How best to fill a very shallow hole in wood to give a flat finish

Question

I've tried filling it but the filler is too thick to work with on such a shallow hole. Is there a very thick primer or undercoat that would do the job.

Answer 1

I would only use One-time and other lightweight fillers on masonry as they are non man enough for wood.  Rub down the surface to provide a good key and use a two part (catalytic) filler (has a base filler and a tube of hardener), that would be the filler that would adhere best to your shallow surface.  If you have lots to fill and want to do a good job it may be worth investing in couple of metal filling knives and some single edge razor blades to clean two-part filler off them, before they drive forever.

Answer 2

no its not crazy. if there is not enough filler in the depression it will not be strong enough to hold and last.

Answer 3

good one above

dampen the depression or put a damp rag on it then put a hot iron on it, steam expands wood

or

use a two part wood filler and sand the excess

Answer 4

use a filler called ONE TIME. you can get this at dulux decorator centres.put this on thick and sand away when dry, then undercoat and gloss. hope this helps.

p.s. 24 years as a decorator

Answer 5

Old time carpenters that laid flooring would spit into dents on the floor from their hammers...the moisture will expand the wood fibers enough to remove the dent. Try putting some water in the shallow hole or dent and wait a while to see if it fills out....you may have to try a couple times.

Other suggestions to enlarge the hole enough for wood putty to grab would be another option. Durham's Water Putty is a great product for filling dents and holes...gouging the hole or dent a little gives something for the putty to adhere to.

Answer 6

this may sound crazy, but it might be necessary to make the hole just a little bit larger or deeper for a wood filler to work properly and have enough surface area to adhere.  The nice thing about a wood filler is that it can be sanded, stained or painted.  good luck.