What was the traditional wood filler before plastic wood?

[Stu Gillard]

Plaster of Paris got used as well, with whatever handy method that was available to disguise it.

Came here to say this.
I work with a lot of 19th century furniture and I see a lot of plaster filler in smaller voids.
It's generally mixed with red/brown brick dust to colour it.
It doesn't seem to age very gracefully and can stand out, so I remove it (if I'm restoring and not conserving).

I use coloured hard wax to fill any smaller holes now.
Looks fine under shellac polish.

[Andrew Seemann]

I work with a lot of 19th century furniture and I see a lot of plaster filler in smaller voids.
It's generally mixed with red/brown brick dust to colour it.
It doesn't seem to age very gracefully and can stand out, so I remove it (if I'm restoring and not conserving).

On 17th and 18th century harpsichords there is often a painting on the soundboard. They frequently hid knots by filling them with plaster and using them for the eye of a bird or center of a flower.

[Howard Pollack]

It depends on the type of work you're doing. I often use sawdust from the project itself mixed with whatever finish I'm using. Obviously this presents no compatibility problems. I also have an old set (I don't know where I got it) of variously colored shellac burn-in sticks. The colored shellac is melted with a hot spatula and pushed into the divot. A little darker works better than a little lighter...
-Howard

[Jim Koepke]

I also have an old set (I don't know where I got it) of variously colored shellac burn-in sticks. The colored shellac is melted with a hot spatula and pushed into the divot.

My father had a kit with these in it. (my recollection is one of my older brothers has it now) It was made by Mohawk.

They are still in business > https://www.mohawk-finishing.com/pro...hard-fill-kit/

Another source for Mohawk and other supplies > https://www.shellac.net < they also carry wax filler and spray lacquers for guitar makers.

jtk

[Mel Fulks]

The old books mention “ brick dust” . I tried it , and even carefully sifted it was too coarse. I’ve got a project going
that I’m going to do with sifted red clay , I think that was the “ brick dust”.
And ,of course some very fine mahogany has some white specs in it. I’ve seen it
fall out while being hand -planed . I remember working with a fine cabinet maker
from Lithuania in 1960s who used to complain about how fast his plane had to be
re-sharpened when using fine mahogany. Don’t see much of that type mahogany
now, the little pieces were like tiny grains of fine sand. Tony didn’t try to
glue them back in! We used the Durhams Rock Hard filler, approved by the boss.
I forgot to mention that the brick dust was mixed with bees wax, gums , not
mortar ! , as early as first half of 18th century.