Filling Nail Holes

[Jim VanBramer]

I know that nail holes are something that's suppose to be avoided whenever possible, but this is one time when I couldn't get around them. What are your solutions for successfully filling/finishing them so atleast they're not too obvious??
Thanks for all the great advice you guys provide on this forum ... it's awesome!
Jim V

[Bill Arnold]

Jim,

What size nails? In this case, size can matter.

I don't use anything larger than 18ga brads and try to use 23ga pins when I need a mechanical fastener. With brads, I usually try to fill by carefully placing a drop of yellow glue in the hole and sanding over it, mixing sanding dust in the glue, and the hole all but disappears. Using 23ga pins, the holes become virtually invisible during the final sanding and finishing operation.

Regards,

[Jeff Sudmeier]

As Bill said, with nail holes that are 18 ga or smaller I just put in a dab of white glue and then do my normal finish sanding. If you look close you can see the hole, but it really works great!

[Jim Becker]

I fill such things after most of the finishing process is completed with an appropriately colored filler pencil. This is done right before the last coat of finish. In this manner you can match the finished color of the piece...it's unlikely that you can ever stain/dye any form of commercial or shop-constructed "glue" filler that will become the same color as your wood. As always, wood, itself, is the best filler, but you can't use it everywhere.

[Steve Clardy]

Glue and sawdust, sanded in. Or famowood solvent based filler.
After finish, say after putting up crown molding on cabinets, min-wax oil based filler.

[Keith Christopher]

This depends on the size of the hole, but I will often put some CA in there and sand over it. it becomes invisible quickly. Same procedure as using yellow glue but I like the finished look a little better.