Wood filler recommendations?

[Sunsanvil]

Could someone recommend a good all around wood filler for the wood ship hobby?

 

Ideally something which doesn't stand out too much when stained, and comes in a reasonably small quantity.

 

Thanks

[Bob Blarney]

Filling an area so that it won't show is an art that I've never quite mastered.  That said, I would fill the defect in layers, using sawdust of the same wood species mixed with hide glue. Of all glues, Hide glue accepts stains & varnishes better than any other glue. 

 

People who repair guitars, violins, and other instruments occasionally select a sliver of wood  that very closely matches the color and grain lines, and then they make a carefully controlled cut with a >new< scalpel or razor blade to obtain a smooth gluing surface.  Then they lay the patch in with hide glue (use the tip of a #11 scalpel blade to apply the patch), wait 24 or more hours, and then sand or scrape the patch flat with a cabinet scraper or flexible >new< razor blade.  When done carefully, the results are often amazing.

 

Try these techniques on a bit of scrap, obviously.  It may possibly make a difference if you use sawdust that was sanded from the endgrain vs the long grain, so you might experiment with both to see if there is a discernable difference. 

Edited October 31, 2016 by Bob Blarney

[Bob Blarney]

Here's a tutorial by a respected luthier repairman:

 

http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Luthier/Technique/Structural/SpruceHole/sprucehole.html