Doug Stowe’s advice in the May 2005 issue on making your own wood filler using wood dust and glue was an excellent solution for furniture makers using material with relatively consistent color such as maple, cherry and oak. Being a box maker, my dust collection bags are rarely filled with one species of dust, and even on my occasional furniture commission I use a lot of walnut with quite a bit of color variation. Here’s a method for getting a great color match for small parts.
Cut a small block from scrap that matches the wood where the defect is. On the table saw make a series of parallel cuts about ¼" apart and at least ½" deep. Use masking tape to cover where those cuts exit the block and find the finest, most worn-out belt you have for your belt sander. Hold the block against the belt for a few seconds and turn the sander off with it still held in place. Lift the block off gently; static electricity will have held a nice amount of dust in the saw cuts. I label and save the blocks so I always have a source for fresh dust of the woods I use most often.
The small amount of tape in the mix won’t affect your color match at all.
