Which Wood Filler?

rocco

I am painting the exterior of a home that has a big hole in a wood beam on the surface of the home. It is painted already and there is loose, flaking paint and wood. It's not termites or a leak just old wood. I can fit a golf ball size object in the hole. It is not perfectly round like that but I just don't know what kind of patching material to use. Any suggestions?

Cole

How about trying to match the wood, with a dowel of some sort.

You could even make your own.

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Mike Finley

Caulk.

wdwrkr75

car auto body filler if your goin to paint over it.

mdshunk

I see the "Durham's Water Putty" being used on a lot of jobs. Auto polyester body filler I see quite a bit too, but the fact that it is quite hygroscopic troubles me personally.

Teetorbilt

Open up the hole with a hole saw. To do this, tack a small piece of doorskin or any other thin plywood over the hole. This piece should have a small center hole pre-drilled into it. Guestimate the center to center as best you can and tack on the guide. Shorten the center drill to your hole saw and drill through the guide. Remove the guide drill from the hole saw and finish drilling through the siding/beam. In the case of a beam, you may want to drill in only 1/2" or the depth of your plug. Remove the excess material inside the cut with a chisel, try to make the bottom flat without boogering up the outside edges. OR, if you're really froggy with a router you can clean it up that way.

The plug. You want to be 1/4" over the hole size. Hole saws generally cut tapered holes and the kerf will be approx. 1/8" per side. As the saw cuts deeper andthe sides begin to guide it, the sawn cut will narrow.
Make your jig as described above, remove the pilot drill and cut the plug from your replacement material. Noting grain and finish can mean a lot here. Cut the plug.

Now all that you have to do is match the plug to the hole and glue it in. I like to use a router on the OD and a belt or 8" circular sander for the plug. You can use files and sandpaper too. I like a gentle slip fit before I glue. If vertical, the base should be set up to TILT the plug out, not SLIDE it out. This way you only have to worry about the top.

I hope that you can figure out the rest.

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nadonailer

Fix-all ?

nailbanger138

if you are painting, then wood epoxy putty is a pretty good product. comes in a clear tube and looks sort of like a 2 colored tootsie roll.

agboett

2-3 coats of MH Ready Patch

Easy to use and sand, I've used it successfully on even bigger exterior holes

RED HORSE 554

bondo makes a putty that dose well on the outside.http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/(gu...px?SKU=1320845

gallerytungsten

I'm in favor of filling larger holes with wood.

Durham's Rock Hard is a good product, but tough to sand. On large fills, it tends to swell as it dries; so it's best to watch it as it dries and shave it with a chisel while it's still a bit soft.

MH Ready Patch is also a great product, but it tends to shrink.

In a hole that size, caulk will shrink big-time and you'll be refilling over and over.

So go with the wood, then perhaps the MH Ready Patch to smooth it out.