# Looking for the absolute best nail hole filler



## Dorman Painting (May 2, 2006)

I'm getting ready to do two new construction jobs that are custom homes. The trim is getting Pro Classic High Gloss oil and I need the best caulk and the best putty. I'm thinking of using SW's 1100 series which is a heavy bodied caulk that I think won't shrink much. I've used Crawford's putty in the past and it's decent but would like any recommendations for a better putty. I simply have to fill these holes flush or the high gloss paint will show them like a sore thumb. thnks in advance. 

P.S. My sales rep recommended Zar's putty, any opinions on this?


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## DeanV (Feb 20, 2006)

I think you need any kind of putty that dries hard, Ready Patch, Famowood waterbase wood filler, etc. Just stay away from the lightweight spackle since it is more prone to being sanded below flush. There key of course is to always pack the nail hole so it is full of putty, otherwise any kind will have dimples.


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## Workaholic (Feb 3, 2007)

i use crawfords


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## Richard (May 21, 2006)

*another "best" question*

"best" is a tricky subject in here, lol

I think Ready Patch is one of the best, tough to sand though...sometimes I'd rather fill twice with lightweight and have an easy day sanding. For caulk I just use SW 45 year. Never any issues.


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## thom (Nov 3, 2006)

I use the lightweight stuff. EZ Sand. It is easy to oversand though. If you're careful, you can do it without sanding, just apply it flush. You can clean the surrounding area with a barely damp sponge. Seems to work best if you fill after priming.


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## shakey5 (Apr 13, 2007)

automotive bondo first fill . prime with lacquer based surfacer fill defects with automotive spot putty sand spot prime with surfacer . Use a HVLP sprayer. wear a vapour mask lacquer kills brain cells :thumbup:


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## Brushslingers (Jul 28, 2006)

Zars isn't bad... but for the money and a little whiting crawfords still rules imo. Whiting is the key to using ANY oil based putty, use enough to keep your fingers clean and waala, no sand and even fill... don't use enough and pow, fisheyes... it's an art in itself.


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## Workaholic (Feb 3, 2007)

Brushslingers said:


> Zars isn't bad... but for the money and a little whiting crawfords still rules imo. Whiting is the key to using ANY oil based putty, use enough to keep your fingers clean and waala, no sand and even fill... don't use enough and pow, fisheyes... it's an art in itself.


Yep it is a art. Bad prep makes for a bad finish. I was just reading the post about a prep team, i am looking for a potential painter right now, You would think that filling holes and running a caulk gun would'nt be so hard to find. But it is. We use the term cateyes.
I hate that automotive bondo imo the only place for it in this biz is to repair metal doors. Had a trim guy use that all over colums and fluted.


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## troubleseeker (Sep 24, 2006)

No experience with Zars. Over the years, I have had painters who all swore they had the majic filler that would never show a nail hole, but have never found anything that works easier than lightweight spackling. Pack it in the hole, then leave a high spot over the area. Let it dry completely before sanding or it will show a nail dimple when it dries and shrinks. The key is to use a light touch when sanding, and use a wood block to back the paper. Sanding with your hand for backer or using a sanding sponge will too easily result in oversanding into the dimple. Be sure to use only true lightweight, as anything else has vinyl in it, and is about as much fun to sand as latex caulking. I have no great loyalty to any particular caulk, and find that staying away from the cheap "painter's caulk" is the best advice here, no matter what the brand. The hard drying, solvent based fillers are okay on big surfaces where you can sand with a RO, but they are brutal to sand by hand in my experience.


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## Tmrrptr (Mar 22, 2007)

Well this is an old thread, but,
Crawford's is prety popular, but we used a bunch of psyncloid? heck i forget how to spell it ! still a linseed oil base product that is not as stable as the wood.
I use liteweight, or Crackshot with a wipe of a quick sand.
Yes, if it shrinks from the hole, a second quicker pass will resolve the problem.
r


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## pstorey (Apr 23, 2007)

Elmers Wood Filler, it's yellow too which helps when sanding.


