Screw hole filling

[Pneugrass]

I've got a few screww holes in my mando from pick guard, strap button,etc.
What's the easiest and best way to repair them?

[Stillpicking]

I am not a tech guy or a builder but what I did was fill the screw holes left when I switched tuners with a wax furniture stick.
You can buy just about any shade from black to a whole lot of browns and tans. Any of the big hardware, home improvement stores carries them. I liked it because there was no need to finish or sand as you would with a hard setting filler. With the wax sticks all you do is push it into the hole by moving the stick back and forth over the hole a few times and then get a soft cloth to rub off the any that gets on the real finish. No risk to the rest of the wood finish and it is cheap and quick. The filling I did last year has held up, no problems.
Good luck

[John Ely]

You can also cut little plugs, but I'm not sure how that will work with holes in the top or sides (thin places). It would work better with a hole into the tail block, etc. If the holes are round it is easy. If they are not, you can trim them so they fit better. Use a matching wood, and orient the grain in the plug to blend with the surrounding area. You cut them off close, sand them flush with a block, and refinish. This repair is the most permanent, but also a pretty good amount of work. If the instument is lacquer or varnish, the repair can be pretty close to invisible, but refinishing skills are important.

[Luthier Vandross]

Small top holes can be bleached/cleaned if rusty, and swollen mostly closed by swelling the grain with water, and light, light sanding, just leaving a lil dot of finish work.

A strap peg hole can be repaired by making a wooden strap peg, and cutting it off in the hole.



Helps if you can turn your own wood, and have a die set, for threading lil wooden screws..

M

[evanreilly]

A very good plug for a screw-hole is a round toothpick. Stick the toothpick in wood glue, insert in hole, tap it in snugly, let glue dry, trim off excess toothpick.