i feel like i’ve tried everything!
i’m building more built-ins, that i will paint after i fill the nail holes and some seams.
i’ve tried paintable caulk, wood filler, both acrylic and latex, and i just can’t find something i like. i suppose if i had something that worked like drywall compound, but didn’t shrink or slump, or if i had something that spread like latex paintable caulk, but sanded well,…..
any ideas? whats your favorite
thanks in advance
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Replies
We have gone to bondo on all critical applications. I have had several problems with filler failing and not filling well even after a second application.
Bruce
bondo? as in for cars?
interesting. does it have flexibility? for instance, bump the bookcase during transit, will it "pop" out? like some fillers do.thank you,john
Never had it pop out.
Bondo's amazing stuff. If you need it vertical, you can clamp a board against it, with a piece of wax paper between. When it's cured, you can take the formwork away and peel the waxed paper right off. I've used it to replace hinge gains when i've changed a door out for one with different hinge placements. After painting, the repair is invisible and holds, even on a door.
You can also tint it darker with artists' colors for stain grade on darker woods or...i just use the goop from the bottom of a can of oil stain with a bit more catalyst. WHAT THE PUCK???
Putty Cote, although there are other brands. Very similar to Bondo, but finer texture and feathers better. Needs to hook into something like any other putty, I"ve done some pretty amazing repairs, like replace whole corners of cab doors. As far as I know, no failures.
Handles a lot like drywall mud, but catalyst is something to get used to. Ten degree ambient can make a big difference in "go off" time. Figure on having some set before you want it to, just mix more.
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Another vote for Bondo! Bonds well. Rock hard. No shrinking. No pop outs. Nice to sand. Takes paint well. And, best of all, you can prime after about 30 minutes. Just be fast about it - you've got about 3 minutes of workability.
bondo it is!thanks everyone,john
I really like Sherwin-Williams brand wood filler--dries really hard, sands pretty easiliy, doesn't shrink and don't get many voids.
Buy an extra tube of hardener. Everybody mixes in more than they should.
Not everybody. I have tubes and tubes leftover
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Thats because you are an old seasoned yankee.=-?
Durrams (sp?) water putty.
easy
Minwax Wood filler
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I think Bondo is overkill for interior wood fill (I'm assuming interior since you said built-ins).
I just use lightweight spackle for nail holes (no shrinkage and sands easy) and for larger holes such as screws, I use pre-mixed wood fill if I have the time to hit it twice otherwise Durhams water putty.
I think I would just use caulk on the seams since that seems like a likely place for seasonal movement.
thanks don,i've found that the light weight spackle "pops",.....you?
i've found that the light weight spackle "pops"
Yes, I've noticed that too. Not always, but usually. I'm not sure what causes it, but it's not a problem. In fact, it helps to ensure that the hole is sufficiently filled.
I'll use bondo on big stuff but for nail holes I wouldnt bother, Crawfords is the way to go.
Crawfords doesnt shrink and sands really nice. I apply it after priming.
Painters that we use on occassion will mix a little tint into the Crawfords so that they can see the filler easier. Great stuff.
31904 QT CRAWFORD SPACKLING
Doug
Edited 9/18/2008 10:01 pm ET by DougU
I second using Crawford's. I love that stuff!
Easy to use and clean to work with.
I usually buy the smaller 14.5 oz. container. (It's plastic.)
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Overkill for just filling nail holes but it's da bomb for repairs and larger gaps. No slump, sandable, paintable, can be tinted to match stains, will hold nails and screws, can be chiseled or worked with tools...
A little pricey but for the right application it's worth every dime.
-Norm
I use ALEX 230 for all joints between separate boards and materials. I use Elmers Wood Filler for nail holes and small voids. I've never used Durham's Water Putty, though, but I suppose I'll give it a try after reading all of the glowing recommendations...
This will not work on seams but works GREAT on nail holes. Take a little wood glue - you favorite choice. Saw a little of the wood you are about to fill the nail holes and mix until you have toothpaste. You need the saw-dust for shrinkage - or lack thereof.Mike
thanks everyone
My current favorite for paint grade work is H. F. Staples Miracle Wood Filler. I looked at the MSDS and it appears to be a blend of alcohol, acetone, and wood dust. Dries hard and sands well, although I usually need to touch up the hairline gaps around the edges of whatever holes I have filled. I have filled many 3/8ths inch counter sunk screw holes. After filling and painting, the patches are invisible.
Another vote for bondo. Cheap, hard, sticks to nearly everything, sands and feathers well, though you have to change the paper a lot. Bondo even started selling it in a different can and calling it "Home Repair filler" or some such nonsense, and charging 10% more than for the can of plain old bondo sitting on the shelf right next to it.Minwax is OK too, though I suspect it's pretty much the same thing as bondo at twice the price. And I hate the white catalyst. I guage the hardener by color , and with the red hardener I can make the tube go well beyond a can. With the white I always feel I need more hardener for some reason.Steve
Since I was 14 and helping in an auto body shop, my rule has been "A glob the size of a golfball, gets a glob the size of a pea"
I just adjust slightly for cold/warm days, and can also kinda wing it when dealing with big quantities.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
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As said, Bondo is one of the best. If you shop around, you'll see a pretty wide range of prices and Home Depot, etc sell it in gallons for less than I have seen at auto parts stores.
If you ever need to sand odd contours or moulding, get a 1 qt sandwich bag, put a good amount of Bondo in it and press it down, so it fits the contours. Let it set and remove any sticky resin. Press your sandpaper in and if you want, you can remove a little from the valleys to make sure the peaks aren't rounded off.
>>If you ever need to sand odd contours or moulding....<<That's a great idea! You should submit that for a FH magazine tip...Steve
Too late- I got it from Jeff Jewitt at the Woodworking Show a few years ago when I went to the refinishing seminar.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
great tip thanks!you know, i worked with bondo this weekend, worked well only, the frustrating thing when filling holes is that the material "rolls over" on itself and pulls the back part of the stroke out,......necessitating a second application. granted, the 1/2 hour setup time makes a second application easy, but i spose i was looking for the PERFECT filler :)one other problem with bondo, though a small one is that it sands less fast than the surrounding wood......got to be careful of surrounding.thanks for the help,john
>> sands less fast than the surrounding wood......got to be careful of surrounding.<<I usually feather wide of the hole on the second coat, and when sanding, try not to sand the feathered part completely away...so that a screw hole will wind up with about a 1" round feathered patch of bondo...Also, that pulling out that you get on the backside...your technique will improve that...On the first fill, squish the bondo in hard so that it kind of quirts out behind the knife as you go. Also turning around and doing it again in the other direction right away sometimes helps too. But yeah, you pretty much have to do two coats to get it invisible.Steve
Edited 9/23/2008 9:21 am by mmoogie
funny, takes a little technique for sure.....next time i'll get it just right.
It rolls over the hole because the hole is dry. Once it grabs, it fills. Bondo can be thinned, too but it's not usually necessary.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
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