Recipe's for wood filler

[Rick Lucrezi]

I have lots and lots of wood flour. I want to make my own wood filler. Ive read a few articles, but I am finding allot of advice on the web that must be from guys who just theorize stuff because it does not work for me. So how about your tried and "true" recipes. It is for knot holes in my floor. Going to stain match them. Thanks

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

I don't do flooring, but I DO fill some knots in my turnings. Depending on the effect I want, I sometimes fill the void with coffee grounds or wood dust, then pour in CA glue or thinned tightbond. Let it dry, then sand it through all the grits I use and put the finish on it.

Bruce

[John Keeton]

Rick, I know you want to use that wood flour you have, but you may want to get a small container of TimberMate filler to try. It is the best filler I have ever used. Doesn't shrink, stains well, and holds in the void well. Just a thought. I have never had a lot of luck making my own if it was going to be stained. If it is going in knots, you may do better with Bruce's idea and not try to stain it to match the overall color of the flooring.

[Neal Clayton]

out of all of the fillers i've tried (timbermate not being one, haven't seen it locally), the famowood stuff has worked out best for me. so i'd recommend it too.

[John Keeton]

TimberMate is an Australian product that has come on the scene in the states within the past year or so. Our local Woodcraft sells it, but that may be just a local thing. I haven't seen it in the catalogue as I recall. It has the consistency of most of the fillers, but seems to do so much better on the staining aspect and no shrinkage.

But, as much as I like it, not sure I would use it in knots. Just seems like a different approach would be better.

[Prashun Patel]

I haven't done this on a floor or on a knot, but I have made my own filler out of sawdust and shellac. I filled a screwhole with conventional wood filler just below the surface, let it dry and shrink, then I made a slurry of wood dust and shellac and poured it in. It worked very well, but I can't attest to it's structural integrity, so I can only recommend using it as a 'veneer'.

Could you use yr topcoat as a binder instead of shellac.

If you are planning to stain, I suggest you consider dying the wood flour beforehand, as any binder/sealer will stymie yr ability to do it after.

[Todd Pretty]

If you are worried about the structural properties of the fill, then I'd drill out the knot, and fill it with an offcut from a branch of a matching species of wood (dry the branch to a similar moisture %).

I personally haven't found a fill that I would consider solid over time. But I've used the above trick a ton, and it works very well.

[Neal Clayton]

i can attest to the fact that the old white lead putty from the late 19th century holds up, i've seen alot of it while removing rotten and paint ruined boards from my house. it's chalky after a little over 100 years but still stuck in those holes.

doubt you can get it at home depot, though...;)

[Larry Fox]

CA and wood dust for me. However, I don't stain many pieces. I like Shawn's shellac idea a lot though and might give it a whirl next time. If staining you could also pre-tint the shellac.

[Hal Flynt]

I have had good results using the "wood flour" from my project mixed with Franklin's (Tite bond) Premixed Hide Glue. The hide glue takes stain fairly well and is reversible if you don't like the results.

[Tommy Emmons]

Bruce,

I just tried the wood flour in the pore and added CA on top of it. After it hardened, I sanded and the spot was almost black, not near the color of the wood flour. Did do something wrong in this sequence?