Spackle or filler on painted wood?

[Soulive]

I have to fill a bunch of holes on painted, but lightly sanded wood. I don't have enough wood filler, so can I use spackle? I plan on sanding again to smooth and then re-painting...

 

[Jesse17]

Yes absolutely, as long as you're going to paint it. I buy 5 gal. buckets of joint compound for use at my apartment building, and when I'm patching walls, I also use it to fill nail holes in the woodwork. Once you paint it you can't tell it was there, unless it's a large hole, then you'll want to fill it several times, since it shrinks as it drys.

 

[Soulive]

Yes absolutely, as long as you're going to paint it. I buy 5 gal. buckets of joint compound for use at my apartment building, and when I'm patching walls, I also use it to fill nail holes in the woodwork. Once you paint it you can't tell it was there, unless it's a large hole, then you'll want to fill it several times, since it shrinks as it drys.

Thanks. How long should I wait to sand?

 

[Bobby_M]

Until it's pure white meaning that it's dry. You can hit it with a hair dryer to speed the process.

 

[Soulive]

Until it's pure white meaning that it's dry. You can hit it with a hair dryer to speed the process.

Good tip, thanks...

 

[bradsul]

I would use spackle personally. It doesn't shrink like joint compound and it dries very quickly. Wood filler is still the best option obviously but spackle works well if you're just going to paint it anyway.

 

[arturo7]

You could always DIY a wood filler. Sawdust plus wood glue. It's been a while since I've done this. Can't remember the ratio.

 

[bradsul]

You could always DIY a wood filler. Sawdust plus wood glue. It's been a while since I've done this. Can't remember the ratio.

80/20 wood/glue works well if it's a very fine sawdust. You want a really thick paste. If it's coarse sawdust I don't think I'd try it, when you sand it you'll get voids that will look terrible once you paint.

 

[rpucci]

I would use spackle personally. It doesn't shrink like joint compound and it dries very quickly. Wood filler is still the best option obviously but spackle works well if you're just going to paint it anyway.

Spackle is a brand of joint compound

 

[bradsul]

Spackle is a brand of joint compound

Didn't know that, 'spackle' up here is a catch-all for non-shrinking, fast drying, vynil-based fillers. Joint compound to me is something that can also do a skim coat, 'spackle' as we know it up here can't do that (well, shouldn't do that, I know people who do but it doesn't work very well).

 

[rpucci]

Didn't know that, 'spackle' up here is a catch-all for non-shrinking, fast drying, vynil-based fillers. Joint compound to me is something that can also do a skim coat, 'spackle' as we know it up here can't do that (well, shouldn't do that, I know people who do but it doesn't work very well).

Just a simple Yankee...

 

[Soulive]

The spackle worked just fine. Nice to know I can use it on things other than drywall. Thanks for the quick replies guys...

 

[Bobby_M]

I had a small bucket of compound that was getting old and drying out and I was about to toss it when I realized that it worked better for filling nail holes that way. It makes it more of a puddy that you can push into the hole with your finger. I use this for all nail holes on moulding work except for corner joints which get painter's caulk.

 

[Soulive]

I had a small bucket of compound that was getting old and drying out and I was about to toss it when I realized that it worked better for filling nail holes that way. It makes it more of a puddy that you can push into the hole with your finger. I use this for all nail holes on moulding work except for corner joints which get painter's caulk.

Mine is usually crumbly when it dries out. Do you know how to handle spackling moulding joints? My crown moulding has one joint where the one side is at least 1/8" higher than the other side. How can I even that out?

 

[Bobby_M]

I think that's going to be tough to hide. You might be able to build it up with a few thin layers of spackle applied with a 6" taping knife and then use a sanding block to shape it. I've done it when the wall geometry of my shoddily constructed house just would not let me get the joints perfect.

 

[bradsul]

Mine is usually crumbly when it dries out. Do you know how to handle spackling moulding joints? My crown moulding has one joint where the one side is at least 1/8" higher than the other side. How can I even that out?

Is it a corner joint or a running joint (in the middle of a wall)?

 

[Soulive]

Is it a corner joint or a running joint (in the middle of a wall)?

Its running. The other thing I screwed up was that its a straight cut instead of two 45 degree cuts...

 

[bradsul]

If you can still get the molding I'd consider taking down the sections and putting up new ones. Failing that you could build up the joint with compound and feather it out with a 12" knife. You'll have to be really careful about any curved surfaces etc or it will look like crap though. Sanding it to a nice even finish will be key as well to minimize any places your eye may get drawn to.

 

[Soulive]

If you can still get the molding I'd consider taking down the sections and putting up new ones. Failing that you could build up the joint with compound and feather it out with a 12" knife. You'll have to be really careful about any curved surfaces etc or it will look like crap though. Sanding it to a nice even finish will be key as well to minimize any places your eye may get drawn to.

I'll have to just work it with spackling and sanding. Taking it down won't help since the problem is the wall. The house is 50+ years old with plaster walls. I don't think anything is even. It doesn't have to look perfect, just better...

 

[bradsul]

I'll have to just work it with spackling and sanding. Taking it down won't help since the problem is the wall. The house is 50+ years old with plaster walls. I don't think anything is even. It doesn't have to look perfect, just better...

Definitely go with the compound then, ya. If the wall is that out of whack you'd have trouble even scribing the molding to fit better. Just take your time and treat it like a work of art and it'll look great once it's repainted.

I would also probably try and do the buildup in 2 coats so you're not trying to work with too much material at once. It will make it easier to get a nice finish on it. Do the first one with a 6" knife, sand, then do a final skim coat with a 12" to feather it out nicely.

 

[Soulive]

Definitely go with the compound then, ya. If the wall is that out of whack you'd have trouble even scribing the molding to fit better. Just take your time and treat it like a work of art and it'll look great once it's repainted.

Ok cool, thanks...