll have to remove the cabinets to replace the floor you damaged, but then maybe I think my brother-in-law could fix it on the quiet for might be $200 cash you know I've thought about some cabinets installed in my basement... but I could lose my job if anyone found out about the huge favor I'm doing for you." types of supers...
...well...you decide.
Ask the flooring guys and they can probably take care of it for you. 1/8" holes near a toe kick is different than in the middle of a doorway though. There are lots of fillers made just for this. Relax.
Put some wood filler/patch in the holes and see how it looks.Those perfect circles filled might stick out a bit. You could try and make the drill holes look a little more like knots. Ive done this by slicing out a small sliver of wood next to the hole with my razor blade, then filling with a putty/filler slightly darker.
-m2akita
very simple to fix.
Fill hole with dark wood filler or a filler close in color to the pulp of the wood. You can buy different color fillers at most good paint stores and I think some HD's carry them. Even if you can't find them. Fill the hole. Take artist brushes like a 000 Windsor Newton and paint in the grain using black paint and do the same for the background using appropriate colors. Even a fine tipp[ed black magic marker works for the grain. Let it dry and go over it with two thin coats of poly before the floor guy screens it. I've done this on furnature and its virtually impossible to spot it. You can also buy touch up kits for furnature that have all the brushes and small powdered cans of paint for about $40. Its worth its weight in gold for many projects.
BE colored by numbers
andy
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Thanks for all the responses. I'm sure I could patch the holes myself but I'm going to fess up to being human.
I think the super will be cool and, if not, I've learned something important about him.
We'll let the floor sub know about the holes so we don't use an incompatable product.
I guess I was looking for reassurance that it's no big deal, no need to worry too much.