making wood "pegs" to cover screws?

t_mccann

hello!

I am in the final stages of designing our dining and living room ceilings. we're using 1/2" cabinet-grade birch ply. I'd like to counter sink the screws that will hold it to the ceiling and then cover these with pegs cut from the same wood (although we may use a slightly darker wood for certain pegs, just for looks).

Can anyone please describe the process for doing this, and what tools/attachments I will need?

Thank you for your help

- John

scorrpio

The term you want to use is 'counterbore'. Countersink is a cone-shaped indentation in order to set a flathead screw flush or below surface. A counterbore is a cylinder-shaped indentation, designed primarily for pan-head screws, and usually drilled using a forstner bit.

For plugs, look here. You can save yourself a lot of work by ordering the plugs, and looks like a pack of 50 birch plugs, face grain, 1/2", is only $5.99.

Otherwise, tools to make plugs are on that same page. Standard way to go is to cut a bunch of 'rings' into a board with a plug cutter, and then slice them off on bandsaw.

t_mccann

thanks, Scorrpio!

so for the process, would I use a forstner bit to drill halfway into the wood (the ply is 1/2") and then fasten it up using a pan-head screw?

also, why a pan-head? wouldn't it get in the way of the plug sitting flush?

thanks,

- John

Kingfisher

Here a link to a jig to make dowls that is cheap and easy

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/showthread.php?t=2123

You can buy plug cutter that will cut nice round face grain plugs from real wood that work great to but this jig will only give you end grain plug that will stain darker and look like real plugs if thats what you want. The end grain soaks up more finish so there is no need to use darker wood

scorrpio

After glue-in, these plugs almost never seat flush. The idea is to leave them a bit proud and when glue dries, chisel/plane/sand them flush.

kiwi54

scorrpio is right, buy the birch plugs and adapt. You mention you may like them slightly darker so any color difference in the birch is not going to be a problem. You'll need to buy tools if you don't already have them which most folks don't. I like the $5 option way better....

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