Filling pocket holes

[Kim C]

I have a love/hate thing going on with pocket hole plugs.  They are a wonderful solution and give the project a professional look.  I have purchased both the oak and paintable plugs that Kreg sells.  I find they do everything I need them to just fine. 

 

Now the hate side of the relationship... 1. They are expensive to use in places that will not be seen (but pride keeps me wanting those holes filled). and 2. They do not always match the wood perfectly.

I know there are plug cutters out there to be purchased but I would rather focus on new clamps!

 

So I saw a solution on DIY network and it has worked well so far.  I keep a container of "clean" sawdust.  (one for pine and one for oak)  When needed I mix it like putty with wood glue.  Then fill the holes using a spackle knife and take off the excess.  After sanding this looks pretty good... if not in an obvious spot.  I plan on continuing using this method so I am of course trying to perfect it.

 

My question is twofold.  Has anyone else tried this?  -and What would be the best glue to use for this?

[Kim C]

I don't even want to know what "hide glue" is. haha Sounds... interesting though.
Gary, my skill level is still at the point where it is just fun for me (and of course a stress releiver). I certainly have a long way to go. I have found that I am way to picky to let pocket holes go unfilled. I put most holes inside or under but still they call to me to be filled. It's just a preference I guess. I haven't tried making plugs out of dowels. Just as you said.. they are a tad pricey just to satisfy my little hang up about filling the holes. ha ha

[Dusty DeBerry]

Hide Glue is made from horse hide and has to be heated to use it. I don't think it is in use now. Try using rock hard putty which is available at any big box home improvement store. They also sell sets of touch up pens containing various colors of stains.

Kim C said:

I don't even want to know what "hide glue" is. haha Sounds... interesting though.
Gary, my skill level is still at the point where it is just fun for me (and of course a stress releiver). I certainly have a long way to go. I have found that I am way to picky to let pocket holes go unfilled. I put most holes inside or under but still they call to me to be filled. It's just a preference I guess. I haven't tried making plugs out of dowels. Just as you said.. they are a tad pricey just to satisfy my little hang up about filling the holes. ha ha

[Gary Linn]

Hide glue is made from the hides of animals. I hope they consented to this use! I used hide glue in the '70's. Be picky,but, remember, we used to use leaches! So, technology will always overcome any tried and proven thing. To me, woodworking is a lot like golf - it takes a long time and you're always upset with yourself when you don't do things perfectly. Satisfy yourself, but my experience has been that you have to accept your shortcomings, in everything, then try to build new skills or perfect the ones you want to perfect. So, do you want to be the world's best pocket hole filler or do you want to learn more woodworking skills? Not to discourage, but it had taken me 40 years to get to where I am as an amateuer woodworker with "okay", but not professional skills. Follow your dreams. Maybe you could invent the NEXT Kreg product - the Perfect Pocket Hole Filler product. By using pocket holes, you've already jumped a couple of decades of techology in my lifetime. You don't need to learn how to carve Noah's Arc with a sharp rock! You're skill-building so my recomendation would be to not get stuck on any one thing. There's a lot to learn and, fortunately, people like Kreg help us learn quickly even if it costs a little money. Remember, it's not what you pay, it is the difference in what you pay that matters. You will pay something. Kreg is a little "pricey", but my remaining life-force is also valuable. Let this BLOG know your plug filling results. Is that an assignment for you (just kidding, I know you are looking for help).

[Jerry OBrien]

I struggled cutting oak plugs to sanding level especially in lose quarters. A light bulb finally went off and tried using a Multi-Cutter. It worked great. Very easy to get the plug cut off to enable easy sanding. .

[Gary Linn]

Is a "Multi-Cutter" the same as the Fein Multimaster tool that vibrates back and forth rather than rotate?


Jerry OBrien said:

I struggled cutting oak plugs to sanding level especially in lose quarters. A light bulb finally went off and tried using a Multi-Cutter. It worked great. Very easy to get the plug cut off to enable easy sanding. .

