I know that none of y’all ever use wood filler, but just in case you do, what brand do you use?
Thanks,
dlb
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The reason for he post is because I have been using Jasco’s filler. I like the results but you have to wait 24 hours before sanding. I have also tried the Minwax filler but I am beginning not to appreciate it’s attributes. So I wanted to see what else was being used.
Edited 3/24/2007 8:29 pm ET by dlb
Replies
dlb
In cabinet making we NEVER use wood filler, but we buy it by the case because it is cheaper this way.
I like to use water putty. It comes in a powder form and mixes with water to the consistency that you want. I colour it with oxides when the situation calls for it and leave it natural (beige colour) when that works. It sands very easily and dries quickly. JL
Thanks for the reply. What is the brand name of the filler that you purchase? I hope that it has a very long shelf life!!The undisciplined life is not worth examining.
dlb
The product is called Bondex Water Putty
The packaging says it is an American product, with a logo that says RPM and then it identifies Bondex International Canada Ltd...Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg and Vancouver. I am sure that you can find the US parent company by doing a search. (note that I am from Canada)
It is in powder form, and does not show a shelf life on the packaging. I have used some that I had for several years and it was fine. You need to store it in a dry environment. JL
The Zar neutral wood filler works well and sands down better than the Elmers product (imo). But I can't find it at the big boxes, soI've started to use the Minwax stainable filler--it feels like a slurry with wood fiber in it (comes in yellow tubes). Worked nicely for brad holes in cherry; this week I'll use it on a maple mantlepiece. It dries fast and also sands easily.
I stay away from anything that doesn't dry (like various putty products). If you can't sand it, I don't use it. The lightweight DAP products are also not too useful in my experience.
I've also used (no laughs) drywall compund for painted cabinets. We got a load of plywood that was supposedly P/G, but it had grain in it like cheap mahogany. Ended up giving the whole cabinet a skim coat of plaster. If you think about it, classic French polishing used plaster of paris as a grain filler, proving that drywall mud really is a classic finish! Easy to skim on, sands easy, paints well (just like a wall....)
Pondfish
Water putty is as close to plaster as you are going to get without using plaster. JL
What's water putty? I was refering to putty like painter's putty, or Dap glazing putty. These seem very unrelated to plaster, as they don't dry. Are they plaster mixed with some oil? I always thought putty was some scrapings off the underbelly of some greast smelly beasts.Recommending the use of "Hide Signatures" option under "My Preferences" since 2005
i sometimes use RockHard Water putty. This is a wood flour with some type of glue property.Can be mixed to a dough or very thin.Mix small amounts as it sets up quickly, you may have 6 to 8 minutes with a batch before it starts hardening.Hardware and box stores sell it one quart cans and larger.
mike
Pondfish
Water putty is a powder product that you add water to. The less water you use, the stiffer the mix, so you can adjust the consistency according to your requirements. It dries quickly and sands very easily. You can even remove it with a damp sponge, so in this way it reacts similarly to plaster. It is formulated to apply to wood. It accepts all finishes. It does not have a limited shelf life, so you always get to use all that you purchase.
As far as scrapings from the underbelly of various beasts, that is a process that can be very dangerous to the scraper's health, so I leave it to the younger and quicker ones in the group. I continue to use water putty because I am not as quick as I used to be. JL
A recent publication recommends drywall mud for ply edge treatment. Shrinkage is seldom a problem (vs. spackle). In my limited experience, Elmer's worked well similarly.There are a number of Zar vendors on the internet.What do you like about Zar's . . . or do you feel you've already stated that? Have you worked with a filler that is truly stainable?
I like Zar's because it spread/worked easily and wasn't too hard to sand. Elmer's, on the other hand, tended to dry out in the container and was much harder to sand.
"Truly stainable" filler...well, I will mix wood dust with a wee bit of glue and it works pretty well, but when staining a light color and using a clear topcoat, I will need to finish the patch with some hand coloring. The "stainable" fillers that I've used seem to be a mix of wood dust and bonding agent. If I hand sand the filled spot when still wet, it mixes in some of the wood dust from the work with the filler. When stained, the filled spots (usually nail holes in my case) are darn hard to spot.
Even if the patch compound is stainable, patches can usually be spotted because either they interrupt the grain pattern or they have a too-regular shape to them (like a nail hole), even if the color is very close to the natural wood. The problem is, I'm sure you know, that most natural wood has different shades of color in it, while the patch color is uniform. That's what your eyes pick out, even if the patch color is "correct."
Finally, none of my clients has ever commented on filled spots. Usually they don't notice them unless I point them out. That's the problem with woodworking--all the goofs that only you can see scream out at you, while others think you are nuts. Sort of like being the little kid in "The Sixth Sense."Recommending the use of "Hide Signatures" option under "My Preferences" since 2005
dlb,
I never use wood filler on wood that will be stained, left natural or dyed; instead for very minor problem areas, I use burn in sticks.
On wood that is to be painted, I've had very good results with Red Devil light weight spackling compound.
Rob Millard
http://www.americanfederalperiod.com
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