Help - bad wood

[Old Crow]

I was beginning to carve this face in a maple stick and ran across some rotten wood right below the nose. I think it extends up the stick into the hat. See pictures. I can live with it in the hat but was wondering if I dig it out below and behind the nose, is there something like woodfiller that I can fill it with and still be able to finish the carving, it extends into the area where part of the mouth will be.Thanks for any advice.

[whitecree]

That kind of looks like an old bark inclusion from where the tree twisted a bit and grew around itself.

You could try Bondo - y'know, the autobody stuff - but be careful working with it as it is toxic as all heck. It will also become harder than the wood around it, and it won't take stain very well. Paints nicely, though.

There is some other stuff, much like epoxy that works its way into the wood and stabilizes it. I've used it a time or two, but I am darned if I can remember the name of that junk right now. Penta-something or other?

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

you could leave it and call it "ol dirty nose"! "Pentacryl" I think whitecree

[pallin]

I would take some of the same wood. Run in on a sander until you have collected enough sawdust to fill the void. Mix with glue or epoxy and fill the void under the nose.

[Mark Gargac]

You mentioned...."I was beginning to carve", it sounds as though you dont have alot of time into this project.
If this was my carving, I would grab another piece, and start over, but that's easy to say because it's not my carving!
Anyways, from what I can see from the photo, carving through, around, under, and even trying some kind of filler, this flaw in the wood may still come back to haunt you in the end results, then again, you may find away to incorporate this flaw into the carving to your advantage. I dont like using alot of heavy paint, but maybe would consider it on something like this, or better yet a dark stain.

[chpster90bu]

Crow...I agree with Phil....use the sawdust to mix with epoxy or glue. I had to do that on a carving that had rotted wood and worm holes deep in the legs of a cowboy I carved. Worked really well and you couldn't tell a thing. Painted well, too. Bonnie

[susieq]

Old Crow,
you might be able to cut out a fairly square area under the nose and fill it with a solid piece of wood, then mix sawdust and glue to fill the rest and around the solid piece....just a thought.
susieq

[tnartist05]

Duro Quick Gel plus saw dust will hold better than anything plus the drying time is quicker. It will be some what darker than the rest of the stick but think you are going to stain it anyway. You can carve the above also.

P.S wood filler seems to dry out at times and falls out,you can use a wood filler then top it off with the gel glue & dust{which are the little white tubes} but make sure you get quick gel{2 tubes for $2.00 pkg} "not" super glue} Hope this might help.