Wood Filler?

I have an abandoned thread graft hole in a mulberry. Should I just seal up the 2 holes? Is wood filler good material? Are there any shrink/expand issues?

Thanks.

Hi Jimlau

Yes wood filler does shrink. If you apply it, it will dry and shrink. I use plasticine.(it is a kids play dough that gets hard and is non toxic).
Not sure but i get it at a toy shop. Works really well.
Here is a link to the pictures, so you can ID it

http://www.google.com/search?q=plasticine&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=rsK6Uf5P5JHsBvHDgZAL&ved=0CD8QsAQ&biw=1279&bih=702

It also works really well as any sort of filler you need. Also works on sealing cuts.

Regards
Brett

Thanks Brett,

I did wonder if plastercine could have been used. Now I wonder if a small % of baby oil [ the simple one ] added to plastercine would allow it to stay permanently flexible.

We use the mineral oil [ baby oil ] to protect furniture wood, exterior doors, because it isn't supposed to evaporate, and termites etc. can't eat it and it is non-toxic, if not drunk or placed into eyes and so on.

Would the mineral spirits harm the exposed wood by doing anything to the live wood ?
Later.
Khaimraj

some pretty funky colors out there of plasticine.  a bit tough to match colors.  can colors somehow be altered to match the tree color?

Minwax makes a wood filler that can be stained -- naturally, since they produce stains.

Why not taper a dowel in a pencil sharpener, drive it into the hole, and cut it off flush or very slightly concave. The tree should callus over it as if it were a cut off branch. Use a nice dry dowel and it will expand slightly as it gains moisture from the tree and really seal the hole.

Get a few different colors that are close and mix bit of them together until close.

jimlau wrote:some pretty funky colors out there of plasticine.  a bit tough to match colors.  can colors somehow be altered to match the tree color?