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Best Practices Guide

How to Put a Round Peg in a Round Hole? Plug Cutters

Filling a roundish hole in a plank is a not-uncommon requirement: covering screw holes, knot holes, or reclaimed wood accompanied by cuts for plumbing and heating, can present boards that need something beyond wood filler - they need a plug. Here are four tools we've run across, and a bit about a project involving hole plugging.

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Fuming Wood to Darken It With Ammonia: How To Do It

Staining wood to give it a darker, richer color is an age-old practice; while methods have improved, staining still has drawbacks - since a stained surface can be damaged, and surfaces accept stain unevenly. Fuming with ammonia is an alternative, and Ottawa, Ontario-based Lee Valley Tools offers this advice on how to do it.