pahoulihan Posted December 31, 2017 Report Share Posted December 31, 2017 Suggestion for a good wood filler for pine? Have a few screws I’d like to cover up before stain and finish... my first time using white wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted December 31, 2017 Report Share Posted December 31, 2017 Famowood (water based) or Timbermate . Both work well. Timbermate smells funny but it drys pretty quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gee-dub Posted December 31, 2017 Report Share Posted December 31, 2017 Timbrmate fan here. Haven’t used anything else for years but, I hardly ever use it. This is what makes Timbermate so good for me I suppose. Shelf life seems to be near forever. Can be reconstituted with water until top coat is applied. Screw head holes may be a bit large for a filler. A plug may be a better option; matching or contrasting. These happen to be square but, round with a dowel gets the same result. For face grain plugs you'll want a plug cutter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronn W Posted January 1, 2018 Report Share Posted January 1, 2018 Timber mate is what I use. Since it is water based, you can thin it out a little if it helps with the application. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AceHoleInOne Posted January 1, 2018 Report Share Posted January 1, 2018 How is the piece going to be finished? If you're going for an oil finish or light stain, you may want to hide the screws with wood using a plug cutter. -Ace- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pahoulihan Posted January 1, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 1, 2018 Thank you all very much for your input. It’s for a crib for my first born, my wife is deciding the stain and it appears she wants a light color gray (like a weathered look). Not my personal favorite but this is more for her than me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted January 1, 2018 Report Share Posted January 1, 2018 Practice on scrap ! You might not like how the stain takes on a filled hole big enough to hide a screw. Screws need to be set at least 1/8 below the surface, shallow filler depth can crack & pop out. Deep holes (1/4" or more) can benifit from partially filling & total drying before the final coat. Cutting grain matching plugs from scrap gives the best results. Even plugged holes are not invisible so lay out the spacing carefully. Irregular spacing detracts from your finished project. You need a matched set of plug cutter & pilot/ countersink drill , practice using them and lining up the grain when you glue in the plugs. Cut flush, sand and finish test to see what the results are. Excess glue and cleanup will affect your stain ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillyJack Posted January 1, 2018 Report Share Posted January 1, 2018 Better option for screws.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fcschoenthal Posted March 18, 2018 Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 Agree with the suggestions already listed. Timbermate for small repairs. It comes in different "varieties" to match the wood used and can be tinted to get even closer. Being water based is also great, as said, in that it doesn't dry out and need to be thrown away. A tapered plug cutter used on some scraps of the wood used will often be invisible when you line the grain up correctly and takes stain just like the rest of the piece. Chris "It's never too late for a happy childhood" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac Posted March 18, 2018 Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 At this point, I won't use wood filler under anything but a clear coat finish. No matter what they tell you, I've personally never had a wood filler take stain as well as the surrounding wood. The result is the wood filler tends to look the same as it did when applied, while the remainder of the wood darkens from the stain. So if the wood filler matches your wood and you plan to clear coat, go for it. If you plan to stain, I strongly suggest plug cutting as previously suggested. I use Weldon countersink bits. They are more expensive but have worked really well for me. Previously I used one of the pyramid types and it always had a lot more chatter, while the Weldon type give really smooth results and even sound nice when boring. It looks like some other manufacturers make generic countersink bits in the style of Weldon, not sure how those perform. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted March 18, 2018 Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 My grandfather was named Weldon . Never heard of the countersinks so I looked them up. Intended for mild steel is probably why I've never seen them. Can you sharpen them ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isaac Posted March 18, 2018 Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 2 hours ago, wdwerker said: My grandfather was named Weldon . Never heard of the countersinks so I looked them up. Intended for mild steel is probably why I've never seen them. Can you sharpen them ? I'm not sure about sharpening them, haven't had to. I think it was Mark that turned me onto them, on some video. I know I just didn't buy them on a whim, but I can't remember for sure who told me about them. This looks like a cheaper knock off. I would be tempted to give it a try, given the price, if I didn't already have a set. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078Z5QVXS/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=B078Z5QVXS&pd_rd_wg=CaZpz&pd_rd_r=ANEJRR4VVMESXZRA2RHC&pd_rd_w=cTpO0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted March 18, 2018 Report Share Posted March 18, 2018 On fillers I remembered another trick. If you mix colored fillers and practice before staining it is possible to make the mix a similar color that the slight amount of stain it does take is sufficient to match. I have filled a flaw with dark filler, sanded it flush, then scratched grain lines to simulate a tiny knot and filled the scratches with a slightly lighter colored filler and lightly sanded again. Once stain and finish are over it the knot looks pretty real. You would never be able to match the exact wood tones but the darker knot is a great way to hide in plain sight. I use "Color Putty" after finishing to fill tiny nail holes after applying trim I pre finished to match the job. It stays soft and is easy to wipe away any surface smears. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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