A. Wood fillers are used to fill large
holes, wood stoppers are for small pin holes and mitres, whilst grainfillers are used to fill tiny pores in the wood before
starting to French polish.
| Q. Do wood fillers and stoppers accept wood stains and dyes? |
| A. To understand this you have to find out about the type of stain or dye you
intend to use. Many DIY wood stains are actually coloured varnishes, whereas Finney's genuine trade
quality wood stains and Colron wood dyes rely on being absorbed
into the wood. This is important because some paste fillers will accept coloured varnishes but not penetrating wood dyes and
stains. More importantly, paste wood fillers may accept some colour from a wood dye but never at the same rate as the
surrounding wood.
It is also important to find out the properties of the type of filler or stopper you're using. Wax fillers for instance will
repel or be softened by white spirit based wood dyes, naphtha stains and wax polish. They are also not generally suitable
for use under oil based or acrylic varnishes.
|
| Q. So if there
are problems in trying to match a filler to surrounding wood, what should I do? |
| A. . There are several remedies and each will depend on what it is you're
trying to repair. Wax filler sticks are the easiest fillers to use and are suitable for
use below shellac sanding sealer, French polish and Finpol
polishes:
TIPS
- Where wood is to be stained dark, use a dark filler prior to staining to match the stain rather than trying to use a
lighter filler or stopper and expecting it to accept the colour.
- On lighter woods, try using a dark filler to resemble a small knot or blemish.
- Why not fill the hole and then paint over a grain pattern with a mix of diluted white French polish
and pigment (powder dry colour) prior to finishing.
- Or you can easily mix two fillers from the same range together or add a little powder dry colour
to produce the exact shade required.
- For very small repairs you can make your own wood filler which consists of fine wood dust mixed with
PVA adhesive.
Add powder dry colour to desired shade.
- Wax filler sticks can be blended to achieve variants between stick shades by simply
melting a portion of each in a lid or saucer using the heat from a lamp. Once mixed, remove the heat source and leave to
harden.
|
| Q.
How do I apply wood fillers & stoppers? |
| A. There are basically three types. These are two part wood rebuilder,
wax based stopper (wax filler stick) and paste filler/stopper.
- Wood Rebuilder ~ is a two part filler used to fill very large holes and may be moulded
to any shape. Wood rebuilder can be coloured using powder dry colour
- Wax based stopper ~ (Wax filler sticks) Cut a bit off the stick with a Stanley knife
and soften between the fingers by pressing hard. After around a minute, the filler becomes a stiff putty. Push into the
hole and clean off with a blade. The stopper will dry in a couple of minutes.
- Paste wood fillers/stoppers are used for small and intermediate sized holes up to
around 4mm across. Dry in 10 to 15 minutes. Push into hole, clean off and leave to dry.
|
| Q. Are there
any tips for filling deep holes? |
| A. Make sure that the hole is free of fine dust and is clean. Deepen a wide
shallow hole if necessary to give more contact area. Very large holes can have a couple of pins driven into the side to act
as a "mesh" and hold the filler as it dries.
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You'll find more information on Wood Fillers, Stoppers
and Grainfillers by clicking on
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