> Two other problems with tooth picks.

> 1. If you use glue, you now have a smear of glue to contend with.

> 2. Tooth picks are hard wood. If you don't glue them, and use a block
> plane, the blade grabs the tooth pick and actually distorts the hole even
> larger. If you're that obsessive, the best way is to cut little slivers
> off the edges of extra strips of the same wood and shove them in unglued.
> You can do this with a utility knife. I did this to some larger holes and
> it works well but wasn't concerned enough to do an entire boat.

Jay, Your two problems dont exist!! Glue is not used, or is a plane. The toothpicks( not round ones) are broke in half, and each half is lightly tapped into a wire or nail hole. (not staple holes). I then cut them off with a pair of diagonal cutters and sand smooth. I can do the entire hull in less than an hour. As I said before, I would not put toothpicks in staple holes, but for boats that use nails to at stations (Wee Lassie canoe) and S&G kayaks the toothpicks are an alternative to transparent epoxy. I will try to send pics of my use of toothpicks and you be the judge.

Larry C.