Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/refinishing woodwork

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Expert: - 5/1/2009


Question
My husband and I are refinishing woodwork throughout our house.  We are finding alot of empty nail holes and chunks of wood missing from the woodwork.  How can we fill or hide the larger holes so  that when the finish cost of clear polyurethane the holes are not noticeable?  We used a wood filler on one door and the filler remained quite noticeable after the clear cost of polyurethane was applied.  Then we used a clear calking on some other holes and found this a better solution but not on some of the missing chunks in the wood.  Is there filler to use with just a clear coat of polyurethane that will hide the missing chunks and holes in the woodwork?

Answer
Hi Melanie, any filler will usually have to be stained to allow it to blend with the surrounding wood. It can be challenging to get a good match, but a general rule of thumb is to stain gouges, nail holes, etc., a little darker than the wood. I would definitely stay away from using caulk to fill this type of damage. After prepping the area, sanding, etc. fill the damaged areas with a colored latex filler in as close a color as you can buy...., and when dry level them back, and then stain the filler to get a good match. Unfortunately most "off the shelf" oil stains will not stain filler very well, a Gel stain works well because it has  good color strength and a polyurethane base, but a dye stain is really the best for this type of touch up, but not easy to find. A touch up marker may be a good bet as well, but if you're brushing the poly on it may tend to remove that.....hope that helps a little- post back if need be- Greg

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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