: Now I'm piddling
: with what to fill my wire holes with. It takes an awful lot of wood flour
: to color that Durham's wood putty.

Partially fill the holes with short sections of toothpicks dipped in glue and tapped in. You want the toothpicks about 1/16th of an inch shorter than the hole is deep. Ithen, when they are inserted they will be about 1/32nd of an inch below the surface of the wood on both sides. Then you have a very tiny space to fill with your woodfiller, so you don't have to use very much.

A possible technique: push a glue coated toothpick into the hole until you can feel it coming out on the other side. Pull it back 1/16th and cut it off flush using a sharp knife, a wire cutters, or a toenail clipper. Then poke it back in just enough to recess the cut off end. Wait for the glue to dry before filling the small remaining area.

hope this helps.

PGJ