speaking the truth

You can do that before painting to.. spread super glue on the end, then sprinkle sodium bicarbonate (regular bicarb), over it. Reacts instantly, turns rock hard, and you can sand or drill it if you need to. Takes paint pretty darn well.

Adam Savage swears by it, half of ILM's models are held together that way.

If you need something that matches the colour of the wood because you're not painting it, then use cinnamon instead of bicarb. No idea why it works, but it does. Gives a sort of brownish hard-as-nails finish.

Word of warning though, the reaction is super-fast rleases toxic fumes and is VERY exothermic. Large quantities risk burning.