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I love making beautiful things by hand, but it’s so hard to get those smooth finishes you see in factory-made products. There’s nothing like a nail and a screw hole to distract you from another charming project. But fear not – wood filler is here! I can teach you how to use wood filler to repair nail and screw holes for a crazy smooth finish.
We recently finished recreating our built-in shelves in my art room and turned them from just boring shelves to shelves with built-in hutches and extra storage. During this project, Greg had to fill a lot of nail and screw holes, and he taught me his trick to filling them in crazy smooth. You’ll want to do this with a product known as wood filler, sometimes called wood putty or wood plastic. It’s a little different from the way you may have learned to do it – it’s even different from the way the manufacturers recommend you do it. But the end result is amazing. Greg knows his stuff.
Patching Nail Holes
This wood filling technique is great for filling nail holes, screw holes, scratches, gouges, chips and various imperfections in wood. We recently used this trick to hide the screw holes when we hung a large framed board in my art room. Can you tell where we crashed it?
How To Fill Screw Or Nail Holes In Drywall
Let me show you Greg’s amazing wood filler trick! This post contains some affiliate links for your convenience (meaning if you make a purchase after clicking the link I’ll earn a small commission, but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Read my full posting policy.
Note: Wood filler / wood putty comes in two types: acrylic-based and nitrocellulose-based. Acrylic based wood filler is the more traditional type and the type we use for this technique. Nitrocellulose-based wood putty dries extremely quickly, so it doesn’t work well for this super-smooth finishing technique – you also have to use acetone to clean the nitrocellulose-based wood filler, instead of water, which makes it a bit more rigorous.
First clean the wood you want to fill with wood filler. Bits of dirt, dust, paint chips and wood chips will only get in the way of getting a nice and smooth finish. You may also want to sand down any rough edges near the area you plan to repair (just be sure to clean up this wood dust when you’re done). A damp cloth is best for cleaning, but you can also use a quality paper towel (just make sure it doesn’t crumble or leave pieces).
Then use a spatula to scrape off a small amount of wood filler and spread it liberally over the flawed wood. Don’t be afraid to really smudge it, press into the wood (and imperfections) in the process. You want more wood filler than you think you need because the filler will shrink as it dries. If you really have too much filler on the wood, scrape the surface with a knife to remove the plug. Just make sure there is a good layer of wood filler over nail holes, screws or other imperfections.
How To Spackle Nail Holes Before Painting
Now let the wood filler sit for 5 minutes. It should not dry completely before moving on to the next step.
Then, with a damp paper towel or rag, scrub the area with the wood filler. Use a buffing motion over the wood filler and it will smooth it out nicely. This technique will work quickly, so there’s no need to overdo it. This is the magic trick for a smooth finish!!
Wait for the wood filling to dry completely. When Greg created the built-in cans, it took about an hour for them to dry completely.
Finally, clean the area with an additional damp cloth to remove any remaining sawdust. And don’t forget to clean your spatula. You can clean Git with water. Just make sure the wood filler doesn’t get into your drain or it will clog it when it dries.
Patch And Paint Nail Holes
Here’s a tip: Check your wood filler and stain first before starting a huge project – it can save you headaches if it doesn’t look the way you intended.
We didn’t paint our cans – we just painted them our favorite white color (Swiss Coffee). However, we applied many coats of paint to ensure they were well protected from any work they would receive over the years. See what part it looks like? Not only is it impossible to tell where the holes were, but the finished result is insanely smooth. Greg did a great job!
I hope you enjoyed this guide! This may not be a cute DIY project, but it’s a tip that will serve you well for all of your craft projects. Knowing how to properly finish your DIY projects is just as important as all the amazing things you make!
Note: If you are trying to fill nail or screw holes in drywall, use chipping compound or drywall mud instead of wood filler. The technique of filling holes in drywall is very similar to filling holes in wood. Here is a great blog post on how to fix nail holes in wood.
How To Use Wood Filler To Patch Nail & Screw Holes
If you use this trick to fix holes in your nails, please share a photo of your project! You can send it to [email protected] or tag me on social media with #.
Jennifer Marx is a designer, passionate artist, lifelong teacher and proud overcomer of various life challenges. In her free time she likes to play D&D and video games, garden, sew in the 16th century. Dress up and go to Disney. She lives a full and happy life in beautiful Ann Arbor, Michigan with her partner Greg, teenage daughter Alex and their two dogs, Hunter and Chloe. Patch a hole in drywall or drywall with these simple steps. Repair any hole of any size with the right equipment and make your wall look like new.
This post contains links to the products I used to make this project. If you click on these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support.
Repairing a hole in a wall is simple, but the process depends on the size of your hole. You can’t fix a two-foot gap in a wall the same way you fix a nail hole in a picture frame, but both use similar tools and equipment. So, step one: How big is the hole?
Ways To Fill Nail Holes
This post contains affiliate links for your convenience (so you can see what products I’m talking about). For more information, please read my full disclosure policy.
The only thing you need is a small container of spackle (also called spackling). You may also want a putty knife, it makes the spatula easier to apply and more even, but you can just use your finger.
Just pull out some stains and wipe the hole. Then use a spatula or finger or flat tip to wipe away any stains that aren’t in the hole you’re repairing. Allow the stain to dry, sand if necessary, and then paint over it to make the spot more stable and blend in with the wall. If the wall is white, you can skip the paint, but dried stains may crack.
Do not use toothpaste or other ideas “Life” Spackle is very inexpensive, only a few dollars, and remains useful over time if stored properly. Whether you rent or own your place, spackle is the best, easiest, and most efficient way to fix nail holes, holes, or other small holes in walls.
How To Patch Drywall
To repair a larger hole, you’ll need something to hold the shoulder in place while it dries. The easiest way is to buy a wall repair kit. I used this mesh repair because I already have stain and putty, but this wall repair kit comes with everything you need.
Cut the lattice to a size at least one inch from the hole. I just taped the entire piece of mesh to my hole and drew an inch around the entire hole on the mesh and then cut it out. Your measurements don’t have to be exact, you just need enough mesh to support the existing wall.
The mesh is sticky, but it doesn’t stick well. Long enough to start a sticky shoulder. So, glue the net and start spreading the stains on it with the spatula. Apply a thin layer of stain and allow to dry. Repeat the operation 2-3 times, until the grid no longer appears.
The spectacle will make the area completely smooth. This is great if you have smooth walls, but most of the time there are textured walls, so we need to add texture to the repaired area. Adding a fairly light texture with a drywall spray texture. Just adjust the spray and spray. Overspray has occurred, so make sure everything within a few feet of where you’re spraying is covered or moving. You may also need to clean the room afterwards, but spraying permits is easily achieved.
How To Patch A Hole In The Wall
Finally,
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