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Reel Seat Spacers - Filling

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I have rough turned a reel seat of mountain mahogany (one of the cercocarpus species, love the color in that wood). I'm probably beyond hope here, but I really would like to use the wood. The wood did a little chipping during the turning, but not a lot. One particularly interesting hole runs the entire length of the insert and in and out from the surface to the center.

Can someone with experience filling in wormholes give me a rundown of a process? I figure I need some sort of straw (big one like from McDonalds) to fill the hole down the center of the insert, to keep the epoxy from filling it, but beyond that I don't know. I figured epoxy colored black or red would look well with the wood colors. Or if I could get it looking good enough, use clear epoxy so that the teeth marks of the worm could show. That would provide a lot of interest, when the fish aren't biting, or the mosquitoes are.

But how do you fill the holes with the epoxy, and keep it there without getting air bubbles, leakage, etc. until it cures? Fill and Tape? Do one side/section at a time, wait until cure, them move to another? A particular epoxy over another?  (Sam Nielson)

I have heard of mixing Coffee Grounds with Epoxy to fill deep holes. I have never done it but I have used sanding dust with Epoxy. I make up a paste and work it into the hole. I use 60 minuet Epoxy so that I will have time to work it in. Flex Coat will work for the epoxy; it has a long working time.

I am sure you will get more info on this. (Tony Spezio)

I have filled holes in burls with 5 min epoxy as for the hole through the center just get something and wrap some masking tape on it until it is the size of the bore slide that into the bore until you are where the worm hole is, do one side at time and you should be fine. You will be surprised with the results. (Joe Arguello)

Although I've never filled an actual wormhole on in a reelseat I have had occasion to fill a goofed-up 1/16" dia. hole in wood projects woodworking.

What I did was what Joe suggested using a slow-set epoxy like Flex -Cote and sawdust mixture/paste from the spare pcs. of the same wood, naturally.
 
What I found were issues getting the epoxy down into the hole as it tends to bubble and not fill. Use a 2-3" (??) or so length of small gage wire or even the .020 "dia. lead wire from tying for example to break the tension and work it down to fill. Needs playing with but that works to get it down there.

Also a little heat to the epoxy before you fill makes her run better. It's putsy but it'll go. Keep the hole open on the other side so it'll flow. Plug/tape off when it begins to exit and work to fill up the hole. You may encounter a void if you machine off much on the diameter later so you may to repeat.  (Jeremy Gubbins)

Go with what both Tony and Joe say, with one modification. I would not use 5 min epoxy for a multitude of reasons, which I won't list here. I would use a 30-minute epoxy, as that is the 'working time'. (On a par with Flex Coat.) Id you so desire, you can thin it with rubbing alcohol. The only "adverse" affect is that it can slightly extend the curing time.

As for the worm's tooth marks, if one could preserve the look on the worm's face into the wood when you expose one while turning at 750-800rpm, them you would have something to show! I turn a lot of native Mesquite, and it is notorious for the borers it can contain, especially if it had been cut for any length of time. Not at all unusual to suddenly expose one. An interesting feature to turned wood is to turn into a worm canal that is filled with the digested wood. It definitely adds to the appearance of the turned object. Just saturate it with CA glue, and go on turning.  (Frank Schlicht)