Usually when I rout pieces out I hold the master on with small
nails. With my chess pieces, they're a LOT smaller than what I normally
work on, so have had to switch to hex head machine screws - which work
great.
With the nail holes it's normally no biggie because they're usually
not where they'll be seen. On the chess pieces they will be seen, so
needed some way to fill them.
I'd already sifted some sawdust to get some real fine sawdust to
use to make sawdust clay for another project. Took some of that, and
instead of making sawdust clay just used some of the half Elmer's
gluee-all and half water. There was less than half a teaspoon of
sawdust but took a surprising amount of the half and h alf to get it to
a spreadable consistency. Then used a popsicle stick to apply it to the
holes.
Well, it dried very nicely, will only needa light brushing with
sandpaper to make it about perfect. The surprising part is that the two
"proof of concept" chess knights had different hues of wood - and the
dried sawdust blends right in on each. It's damn all near a perfect
match in each case. Only thing I can think of is the Elmer's comehow
contributed to this. I have kno idea how it would take stain, and
probably won't bother checking for awhile - the only stain I tend to use
now is tea stain - the pieces will be painted, so it doesn't really
concern me just now. Interesting tho. My primary interest was how it
would fill the holes, and so far it seems to do just fine on that part.
JOAT
Justice was invented by the innocent.
Mercy and lawyers were invented by the guilty.