using wood filler

[David Klug]

I have to use some wood filler on a project and I'm wondering if there is a wood filler that will stain. Has anyone had good results doing this?

DK

[Jeff Monson]

I think most people mix the stain with the wood filler and then use it, correct me if I'm wrong.

[Barry O'Mahony]

I have to use some wood filler on a project and I'm wondering if there is a wood filler that will stain. Has anyone had good results doing this?

DKIf you can, use actual slivers of wood rather than wood filler. the results will be alot less noticable.

[Michael Adelong]

Yep. I agree with Barry. Use a sharp chisel to cut the edges of the chipped area square and make the bottom as flat as possible. Take a piece of scrap with similar grain pattern (choose carefully to get a good color and grain match) and make a patch the exact size and approximate thickness (leave it thicker than you need) of the cut out area. Use 400 grit sandpaper on a flat surface and chisels to fine tune the fit. This is the hard part. The fit must be tight or you will see the seam between the 2 pieces. Once you have the patch ready, glue it in with yellow glue and good clamping pressure. If your patch is for an edge, try to clamp it in such a way as to compress any seams shut on the surface that you look at most on the finished piece. Once the glue dries you can plane, scrape, or sand the patch flush.

Works great. If you position the seams to line up with darker grain pattern lines, you will not see them after finishing.

Being perfect, I've never tried this myself. :rolleyes: But it sounds easy enough...

Michael

Oops... I forgot to mention that you can often find a perfectly grain matched piece for a patch if you have recently cut the part that requires patching. Locate the offcut and use a bandsaw to slice it to the thickness you need. Then, cut the patch out of it from the proper area. Don't worry about the bandsaw marks on the bottom unless they are unusually rough.

Never tried this one either. Let me know if it works. :D

[Jim Becker]

If you can, use actual slivers of wood rather than wood filler. the results will be alot less noticable.

Exactly. Replacing wood with wood will always result in the most invisible "fix", especially if you take the time to match grain direction, color, etc. If you have small holes, such as from fasteners, they should be filled late in the finishing process with a filler pencil so you can match the true color of the project and adjust darker or lighter, depending on the species, so that the filler doesn't stand out after exposure to UV and oxidation over time. (slightly darker filler for cherry, for example, will disappear once the cherry darkens naturally)

No commercially made or shop-concocted filler will take dye or stain exactly like the wood, so if there is any way to avoid it...do so.