Bug Holes

[William C Rogers]

I’m turning some natural edge sassafras with and without bark. I have encountered bug holes in some of the blanks. We are talking 10+ bug holes around 1/4” to 5/16” diameter, not pin holes. The first blank I encountered it with I tried filling the holes. However I seemed to be chasing a never ending battle uncovering more holes as I sanded or turned and when done the piece has about a 1/4" - 5/16” wall thickness where I wanted 7/16” + thickness. I’ve got a second blank on the lathe and the same bug hole story. I intend to leave them as is. I don’t see the holes until I start turning. What is your opinion on blanks with bug holes? I kind of see it as the woods nature. Toss or Turn?

[Kevin Jenness]

If the bowl needs to hold water or there's an active infestation, toss. Otherwise carry on.

Lucky you to live in the sassafras zone. What a unique smell!

[William C Rogers]

Bugs are dead. Yes a nice smell especially compared to fresh cotton wood.

[roger wiegand]

As someone, (not me) said: "if it won't hold soup, it's art". Forge on, bug holes can be interesting.

Sassafras might not hold soup anyway, first bowl I made with it I poured some shellac in to finish it and it all ran out the bottom onto the bench-- no overt holes, just extremely porous grain.

[David Metzman]

If you are making it natural edge it sounds ornamental or perhaps to hold fruit. I would say unless it looks terrible I would make it. Part of nature. Makes it more interesting. I have a grandfathers clock purposely made (not by me) out of wormy chestnut boards.

I have bowls with knot holes and cracks, bug holes and some bark on the side. It adds interest.

[Kevin Jenness]

"As someone, (not me) said: "if it won't hold soup, it's art""

I showed a friend a spherical hollow vessel with large voids from bark inclusions. When he asked what it could be used for I replied it would make a sieve of sorts.

[John K Jordan]

...What is your opinion on blanks with bug holes? I kind of see it as the woods nature. Toss or Turn?

Turn! Adds character.

Lots of people like pieces with bug holes so consider it a feature. Holes that large are not from PPBs and if the makers are not dead by now they soon will be.

I've turned a lot of wood with holes and I like the way it looks, this is wormy chestnut and something else, maybe persimmon, can't remember (long gone from here).

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I have a lot of sassafras but I wish I had some wormy sassafras!

JKJ

[William C Rogers]

Here is the sassafras bowl that I left the bug holes unfilled.

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[Mike Nathal]

To me, when you only have 3 or 4 bug holes, they look distracting rather than interesting. I would definitely fill those. Mixtures of sanding dust and/or coffee grounds would fill those rather easily. I do not try to match the color of the wood but instead go for contrast. I see no reason why you would need to reduce the wall thickness by sanding. My procedure would be: seal with shellac or sanding sealer to prevent the CA glue from staining the wood; fill the holes; sand it smooth by putting a 2 inch sanding mandrel in my drill press and hold the bowl with two hands while moving it around under the mandrel; a second fill might be needed to make it smooth.

[John K Jordan]

To me, when you only have 3 or 4 bug holes, they look distracting rather than interesting. I would definitely fill those. Mixtures of sanding dust and/or coffee grounds would fill those rather easily. I do not try to match the color of the wood but instead go for contrast. I see no reason why you would need to reduce the wall thickness by sanding. My procedure would be: seal with shellac or sanding sealer to prevent the CA glue from staining the wood; fill the holes; sand it smooth by putting a 2 inch sanding mandrel in my drill press and hold the bowl with two hands while moving it around under the mandrel; a second fill might be needed to make it smooth.

It's great that we can have a variety of preferences. Mine is I find any kind of fill distracting; I'd rather see the bug holes or other voids.

To build on your fill comments: One way to fill small, shallow voids and tearout with CA without staining the wood is wet sand with thin CA. Apply thin CA directly to some sandpaper (perhaps something relative coarse like 220grit). This will pick up sawdust from the surrounding area and solidify in the void making an invisible fix. This amount of sanding will remove a microscopic amount of wood. (I do most sanding by hand, never with a rotating disk)

I've done this many times and it has never stained the wood as applying the CA directly would. I've never tried this on a deep hole such as a bug hole so I can't say what it would do, although I don't think it would be that useful.

JKJ

[William C Rogers]

To me, when you only have 3 or 4 bug holes, they look distracting rather than interesting. I would definitely fill those. Mixtures of sanding dust and/or coffee grounds would fill those rather easily. I do not try to match the color of the wood but instead go for contrast. I see no reason why you would need to reduce the wall thickness by sanding. My procedure would be: seal with shellac or sanding sealer to prevent the CA glue from staining the wood; fill the holes; sand it smooth by putting a 2 inch sanding mandrel in my drill press and hold the bowl with two hands while moving it around under the mandrel; a second fill might be needed to make it smooth.

Mike

Actually there are 22 bug holes in this piece. Half are just under the bark. I have a second bowl with filled holes. I don’t believe it looks better than this one. As far as getting thin, I’d fill a hole and after sanding another hole would show up. I just kept chasing filled holes. The more I sanded the thinner it got. I have also used contrasting wood for fill, but on natural voids. I don’t think there is a good fill for bug holes.

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