Wood putty, also called plastic wood, is a substance used to fill imperfections, such as nail holes, in wood prior to finishing. It may also include calcium carbonate. "Plastic wood" redirects here. 2022 Saws on Skates is a registered trademark. Water-based putty is the most environmentally friendly. You can use a thicker wood filler to fill up cracks and holes in your wood products. If you plan to stain your project, DIY wood filler is an excellent choice. As the name suggests, stainable wood fillers are receptive to staining so that once youve applied the product, you can stain over it to ensure the repaired section matches the rest of the piece that youre fixing. Wood putty, sometimes called plastic wood is a clay-like substance used to repair holes and gaps in wood. Which type of wood filler should you use? Typically, water-based wood fillers may also be stained (or painted), but unlike other products in the same category, these are specially formulated for use indoors. 1995-2022 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. I possess neither the tools nor the skills to replicate the woodwork that is in my turn of the century house. For me, that is woodworking. Copyright Many woodworkers use putty to even out the grain in certain woods that have open pores or large pores. Once it has dried, sand the top until it is even with the wood surface. You can also paint or stain over the putty once it has been sanded smooth, but make sure it is completely dry before applying anything. We welcome your comments and It also works well for filling large damage like cracks. For floors, you will generally need to use a thinner wood filler, unless there are cracks you need to fill. Even if you aren't handy, you should feel confident repairing minor damage to your wood furniture on your own with wood putty. submitted to our "DoItYourself.com Community Forums". The putty can be used to fill in minor blemishes like nicks, scratches, gouges, and gaps between joints. Woodworkers use putty to fill imperfections in wood. Use wood filler to repair scratches, chips, gouges and other surface imperfections in the furniture and trim work around your home, effectively and efficiently. However, not all stainable wood fillers are good at absorbing stain. Instead, putty is available in a variety of colors. When it comes to showers, the frameless shower door is definitely a huge step up. Its important to note, however, that wood filler is intended strictly for superficial issues, such as scratches and gouges. Its typically used in the renovation and restoration of older homes. Solvent-based putties generally have strong fumes and need chemicals, such as lacquer thinner or acetone, for clean-up. Some wood fillers are intended to be finished with a coat of paint, while others are labeled as stainable. By understanding how each of them works, when you should use them, and what their limitations are, your next DIY project will go smoothly without any surprises along the way! Woodworkers often refer to wood putty as wood filler, wood patch, or plastic wood, and each name is appropriately descriptive. Start at the edge of the damaged area, pressing the wood filler into the depression. Best Sanders for Furniture: Which to Buy and Why, Clever Uses for Sawdust: 11 Ideas That Will Inspire You. suggestions. Wood putty and wood filler are both used to repair wood but are not the same. home improvement and repair website. Wood putty contains chemicals that can damage raw wood, so its best suited for repairing imperfections that occur after your project has been stained and a finish like polyurethane has been applied.Related: Polycrylic vs Polyurethane: Are They The Same? Regardless of which type you use, there are a number of different things you can repair using wood filler. Wood putty does not absorb wood stains. Instead, it could crack or break. It usually dries in less than an hour, and it hardens as it dries. Wood filler has a paste-like consistency similar to mashed potatoes, which makes it easy to spread. So if youve been working on a baseboard painted white, concealing the fix is simply a matter of painting over the filled area in the same shade. The best option is to use a pre-tinted putty that matches the color of your stain. If the damage calls for a proper repair, wood filler is no substitute. Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be It usually is free from heavy fumes and is easy to clean up with water. All rights reserved. When youre ready to tackle a home improvement project, its important to know the difference between wood putty and wood filler. Some people make their own wood putty by mixing wood glue and sawdust. Wood putty and wood filler sound like the same thing, but there are key differences between these two products. Wood putty is a versatile product that can be used in both indoor and outdoor projects. Purchases made using these links help support the Saws on Skates website and allows me to share more projects and tips with you. Oil-based putty is a slow-drying putty that stays flexible longer than the other types. Putty can be used for repairs on indoor and outdoor projects. Wood grain filler is made specifically for filling the pores of open-grained woods to produce a smooth finish. Wood filler dries quickly, usually in an hour or two, and hardens as it dries. Wood filler is best for repairs on unfinished wood before youve applied a stain or finish. In either case, you need to spread it evenly and make sure it's dry before applying the stain. This material is great to fill in damage to hard wood surfaces, which keeps everything from doors to trim to furniture looking like new. Stainable wood fillers are porous, which means wood stains can penetrate the filler, and the repair will blend in with the surrounding wood. You may freely link In most cases, the goal will be to make the repair virtually unnoticeable. Wood putty usually comes in a stick which is good for use on small holes. Wood filler is usually water-based. Or they can be dealt with quickly and affordably by homeowners who know how to use wood filler. Its made from a mixture of wood fibers or sawdust and a binding agent. Because it requires sanding, wood filler is best suited for repairs on raw wood and unfinished projects. Fillers can be painted or stained. Epoxy bonds to the existing wood and prevents further rot and decay. Scarred flooring, rotted window frames, chipped furniturecommon problems like these can be time-consuming and expensive to repair. Understanding those differences will save you time, money, and frustration.Which is better for exterior repairs? Traditionally, wood putty has been oil-based or solvent-based. @ocelot60- That is a very good point. Acrylic putty is a water-based product, and water will clean up a wet product but not dried putty. Wood filler is applied so that it is slightly raised and then sanded to create a smooth surface. When you run your hand over both the undamaged and freshly filled parts of the item you are fixing, you should feel only the slightest difference between the two. There are different types, including water-based, which can be thinned simply by adding more water, and solvent-based, which has a thicker consistency and is usually used for jobs that require a thicker layer, such as patching holes or cracks. It is often composed of wood dust combined with a binder that dries and a diluent (thinner), and, sometimes, pigment. I tested seven stainable wood fillers in this side-by-side comparison to see which ones perform the best.Related: Does Stainable Wood Filler Work? I tested seven stainable wood fillers, including sawdust mixed with glue, and shared the results in this article. Read the full disclosure here. Wood filler is a substance that can be used for a multitude of different purposes to repair your wood products. I'm in need of an exterior wood filler to repair some damage. The filler is applied, sanded, and then stained along with the wood.Related: Best Sanders for Furniture: Which to Buy and Why. A person can blend two or more of the colors together to customize the color to match the wood stain. Other putties require mixing with a hardener. Allow as much time as needed for the wood filler to dry. Other manufacturers do not have a separate classification and label all products as wood putty. If youve never worked with this stuff before, get excited: It might soon be your favorite item in the toolbox. The two most common types of filler are water-based and solvent-based. Just like that, any piece of wood furniture, door, or trim will look like new. Smooth the wood grain before you stain or paint a wood surface for the first time. Learn how your comment data is processed. Depending on the depth of the application, that could take anywhere from 15 minutes to eight hours. If you enjoyed this tutorial, would you please take a moment and pin it to Pinterest? Larger pored woods, such as oak, soak up stain like a sponge, and a thin coat of wood filler gives a smooth, almost glass-like surface to paint or apply your stain on. For surfaces of furniture, rather than load bearing elements, such as the legs of chairs, you will want to use a combination of thick and thin wood filler, depending on the size of the spots you need to fix. Anyone who owns his or her home should keep a container of wood putty on hand. When a manufacturer refers to putty as water-based, solvent-based, or oil-based, it means that the glue base is one of these types. Common applications are molding, paneling, and cabinetry. One of the other types of wood putty is nitrocellulose-based putty, which dries quickly but needs lacquer thinner or acetone for clean-up. When it comes to fixing stuff, I like to try to do it myself before calling anyone. Wood filler is not a good choice for outdoor projects because it dries hard, so it wont expand and contract along with the movement of the wood. Plus, wood filler isnt weatherproof. Wood dough is a patching substance that comes in a variety of colors. Wood putty allows a woodworker to overcome the various problems that these woods present to the craftsman. The answer