Wood putty is also known as plastic wood, wood filler, or wood patch. Wood putty is a compound helpful to fill wood defects prior to finishing, like nail holes, small nicks, or cracks. Most often, it consists of wood dust combined with a binder. Wood putty is available in two types; water-based and solvent-based. For ages, solvent-based putty has been the market anchor, a trustworthy product for both the professional woodworker and the do-it-yourselfer. On the other hand, improvements in water -based wood putty technology have led to a product that works as well as solvent-based filler. Additionally, water-based wood putty has got minimum effect on the environment, is free from solvent gases and relatively easy to work with.
The principal difficulty in applying wood putty is matching the color of the putty to that of the wood. Usually, wood putty needs to be sanded right after they dry prior to applying the finish.
Many woodworkers produce their very own putty making use of fine sanding dust (not sawdust which is actually too rough) mixed with wood epoxy or a wood finish like shellac.
Wood fillers, no matter whether solvent- or water-based, are not necessarily the same. Search for excellent adhesion. Great wood putty is not going to shrink whenever dried out or come out of repairs. When dried, great filler sands with little effort to a satiny finish.
Wood putty is fantastic for evening out the grain in large-pored or open-grained woods like ash, oak, poplar, rosewood, and walnut. These types of hardwoods take in wood stains and varnishes unevenly since the pores have a tendency to suck up the finish, whilst the remainder of the surface does not.
Making use of wood putty previous to staining will help obtain a smooth, even surface area by filling up the pores and therefore lessening the appearance of grain lines.
Whichever type of wood you might be perfecting, it is possible to achieve various finish results depending on the putty color you decide on. In order to highlight the grain, pick a putty color that contrasts with the genuine color of the wood or the color of the final stain. To de-emphasize the wood grain, work with a color that accurately matches the end finish you would like.