What Filler Do You Use? Paint And Stain

LNG24

What Wood Filler do you guys use on your trim work? I have tried a bunch of stuff from Wood Filler to Caulking to Drywall Mud (came up with that after seeing it on a This Old House segment. I still end up with dimples

Paint Grade:


Stain Grade:

thom

On paint grade I generally use ez sand. It doesn't shrink as much as other stuff.

sausagefingers

I use Fam-O-Wood for pretty much everything. I normally only have birch or maple colored and it matches fine even with red oak material. If whatever I'm doing is painting i bust out the lightweight spackle and it works great, especially if it's used on the joints of crown and base...pretty much anything that is going to paint.

Any Season

No real preference for stain but for paint I like to use lightweight spackle and wipe clean w/ wet rag after it dries, you can paint in one coat bc you've wiped off the excess that usually remains then flashes if you sanded.

Bone Saw

epoxy and microballoons

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G@PC

I agree with all season, light wgt. spackle works the best but you could also mix up a little durabond 45 which works well too. Stainable...I'm still looking for a good product. Best one so far is actually wood filler by Elmers. Needs to say paintable/stainable on label. If anyone knows of an alternative would love to hear about it.

silvertree

Whatever I remember to have on hand, Durabond, lightweight, Red Devil,bondo.

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Grove Design

try using durhams water putty for paint grade- cheap and comes dry in can-never dries out in the can-mix what you need.

CasDev

If your using drywall mud for filler you might need new glasses

Not that i ever need filler... but do you guys consider filling nail holes
the carpenters job or is it the painter/stainers job?

filler is for a a true FINISH carpenter shouldnt need it

cleveman

I'm mostly filling a pre-finished wood, so I use a wax stick. Otherwise, I mix up a bit of filler using some fine sawdust and glue.

Splinter

How do you figure this one? Is there a new fastening technique for installing doors, windows, casing, crown, base, and shoe that I just dont know about yet?


Since I wont let any local hack painters (or even homeowners) get their grubby paintbrushes on any room I build, I swing the brush myself. If the trim is getting painted, I hit the nail holes with a little spackle, leaving it heavy... A swipe with some 220 grit levels it nicely. If trim is getting stained, I spray it all beforehand in my shop, usually topcoating with pre-cat lacquer, and fill the nail holes with a minwax pencil... Rub the pencil back and forth ntil the hole is filled flush, and wipe off the excess surrounding it with a damp cloth.

(I hate Minwax stains and wont use them, but there's usually a minwax pencil that comes close enough to whatever color I need)

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Norrrrrrrrrrrrm

I like to use CrackShot from DAP. Fill the holes, let them dry and wipe them down with a medium/fine grout sponge. I find rags tend to dig in the holes to easily.

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Trimwerx

I've been using the Elmers stuff they have at lowes for my paint grade stuff and i like it. For the stain grade stuff, i've been using the minwax stainable filler.

Leo G

If someone brings you a cabinet it should be ready to primer/paint/stain. If the installer puts up trim, cabinets, etc. it turns to the painters job. That's my take on it.

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LNG24

Quite an interesting comment. So uou don't use nails in your cabinet making projects? Funny, I hae been building fine furniture sine 1979 and never have been able to sink a nail into trim without my eye ebing able to see the hole.

So since you are the expert here, please do tell us, just how do you fasten your trim without nails?

Leo G

90% (or more) of the cabinets and furniture I build I use no nails, screws or fasteners. It is called joinery [and glue]. One of the few things that I will nail are moldings. I could just glue them also but the time needed makes it prohibative. Installing trim and cabinetry usually requires nails or screws to make it safe in the home.

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Cashking63

I get tired of the whole " framers: Screw it, the drywaller will fix it Drywaller: screw it, the trim guy will fix it
Trim guy: screw it, the painter will fix it"

When I finish something, cabinet, trim or whatever, it is ready to paint or stain. That means sanded, holes and imperfections are filled.

oh yea for paint I use bondo or durabond, for stain I have to agree about the minway stixs

Tin Cup

fill em with your own drywall dust boogers after you sanded the walls! they don't shrink as much.


Tin Cup

LNG24

Leo,

I agree 100% with your statement, but the Trim is the last to go on and as you stated, requires nails. If you or anyone can tell me how you install Base, Door, Crown and Chair Rail mouldings in a home without using nails, I'd love to hear it.

After all, that was the Original Question. How do you hide nail holes when installing trim on a house. If I was referring to cabinet making, I would have been over on the Woodworkers Forum.

BTD

You must use the kind of wood that doesnt dry or warp. It must be nice.