depends largely on the job. Subscribe to our newsletter and learn something new every day. Again, make sure the wood filler has completely dried before sanding or applying paint or stain. Instead, it remains soft and pliable. These types of putties bond with the wood and prevent the crack from spreading. Pore fillers used for large flat surfaces such as floors or table tops generally contain silica instead of or in addition to wood dust. Pores can also be filled using multiple coats of the final finish rather than a pore filler. Its resistant to the effects of the sun and rain.Related: Mistakes with Wood Can Cause Your DIY Furniture to Crack. Saws on Skates is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Overfill slightly to allow for the fact that the filler shrinks as it dries. Open grain woods, such as oak, have large pores. Wood filler works better in controlled settings, such as repairs on indoor projects. Sunlight can cause it to shrink and fall out. DAP Products owns the registered trademark for Plastic Wood.[1]. Wood putty has a thick, clay-like texture. Working with wood filler may at first blush strike you as messy and haphazard, but precise results are not only possible, they are in fact rather easy to achieve. Putties are usually sanded after they dry before applying the finish. Typically, these putties have a wider variety of colors available to the novice woodworker. Many different brands, types, and colours are commercially available. Water-based putty may freeze or pop out. Different types of putty have their strengths and weaknesses. Use Olive oil to remove wood filler blotches DF wood? Epoxy wood filler is either a liquid or paste-like filler. That said, theres no shortage of ways in which to use wood filler to improve the look of both practical and decorative elements that have seen better days. Once you have applied as much filler as necessary, smooth over the filled area with a clean part of the putty knife. Epoxy fillers, on the other hand, are durable enough to withstand outdoor use. Binders include lacquer, water-base, and linseed oil. It is a glue-based mixed with filler, such as sawdust or gypsum. A woodworker may clean up oil-based putty with oil solvents, such as turpentine. Its an excellent choice for exterior projects because it remains pliable and can flex when the wood moves due to seasonal changes. The main problem in using putty is matching the colour of the putty to that of the wood. This article about joinery, woodworking joints, carpentry or woodworking is a stub. problems contact webmaster@doityourself.com. For lumber made of plastic, see, DAP Plastic Wood Solvent Wood Filler (RTU)-Old Product, International Federation of Building and Wood Workers, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Wood_putty&oldid=926336450, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 November 2019, at 17:58. Typically, good filler will not shrink or pop out and sands smoothly when set. Wood shrinks and swells in response to changes in temperature and humidity. Visit my site policies for more information. Ill break down the differences so you can pick the right one for the job. The long drying times of wood putty can be a problem because it allows dust and dirt to accumulate while it dries. DoItYourself.com, founded in 1995, is the leading independent Water-based putty has several advantages over oil-based and solvent-based putties. Woodworkers often use water-based fillers to make repairs on interior furniture projects. Minwax High-Performance Wood Filler is a well-known two-part filler. Wood movement due to seasonal changes could cause the hardened filler to crack. What I am curious about is DIY filler. Latex or water-based fillers work best for interior repairs. There is no cost to you for using these links. Wood fillers can also be mixed with sawdust to better match the color of your project.Related: Clever Uses for Sawdust: 11 Ideas That Will Inspire You. Depending on the test results, you may then choose to thin out the stain, use a different color, or (if you got a close enough match) proceed to apply the stain to the item that youve now successfully fixedcheaply, easily, and possibly in less than an hour. You can also get a basic wood putty, sand it down once it dries, and cover the area with a little bit of wood stain. Id really appreciate it! Wood putty is also used for major repairs like cracks in deck boards. That said, there are some things that are more difficult to do from start to finish, and require a truly skilled craftsman. View our Privacy Policy here. Wood putty can be used indoors or outdoors, but its excellent for exterior projects because it remains pliable. Youll use sanding dust to make the filler, which will be a good match since the dust is also from the same species of wood as your project. Plus, wood putty acts as a sealer and is weatherproof. Wood putty is oil-based. One of the most common uses for wood putty is to hide imperfections after the finish has been applied to furniture, molding, and even flooring. Which one can be stained?