making wood filler

[magic]

So here I am with box fulls of various species of sawdust that's been sifted. Sometimes I'll make a matching wood filler using glue. I hear the slang is "goop". Sometimes I'll just thin the glue with water, apply it to the surface area and sprinkle the sawdust on top.

But what I want to know is how to make a wood filler using lacquer thinner like the old Plastic Wood that was available until 20 years ago

[dlcw]

If I'm not mistaken I think it is done with a combination of varnish, acetone and sawdust (don't know the ratios though, sorry).

I know the cans of Plastic Wood filler I have can be moistened with acetone. I've never gotten lacquer thinner to work right.

[magic]

One benefit to the old (not available anymore) formula is it would melt into itself allowing a build-up of layers that ultimately have the appearance of a singular thickness.

[Gary Campbell]

Magic...
It may have been a year or so, but I still have a couple cans of plastic wood walnut. One of the few really dark wood fillers. I have also used lacquer thinner to resoften or thin Plastic Wood. To make a clone with matching sawdust stir unthinned Nitrocellulose lacquer into the sawdust until it becomes a paste. Use the thinner to resoften or cleanup. Dont need any in the filler.

Virtually all lacquers are soluble, meaning thinner will resoften them even when dried.

[knight_toolworks]

mix the sawdust with shellac. that works well and it matches better then glue.

[joe]

I love those old formula's.

It wouldn't surprise me if there was a combination of the afore mentioned materials with a little boiled linseed oil. That would prolong it's useful life in the can and make it more plliable.

Joe Crumley
www.normansignco.com (http://www.normansignco.com)

[mmason]

In our small furniture shop we have used Cherry , Walnut, and Oak dust mixed with Duco Cement. It works great and lets the spot age with the wood. I have been hear over 30 years and it is the best I have come up with. Dollar General Store has it for about a $1 a tube.

[michael_schwartz]

Somebody should develop a water based putty medium that can be tinted with sanding dust. I dislike buying 5 different colors of filler only to have 3/4 of it go bad before I can use it all up.

I use a dust deputy inbetween my festool sanders and vac so I never have any shortage of fine sanding dust.

I will have to try some of the other solutions mentioned. I have always used yellow glue but that has its drawbacks.