Make Color-Matched Wood Filler From Sawdust and Superglue

The Problem

A damaged, cracked, or knotted spot in a workpiece usually means reaching for a tube of wood filler that never quite matches the surrounding grain and color, or writing off the whole board for what might be a small blemish.

The Technique

1. Save an empty fine-mist bottle — an old seasoning shaker works well — and fill it with fine sawdust from the same board you're patching. Dust from that exact piece gives the closest possible color match.
2. Sprinkle a generous amount of the sawdust directly onto the damaged, cracked, or knotted area.
3. Apply a few drops of thin CA glue (superglue) on top of the sawdust. The glue wicks down into the dust and sets it into a solid filler.
4. Once cured, sand the patch smooth and flush with the surrounding wood.