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## bayoupainter (Apr 20, 2007)

I know this topic is old--i fill with lightweight-let dry-light sand-then top with vinyl spackle-dry-light sand.The vinyl on top of the lightweight reduces the slight sunken nailhole look that comes with the lightweight sometimes--have a good one!!!


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## We Fix Houses (Aug 15, 2007)

Why not Durhams Rock Hard Water Putty ? 

Will have to go back and touch each hole with sandpaper but will be absolutely smooth. Try it out on a scrap board. See if it works for you.


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## Workaholic (Feb 3, 2007)

I mix some rock hard in crawfords some times.


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## Tradesman (Jun 22, 2007)

Ever try Timbermate? I ran across it a few years ago when looking for a crack filler for wood flooring. It worked great for that. Excellent for nail holes. Pretty easy sanding. Water based (stinks, but not solvent fumes) yet freeze-thaw stable which is nice when it gets left in the truck in the winter; just thaw it out and you're ready to go. Can thin it down and use as a grain filler in oak or other open-grained wood, or a little less water makes it trowel-able. If it gets dried out, just mix in a little water. Comes in different colors, but you can add some artists colors (oil or acrylic) to make in-between shades to match stain. It really is pretty cool stuff. One odd quality that it has is that it will turn a regular steel putty knife black in seconds, so you need to use a stainless blade.

I've never seen it in stores, but it is available online.


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## daArch (Jun 8, 2007)

I like Elmer's Wood Filler. Fills well, dries quick, minimal shrink, easy sand.

Now if you're into custom made filler, when I was doing RC aircraft building, I would mix micro-balloons with epoxy. It will stick to anything and feather good enough to be invisible under air brushing. Also discovered that lite spackle (also made with micro-balloons) could be mixed with Tite-Bond I (or was it II).


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## Dave Mac (Jan 30, 2006)

Workaholic said:


> I mix some rock hard in crawfords some times.


ditto, i use sheetrock dust sometimes as well:thumbsup:


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## premierpainter (Dec 29, 2006)

The only way- that we found is fill with glazing, prime with oil, over fill again and use a razor to cut away excess...prime all again with oil and then apply two top-coats. Now we are talking about very expensive jobs here. On normal new ints. we skip the second filling and second priming.


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## daArch (Jun 8, 2007)

premierpainter said:


> The only way- that we found is fill with glazing, prime with oil, over fill again and use a razor to cut away excess...prime all again with oil and then apply two top-coats. Now we are talking about very expensive jobs here. On normal new ints. we skip the second filling and second priming.


That is the traditional way, and one that I relied on for many years. (I assume you prime new wood first before the first fill w/ glazing). But it seems that there is still a slight indent on many of the holes. 

as we know I do not paint anymore, so I have lots of opportunity to see how others do things. So many were using the Elmers, that I had to try it on the occasional minor touchups and repairs on the job and on projects at home. It fills and sands so well, NOTHING shows.


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## neolitic (Apr 20, 2006)

daArch said:


> So many were using the Elmers, that I had to try it,......It fills and sands so well, NOTHING shows.


I'll have to try it. 
Been put off, I guess cause if there is a bull's face on the front, ...we all know what's in the back


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## stephennyc (Jan 26, 2021)

My tip is filling with glazing, prime with oil, overfilling again to get perfect.


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## Nobbler (Sep 22, 2018)

14 years later, it rises.


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## ksc1 (Feb 8, 2015)

Nobbler said:


> 14 years later, it rises.


And as always, still shrinks....


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## Gumshoe (Dec 24, 2016)

Haha, in some ways you have to blame the new message board set-up for the "rising" of these ancient threads. They pop up under "Recommended Reading" at the bottom of this page.


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## rblakes1 (Jan 8, 2015)

Discussions like this can still be useful though, I doubt there have been any real advances in nail filling technology

- Rich


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## Mordekyle (May 20, 2014)

I’ve just started tryout some stuff that comes in a squeeze tube. I think it’s by DAP.

I get tired of the plastic wood filler drying out because the lid doesn’t fit well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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