Ok, ya ya I know I should cut/drill and shape plugs matching the grain of damaged stain-grade wood. However on this one I wanna be lazy and that includes not making a bunch of custom colors either. So who makes the best wood filler for accepting oil-based stain? Secondly, a method I’ve used before is using fine sawdust mixed with wood glue to make my own wood putty, but does anyone know of a glue that will accept stain well?
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Your opening sentence makes me doubt if you'll want to hear this, but I've never found a filler that does a good job of accepting a stain. Even the fillers that blend beautifully in raw wood have a nasty habit of suddenly glowing like a neon sign when you put on a stain.
I've had very good luck over the past few years with an assortment of those waxy crayon-type fillers in several shades. I use them after I stain, and much of the time only one shade is needed. Sometimes, I need to mix a couple of small "gobs" of the fillers to get the color/shade I want. I really like this method when I'm working with a strongly grained wood like red oak. I can use the appropriate color for the wood I'm filling.
Ya, I haven't really placed much hope on finding an answer, if it was all easy our sisters could do it, right?
I am using some different species such as red oak with tight grains and the other thing going for me is I'm using darker stains on the individual pieces of the work and than going over the whole thing with a darker glaze so the crayons might work.
The biggest challenge is I'm staining 2" blocks in three alternating colors so the entire piece has to be dry fit bare and finish sanded, than each of the 100 blocks in each color has to be stained separate put back together in sequence and glued up. So what ever I do end up doing has to work since it's not like I can screw up and go re sand and blend the stain over the whole thing. The color of one block can't bleed to the other if it needs re-staining.
The project really is a coffee table table top of these 2" diamond cut squares at 30 and 60 degree angles with different oak species of left over flooring. I have the three sets of blocks divided by shades of light,med,dark than each of those are divided so the grain matches by direction, tightness, and odd curvy grains. When laid out the whole top looks like individual 3D boxes but your eye can't tell which piece is suppose to be the top, bottom, or side of the box and it repeats it's self over the whole top. I've seen the patten titled "tumbling blocks" elsewhere. It's been such a tedious challenge I've gotten tired of working on it and that's where wanting to be lazy comes from. If just one edge of any block is off by a 32nd it compounds like you wouldn't belive. Friends keep looking at it going that's gonna be really cool but it dosen't look like it's changed in 2 weeks.
When totally done I plan to have one of those clear real thick restaurant table finishes on it that looks like your touching it with your finger but there's another half inch to the top it's self to really exaggerate the 3D effect.
#1 will run out or dry up
#2 will probably shrink some, but you you adjust your diet you can get a good color match...
Wars of nations are fought to change maps.
But wars of poverty are fought to map change.
"Secondly, a method I've used before is using fine sawdust mixed with wood glue to make my own wood putty, but does anyone know of a glue that will accept stain well? "
Try experimenting with hide glue.
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
What exactly are you trying to fix?
For small holes take a 1/4" Forstner bit and drill into the wood. They make/sell matching species 1/4" plugs at the local big boxes. Or you can spend the $5 on a 1/4" plug cutter that works in a drill and make your own.
Alot faster and better than putting on a bandaid hoping for the best. Give the crayons to your kids they will put them to better use.
Just the other day in Home Depot I saw stainable wood glue. Might have been Titebond, not sure, but I think it had a greenish label. Never used it though.
Jerry
Durhan "rock hard" accepts a light tan stain well, does not accept any others at all <G>
I keep a few cans of umber, burnt umber, sienna, black, brown, and a few other colors on hand and mix in with the 'rockhard' to match what the final stain is to be (test first). Have never found anything else (except plugs) that is acceptable.
OK, I'm gonna be blunt.
If you don't care what the end result looks like, either of your two approaches will do.
If you want it to look good, you already know how and, you can't be lazy.
Sanding dust,mixed with stain,do a test first to see if you have too much or not enough stain. When you get the amounts correct ,mix the filler with the topcoat and apply.Varnish ,shellac ,laquer or what ever will act as a glue.Sawdust particules are to large,use the sanding dust.This will work for nail and screw holes.
mike
Nothing. It seldom if ever matches. You either:
1: Live with the difference in color it makes with the filler
2: Use a wood plug from the same you're building with or same wood as the piece.
3: Faux paint it and then finish over that.
I like doing #3 because I can.