Official Luthiers Forum!

Have a nice set of Ambrosia Maple that I am using for one of my next builds.
Two Questions:

1. What would you use to fill in the Ambrosia Beetle's holes. Would you try to blend it in or would you just emphasize it with something like black epoxy?

2. Would you fill these holes before or after you bent the sides?

Thanks

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Formerly know as Mandodiddle.

I will throw in $0.02. i would emphasize them as part of the distinctive appearance of the wood, with black epoxy, while flat

I built a guitar recently with Ambrosia maple. I filled the holes with epoxy dyed black. I think that making the holes stand out looks good and also think that trying to blend them in with the surrounding wood would be quite difficult to pull off. I filled the holes in the sides before bending and there were no problems doing it that way. You could do it after bending but I think that it's easier to fill the holes in a flat surface.

I suggest when filling the holes to do your best to keep the black epoxy just in the holes and avoid getting it on the surface around the holes. If you fill the holes when you still have prep sanding to do on the wood, you have a better chance of getting any wayward black epoxy off the surface. I also noticed some shrink back of the epoxy in some holes once it cured and needed to go back add a bit more to bring it up flush with the surface.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

I just fill them with finish. If you do an epoxy pore fill that will probably take care of them. They naturally have a dark appearance so I don't bother coloring the epoxy.