If some small mistake has arisen such as a deep bruise, false cut, slip,
etc., it can be made good by plugging, that is, by the insertion of a new
piece of wood where the mistake has occurred. This requires skill and
care, for the new piece of wood must fit in exactly, otherwise a white
line will show all round it. For very small plugs the simplest method of
making a hole is to get a carpenter’s nail, round or square type,
according to the shape of the plug required, file the sides to the right
size and flatten the bottom, finally getting the edges and bottom sharp
and smooth on the oil-stone. Drive this into the wood, about 1/16 to 1/8
of an inch according to the size of the plug. Take the nail out again by a
straight pull to avoid bruising the sides, and if the nail has been
properly shaped, a clean hole with sharp edges will be the result. Into
this hole insert a piece of boxwood, trimmed to exact size by means of a
flat tool or chisel, then gently hammer with a piece of wood until the
bottom of the hole is felt. To dip the end of the plug into thin glue or
gum before insertion will help to keep it fast, but small plugs accurately
trimmed will hold without glue. For larger plugs glue must be used.
[Fig. 26]