Help fix a screwup

[Gasawdust]

Drilling depth holes on drill press and the locking mechanism slipped. Tried to patch it but as you can see in the attachment, it looks like crap. I could do some sort of inlay embellishment but thought I would run it by the forum first. All ideas appreciated.

Tom

[jim simpson]

I would add more circles to make a constellation. I would stain the plugs so they'd contrast more. See Wormley's constellation table:

[MikeEdgerton]

There aren't a whole lot of people doing inlay on the back of mandolins other than the inexpensive gaudy models coming out of Vietnam. If it was me I'd probably either replace the plate or finish it in a solid color

[Jeff Mando]

A modest pearl inlaid frog, perhaps? The new owner's initial? It's a little large, but maybe a herringbone center strip? punk rock sticker?

[Gasawdust]

Thanks to all for your comments. I owe my granddaughter an instrument so this will probably be hers. I made her a 12 fret 000 a few years back with inlaid Charlie Brown characters all the way down the fretboard and she loved it. I guess it's time for something different....a green tree frog perhaps.
Tom

[fscotte]

I've made so many backs, one mandolin had 11 different backs on it as experimentation. I can finish one in about 4 hours. I suggest you make a new one, as it will enhance your back plate making skills. Once you get started on the new back you'll be much less stressed over this mistake. We've all done it.

[michaelcj]

You must have some on the backwood left over as scraps. Get a plug cutter the same diameter as the drill bit you used. Cut a plug, inlay it paying attention to the grain direction. Done well shouldn't be too noticeable under finish.

[EdHanrahan]

I made her a 12 fret 000 a few years back ...

That's what I call a good uncle!

[Bill Snyder]

That's what I call a good uncle!

UNCLE? He said it was for his granddaughter.

[EdHanrahan]

UNCLE? He said it was for his granddaughter.

Whoops!

[multidon]

That is a really beautiful piece of wood. It would be a shame, almost a sin, to just toss it into the burn pile IMHO. Ditto with covering it up with solid color. A small, classy inlay would be the best solution. It needn't be gaudy, like Tsai. I would use contrasting woods if I had inlay skills.

[Gasawdust]

That's ok, I made a 00 twelve fretted for my nephew last year, Ziricote and sinker redwood. He loved his too!

[Shelagh Moore]

It's too nice a piece of wood to throw. Nice tasteful small marquetry inlay perhaps?

[billhay4]

I did the exact same thing on a beautiful redwood top I was making. I patched it and told everyone it was a bullet hole that appeared after a gig in a particularly rough part of town.
Bill

[Magnus Geijer]

I did it to a top, and ended up turning it into an oval hole. Probably not a good idea for a back, though.
As above, if it was me, I couldn't toss wood that pretty. Some sort of small inlay, that's meaningful to your granddaughter would be my vote.

/Magnus

[fscotte]

It's pretty, but like women, there's more pretty girls than one.

[F-2 Dave]

I'd embrace it. Put binding around the inside of the hole, or perhaps a little rosette. A hundred years from now, people will be studying it trying to figure out what you knew about sound that they don't.

[Zach Wilson]

I wouldn't do anything. There is beauty in the blemish and a quirky story. I might finish the instrument, sell it, and start your granddaughters again.

[PJ Doland]

Make a wooden inlay to make it look like a nakashima-style butterfly joint:

[HoGo]

Perfect circle makes very obvious patch. You'd be bette roff with some odd shape with curvy shape. Best if egdes follow some prominent darker streak or grain.
Don't insert straight edges plug into straigth hole, the glue line will be very visible. you want the edges to be at angle like 45 degrees or so then clamping makes the joint tight. So your best bet would be find best possible matching piece of wood and dig dished cavity with with gouge and chalk-fit the piece in (glue it to oversized block and use temporary blocks to keep it in exactly same position everytime you press it to on the chalk).
I once did circular patch like this on curly maple and used piece of wood that came from inside of the plate right under the spot so grain and curl was nearly perfect fit. Instead of gouge I used ball end rotary file to drill tiny shallow hole and shaped the plug to spherical curve to match the hole.
After finishing there was faint trace of the perimeter that didn't absorb stain (sunburst) as the HH glue sealed the grain a little (I suggest using thicker glue that doesn't penetrate into wood for such things). I could make it disappear if I manually added some stain but decided to leave it as is. Size is approximately 1/4" diameter.

[darylcrisp]

nice wood.

where its at, it looks intentional and i would inlay a small Sun. Have some rays coming off and it will just be class all the way.
under finish the Sun will pop. maybe brass, or some golden color.

d

[darylcrisp]

something like this:

[Gasawdust]

Thanks to all for comments and suggestions. Still not sure which route I will take but I will post a picture when I finally either enhance it or screw it up worse. Live and learn.
Tom

[Patrick Hull]

Thanks to all for comments and suggestions. Still not sure which route I will take but I will post a picture when I finally either enhance it or screw it up worse. Live and learn.
Tom

Maybe someone else suggested this, and I'm certainly not the one to be telling any builder what to do, but... Wouldn't a nice center stripe be just the ticket? They are very common, particularly on guitars, but it would totally cover your mistake and lok great in my mind..... 😬

[Ivan Kelsall]

I'd go for an inlay of some type myself. That's a delicious piece of wood & maybe your granddaughter's initials could be accomodated to cover the plugged hole,or maybe your granddaughter has a favourite flower or 'whatever' of which an inlay shape could be made,
Ivan