[Jerry OBrien]

Yes- mine is a Dremel Multi-Max which I got on sale for $50.00.

Gary Linn said:

Is a "Multi-Cutter" the same as the Fein Multimaster tool that vibrates back and forth rather than rotate?


Jerry OBrien said:

I struggled cutting oak plugs to sanding level especially in lose quarters. A light bulb finally went off and tried using a Multi-Cutter. It worked great. Very easy to get the plug cut off to enable easy sanding. .

[Gary Linn]

Unfortunately, I bought the Fein Multimaster for about $400 about six months before the Dremel and one by Harbor Freight came out. I did have a unique need for this tool and the only good thing about paying this much is that I have used it a number of times to do things I don't think I could have easily done otherwise. Fein accessories are a totally ripoff and I'm going to see if Dremel and other accessories can be made to fit. They should work as-is on older Fein models, but the newer models have an indexing feature, probably patented, that would require some modification of non-Fein accessories. But, the Fein blade is about $30 versus about $12 for Dremel and others.

Jerry OBrien said:

Yes- mine is a Dremel Multi-Max which I got on sale for $50.00.

Gary Linn said:

Is a "Multi-Cutter" the same as the Fein Multimaster tool that vibrates back and forth rather than rotate?


Jerry OBrien said:

I struggled cutting oak plugs to sanding level especially in lose quarters. A light bulb finally went off and tried using a Multi-Cutter. It worked great. Very easy to get the plug cut off to enable easy sanding. .

[AWK]

I used my Dremmel Mutli-tool for the first time this weekend, and it was to cut off a door jam trim. When I was doing that I thought it would be great for cutting off the plugs, and I read that I not the first to find this! What size dowel do I use if I want to make my own plug? What length do you cut dowel to? I thought I read this somewhere and now I can't find it.

Mark

[Richard James Anderson]

use yellow glue/this stuff does Not take finish well...but its been used for years,a good trick
try using dowells of the same wood 3/8 inch...cut them about 2 inchs long,glue them in,cut them flush with a flexiable trim saw (japenese type) and sand smooth...or try dowels of a different type of wood(walnut) to accent the pocket holes

[Arthur R. Plansky]

Gary Linn said:

Unfortunately, I bought the Fein Multimaster for about $400 about six months before the Dremel and one by Harbor Freight came out. I did have a unique need for this tool and the only good thing about paying this much is that I have used it a number of times to do things I don't think I could have easily done otherwise. Fein accessories are a totally ripoff and I'm going to see if Dremel and other accessories can be made to fit. They should work as-is on older Fein models, but the newer models have an indexing feature, probably patented, that would require some modification of non-Fein accessories. But, the Fein blade is about $30 versus about $12 for Dremel and others.

Jerry OBrien said:

Yes- mine is a Dremel Multi-Max which I got on sale for $50.00.

Gary Linn said:

Is a "Multi-Cutter" the same as the Fein Multimaster tool that vibrates back and forth rather than rotate?


Jerry OBrien said:

I struggled cutting oak plugs to sanding level especially in lose quarters. A light bulb finally went off and tried using a Multi-Cutter. It worked great. Very easy to get the plug cut off to enable easy sanding. .

[Arthur R. Plansky]

Yes Gary the Dremel MultiMax and the Fien Multimaster attachments are both interchangeable.If you look on the attachment package for the Dremel Multi-Max it will say it says it can be used on the Fein Multimaster too,and yes they are off the wall (fein) on the prices for thier attachments as well .

[Jens Jensen]

Go to my site and look at video I did on making pocket plugs Very inexpensive ,Use 3/8 dowells

AWK said:

I used my Dremmel Mutli-tool for the first time this weekend, and it was to cut off a door jam trim. When I was doing that I thought it would be great for cutting off the plugs, and I read that I not the first to find this! What size dowel do I use if I want to make my own plug? What length do you cut dowel to? I thought I read this somewhere and now I can't find it.

Mark