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Using Wood Filler Properly

In finish carpentry wood filler is a wonderful product. This product is generally used for filling the nail holes in trim work. It can also be used to fill those not so perfect miters but there are a few things to know before you start using it on your wood work.



The type of wood putty I use and recommend is made by Minwax. There are many colors or shades of this product that can be mixed and combined to match any color of stain. The texture of wood putty is compared to kid’s playdoo and is a type of plastic resins which hardens when it dries after it is applied. Matching the color of wood putty to the stain can virtually hide nail holes, small splits, small gaps in miters and other small imperfections if applied properly.

Wood filler should be applied to the trim wood after it is stained and varnished. Then after it is applied another coat of varnish will seal and protect the covered areas. The reason for this is because this product contains certain chemicals that can be absorbed into the wood if it is applied to raw wood. These chemicals can interrupt the natural absorption of the stain in to the wood where the wood filler was applied and produce unfavorable results. There are all sorts of brands and types of wood putty out there. Be sure to read the directions for use to get the best possible outcome.

Homemade Wood Putty

You can easily make your own wood filler. With a hand full of really fine saw dust and White or wood glue you can make it by mixing the glue with the sawdust. Form the mixture into workable putty. It’s certainly not as good and strong as the real thing but will work if needed. Also keep in mind this would be the raw color of the wood but will take stain. Be careful to clean or sand the excess wood putty off on raw wood so the stain can penetrate evenly.



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