White oak tearout

[Lonnie in Orlando]

I feel your pain. Unless you plan to completely fill the grain of the QSWO, I believe that epoxy or other filler will accent the area more than hide it. Experiment with some cutoff scraps before commiting to repairing the table top.

Sand or scrape out the divot if possible, even if it leaves a slight depression. Otherwise, an inlay may be the next best answer. If you don't feel comfortable cutting an inlay, drill a shallow hole with a forsner bit, then use plug cutter to make the patch to fill the hole. Try for similar color and pattern. Align the grain. Slice the plug flat with the table surface with a chisel, card scraper, or (gasp) low-angle block plane. Be aware that the joint between the table top and the plug will not disappear.

Good luck,

- Lonnie

[sacherjj]

Larry, I joined the boards together with pocket holes, so flipping the top over is out of the question. Sometimes I outsmart myself.

This is similar to a problem I ran into over Christmas break, trying to finish a trunk. I went ahead and biscuited the panels to keep them aligned, then decided to shrink the design a little and cut through the biscuit on one edge. That looks excellent in a through dovetail. Had to cut out part and plug it. I think I'll just brave joining boards with just clamps next time, definitely keeps more options open.