woodwoodworking
I have a butcher block made of birch. I need to put some wood inserts into it. Also, I want to drill a 2" through hole through it as well. My plan for the finish is a few coats of polycrylic protective finish.
Which order should I do it in? Finish first or drill first? Sorry if this is a super basic question, I am very new at this.
Wood fillers for filling grain are very different from those used for structural repairs. Grain fillers are diluted and rubbed into the wood grain. See the attached listing from Constantines, one of the leading woodworking suppliers in the U.S.:
http://www.constantines.com/pastewoodfiller.aspx
They are also a source of components and books on building guitars.
I do not know of a non-U.S. source, but they may ship internationally and their info may help evaluate local resources you find.
Some bolts have long smooth shanks and short threaded sections. If you are able to find appropriately sized bolts like these, and able to buy a drill bit that is the same diameter as the shank for a sung fit, then this is simplest, if not the best, solution. The key is a smooth shank of appropriate length. If the threaded section is too long, it can, of course, be cut off with a hack saw and groomed with a file. To straighten out threads at the tip, spin a nut all the up to the shank and leave it on until finished with the grooming.
The craftsman approach would be to use shouldered joints.
This is a link to the wikipedia page.
Solid Pins
Tube Pins
Blind Rings
Blind Flats
Best Answer
You can finish first or drill first, your choice.
Drilling first then finishing will result in (at least some) of the varnish getting into the holes, which will not really add any value I can think of and perhaps cause you to re-drill the holes to the proper size prior to inserting the wood inserts and grommet.
The only drawback to drilling after finishing, that I can think of, is the potential to mar your nice new finish with tool marks. Solution(s) would be to let it cure thoroughly prior to drilling, so the surface is nice and hard, and/or to fine sand any tool marks and hit it with another coat when you're done.