Stainable Wood Putty

[David LaRue]

I am building some shop cabinets from oak. I decided to experiment on these for a mission oak look. The recipe calls for dye stain (water based) which I did. Bad news, is where I used wood filler (Platic Wood "Stainable") that did not accept the stain. :mad:

So, what do you all use? :confused: I'm looking fora dye stainable filler.

Dave

[Carl Eyman]

I think the manufacturer's name is Durham Wood Putty. It comes as a dry powder to which you must add water. If the water has been colored with dye you will get some color change. If you mix the powdered dye with the Wood Putty powder and then add water you will get a deeper color. I've done it, but it is a bear to get the color you want. I'm not sure I've ever been completely successful.

Coloring a crayon is another approach. Get a crayon for filling nail holes in plywood wall panelling and tweak the color with an oil soluble dye works well. I melt the crayon, add the dye, let congeal and then I use a heated knife to mel the wax into the crack. Sometimes it works.

[Steve Inniss]

Although some wood filler is stainable, it really doesn't just disappear, just accepts the stain and then seems to shout out "here I am". I have never been happy with it. The only solution, other than not using any, is to use acrylic paints and an artist's brush and create the grain.

Just my .02 -Steve

[Jim Becker]

David, it's best to apply filler after you are mostly through the finishing process so you can match the filler to the color of the piece. When in doubt use a slightly darker shade. I use the colored sticks before the final finish coats.

If you must fill holes, etc, before staining, use slivers of the same wood you have in your project and be sure they have the grain in the same orientation as what they are going into. They will disappear almost completely.

[Lynn Sonier]

I've had a little success using epoxy and sawdust/baby powder. For whiter woods, I use baby powder. This, plus the darkness of the epoxy, makes a pretty good match. I mask around the area to be filled to lessen the sanding chore. Sometimes I use a combination of baby powder and sawdust from sanding the project. I like to use Antique oil and that works pretty good over the epoxy repairs. You have to watch the color of the epoxy itself as some are darker than others.
On my next project, I'm not going to mess up at all and I won't need to use fillers!!!
Good luck on that, huh??
Lynn

[Bart Leetch]

Something my Dad did (Dad was a custom cabinet maker) & I got to help do as a kid was fill holes. We did this after finishing. Using the wax fill sticks. You can break small pieces off of these sticks & work 2 or more colors in you hands to warm them & knead the colors together to get the color you need. This works very well. Its a rather simple approach to the problem. I like simple.

[Lee Schierer]

I use DAP brand plastic wood. When I fill holes on wood that will be stained, I stain a piece of scrap and make a couple of holes in it. Then I mix just a bit of the stain I will use with the wood filler. I add stain until the holes match the stained wood on the scrap piece. It isn't alway perfect, but it comes mighty close.

[Byron Trantham]

David, I have tried everything and as far as I am concerned, NOTHING (wood filler, putty, etc) works! I've tried adding color to the putty that didn't work either, you still see the fill. I had a problem leaving holes in my work while putting on the finish. I finally did like Jim Becker suggested and filled them with "coloring sticks" before I put on the last coat of finish. Their basically wax pencils and come in a wide variety of colors. Just before your last coat for finish, fill them wipe off the excess and finish away. I have found this technique the most successful. Good luck.

[Steve Clardy]

They make solvent base and also water base. I use the solvent base. Dries fast, no shrinking, matches real well. If you are using oak wood, use oak filler. Around $3.25 pint.
Ocassionally I will use glue and sanding dust for some seams. That works good also. Apply small amount of glue, empty your sander bag on the joint, smear it in, and sand away.
Steve