Filling pegholes before varnishing

[Alex_E]

So far I've always used rolled up paper twisted into the pegholes and then sliced of close to the walls, before varnishing.

Are there other better methods to use, such as play dough, bluetack, mini wood pegs, etc?

[Woodland]

I've used cork, whatever does the job I suppose...

[fiddlecollector]

I never fill them, the pegs or whatever would get in my way and its easier to just remove the varnish when dry with a long pointed utility knive and then ream the pegholes.(i just predrill the holes with a bit the same diameter as the end of my reamer)But everyone has their own methods.

[Michael Darnton]

Don't ream them out until you've varnished and there won't be a problem. If you insist on trying before varnishing, fit a set of pegs with the shafts turned down very small, so you can ream out later.

[Joseph]

I also ream the holes to size after varnishing, but I have in the past used the boxwood sticks that they sell for bushing peg holes to plug them while I touch up when doing repairs to the pegbox walls. I also use one of these sticks in the end pin hole to hold the violin while I'm varnishing it. Although they come tapered already, they are rather thick but a quick pass through your shaper will fix that down to the size you need, then you can just use the same one(s) over and over.

[Alex_E]

Thanks for the replies, it appears the simplest and best solution by far is to drill the holes but not ream them until after the varnishing is finished.

I was so engrossed in thinking of the best way to overcome the problem that I overlooked the obvious.

[fiddlefaddle]

alex, most folks like to hear the fiddle "in the white", Although I apply my ground immeadiatly after final scraping, i still like to hear it before varnish. So, michaels idea of small pegs is a good one.