Decent wood filler

JustAnotherSaver

I really don't need much. I had a gander on the B&Q website & was a little surprised to see everything getting 1 star ratings. All negativity, so because of that ... i'm here again.

When the door frames & such were removed when our room had damp proofing work done, they weren't put back with the greatest of care (or maybe they were & this was just unavoidable) but they've been left with a few holes which need filling.

Having never done it before i don't know if there's any product/brand out there known for being a pig to work with & poor quality or whether filler is just filler across the board.

Also the doors which separate the living room & diner are terrible scratched (gouged) on one panel. I think the previous owner kept a bear instead of a dog. I'm wondering if filler would be suitable in that case as well as holes?


What filler would you recommend?

Also, an all in one multi perp kind of filler, straight out of the tube/pot sort of thing, or one of those 2 part fillers - are they better or no different?

Don't want the stuff cracking or not setting well or whatever.

Will be picking some up at the weekend whatever it is.

Thanks.

Nilrem

We found the Ronseal 2 part wood filler to be much better than any of the one part versions we've ever tried.
A large part of that is that the two part fillers are an epoxy based filler and so they don't rely on being exposed to air etc to cure, instead they cure based on a chemical reaction between the two parts.
The end result is a filling that is imo much better as it cures faster and harder.
The downside is that it's more tricky to apply and you have to get it in fairly quickly as it sets in about 15 minutes from the moment you start mixing it.

The only thing I have found (with any filler) is that sometimes you need to make holes slightly larger to be able to get the filler in properly, especially with small but deep ones such as screw holes.

With the doors, depending on the type it may be simpler/cheaper/better looking to simply replace them if they're badly scratched.

JustAnotherSaver

Thanks.
Regards new doors ... They're an odd-job size like everything else in this bloody house. So they'd need to get made. I'd prefer to have brand spanking new doors but money has been spent on other repairs unfortunately.

Nilrem

Ah, in that case assuming they're a flat rather than patterned you may be able to fill the scratches/gouges by applying a thin layer of filler, waiting for it to cure fully, then gently sanding it down.

I suspect it'll be time consuming as you may need to repeat the process several times, and may have to try a couple of fillers to get it right, I think the Ronseal may cure too fast and be too thick (but it's worth a try if you've got it for use elsewhere).

On the plus side, if it's a flat door there is a trick you can do to get paint to settle pretty much perfectly smooth even on a slightly damaged door, but it requires taking the door off and getting it absolutely level then applying the paint, as the paint settles without leaving brush marks (it's the way the likes of 10 Downing street get such a good finish).

phil24_7

Second vote for Ronseal 2 part filler. I even made a new edge bead for a Victorian architrave where the old hinges had been mounted (was fiddly and took ages but looks mint now).

JustAnotherSaver

Picked it up & did the job well.

Forgot about the door though lol (it's been taken off btw).

Surprised the hardener had no cap like say araldite does. So what do you do after its opened? Can you pick up separate hardener or is that wasted?

phil24_7

On the ones I have had the hardener has a screw off/on cap.

http://www.homehardwaredirect.co.uk/pix/uploaded/products/RNS0160.jpg

JustAnotherSaver

Looks pretty much what mine was like except my cap didn't screw off, it snapped off.

phil24_7

It would have screwed off if you had turned it!!! Wrap it completely in cling film and it should be fine. Both parts are needed to cure but it may dry out if left with the lid off.

thescouselander

Forget wood filler, I just use cellulose (knifing) putty that's normally used for car body repairs - works a treat and no need for mixing or anything messy like that.

phil24_7

'Decent' car body filler is 2 part!

2 part filler (car or wood) is a much better product too.