Ebony Plugs

I wanted to use something fun and interesting for the plugs because I knew it was a good opportunity to use a scrap. I wanted something really dark to contrast with the Walnut. The guys at the lumber yard sold me a small cut from a piece of macassar ebony for about $10. It was a steal considering macassar ebony costs about $75 per board foot, making it one of the more expensive woods one can buy. Apparently a tax recently added to the wood in India, has made this wood extremely expensive. Below is a picture of my piece. It has black and chocolate brown stripes.


I converted the Shopsmith to a drill press and used my plug cutter bit to cut several plugs. I'm sure the scrap will yield plugs for projects to come, as there is much left over.


After using my router to add a chamfer around the top perimeter of the table, I glued and tapped the plugs in with a hammer. Next week, I'll cut them flush and do some sanding. Then it will be time for my least favorite phase...applying finish.