This review is deficient. There was no taste test. But, maybe that's because I deal with a toddler all day, and everything goes in her mouth. It's also, probably, why my vocabulary shrunk from thousands of words to 5: "stop," "no," and "don't do that." I'm sure tee-spring can whip up some "I love the smell of Band-Aids in the shop" shirts.
I have used DAP Plastic Wood without any problems. If you moisten the putty knife or whatever you're using to apply it with a little water, it goes on smooth and doesn't clump.
I've tried that, and tried pressing it in with a teflon type plastic sheet... still behaved crumbly and didn't feel as solid as wood when it dried. I wonder if we are getting old product from local stores?
If the drydex spreads so well why does it dry and crumble immediately after I touch it?? Am I doing it wrong? Even with a puddy knife, it just pulls itself put ofbthe holes.
THANK YOU! I bought the Famowood and Bondo after watching your review. And I definitely found my magical unicorn wood filler 😂. I was EXTREMELY impressed with the Famowood after using plastic wood and Elmer's. The bondo, I had to get for the versatility and durability. Just a tip.. I've been using a wood / metal file to smooth my bondo down and it makes the sanding process feel effortless.
If you are in a cold climate area. Bondo will allow spreading time for about 7 minutes. Noticed in summer time (dry/100+ hot) spreading time is 1¹/² minutes.
Hardener is distributed by the amount of past. So if you have a little bit of past and allot of hardner it becomes easy to crack. (It's to hard, especially in changing environments that need fluctuations) If you use allot of past and little harder, yes-easily to smooth out. But will gum up when Sanding. Your logic is understood. But your danimic of chemistry with chemical reaction seems to be naive.
This is one of the best videos on wood filler, everyone else says you gotta buy some expensive special made filler, as long as it fills grain it works! haha. One thing I wanted to point out with bondo, which i use all the time, is if you want it to harden slower, use less hardener, just dont use too little other wise it wont harden all the way, but if you use less, and mix it more, usually you can get about a 30min spreading time out of it if you get the ratio right, just do some smaller scale experiments before working on your work piece, cause it is a pain to get off if you dont put enough hardener in and it doesnt harden all the way.
Durham’s “Rock Hard Water Putty” should have been on the table for consideration in this review. It’s really an amazing wood filler for projects to be sanded and painted. Found it at Home Depot.
thank you, never noticed it... looks like local h depot has it (one of the worst websites ever, every item I search, wants to take me to stock in a city hours away). Thank you
I’ve been recently using the Dap plastic wood and have been very happy with how it performed. I used another type first from Minwax and it cracked terribly. The cracking with the Dap plastic wood was very minimal and only occurred a little when filling very thick areas all at one time instead of only adding an 1/8 inch at a time as recommended.
Thank you. Helped me out tremendously. Not to say - you are very funny in your honesty. Very thorough and systematic. I am that way, so I this style. 👍👍👍
I bought some Famwood in 23 oz for some aged wood trim. It is very thick and doesn't like to stick to anything. I could not squeeze into the cracks even after thinning with acetone. It seemed best for larger voids. It is solvent based thus better for exterior, sort of like play dough. I like the timber mate for smearing into cracks. The Australian made water base is premo too -not pictured here.
Interesting 🤔 I think the difference is the Famowood I fell in love with is the water based stuff. But that makes sense that the solvent based Famowood isn’t very good because I found the same thing to be true with the DAP that the water based was superior over the solvent - unless quickly filling nail holes like in a cabinet shop then the solvent based makes sense simply because it dries faster. Also, epic username!
Timbermate is the best I have found. I used a professional grade at a cabinet shop I worked. If it started drying out you used lacquer thinner to fix. Didn’t like the smell or cost but it did work great. I’ve used most of what you compared in this video but I really like the water base Timbermate. Just spray on a mist of water and stir. Thanks for comparing these!
Another beautiful section of the Bibb. My son and I just did the Collie to Mumby section again a few weeks ago. but lucky for us we finished on a Sunday so managed to have a Beer and a feed at the Mumby pub. Hope you are loving it. That’s for taking us all along. P.s. Still have and used my Aricxi tent that I purchased after watching one of your videos several years ago.
I’m a relatively inexperienced woodworker (which probably makes me a power user of products that are made to cover things up) but I was surprised to find that I’ve never seen some of the products you reviewed. I normally shop for these type products at Home Depot or Lowes and I don’t recall ever seeing the Famowood or Timber Mate products. I was also surprised that you didn’t include Elmers brand wood filler or Minwax wood filler. Are these brands not used by experienced woodworkers? I enjoyed your review in any case.
Yes, I was surprised 😯, by not seeing Minwax also, which I will be using to fill in plywood and joists that's been wet from roof leaking for years, . Quick fix till I can afford to replace the lumber and plywood,.Great video , I learned not to inquire about some of the products that you reviewed
the timbermate sold here in Oz is almost always the light tan color. once i made a big mistake trying to fill a large hole with an oil based filler. was supposed to dry slower and hence have no cracks...but it didnt dry at all, after several months it was still like plasticine. timbermate does harden up over time when not in use, so may require adding water and elbow grease to re-mix well.
The DAP Plastic Wood is a lot better than you give it credit for. I've used it for several projects and have had very good results. Dip the spatula or trowel n water before dipping into the product for better spreading.
I use Bondo lightly now. Bondo is rock hard, but also a PITA to sand. I'd stick to using it on doors or something like that but not expanding or external wood. I use that exact wood glue, religiously but not with sawdust, just as a glue. Also, fyi, I used Bondo on a 1x4, it fell off my ladder and split like a banana.; just food for thought.
I love using dap plastic wood natural in the red and yellow can. Especially for exterior work being stained. It blend in so seamlessly after being sanded and after staining with semi transparent stain with a color…you can NOT tell where it was applied. 😃
I love this video it's very informative. And to the point. Thank you for making this video as a woman who has never done this before I need this information. Other wise these things can get overwhelming besides you just can't get this kind of help in the store.
Use the bondo if you are doing something like filling lockset holes when setting a new door. You can drill your new locksets out. All the other's in the list will not do. Depending on the job, and what to use, is always the hard part.
Which wood filler would you recommend for an outdoor use like on a porch post? I previously used the Plastic Wood water based filler to fill in my post then primed and painted over. It’s been almost a year now and it’s cracking and peeling off. Would hate to remove it all and start from scratch.
i would say use wood hardener before applying the filler so that there isnt as much water penetration, based on comments ive seen trying to get answers for a similar question.
You can absolutely tint the "bondo" type body fillers, and some of them are a white base. I mostly use Glasurit double plus, which also spreads MUCH nicer than bondo and can be feathered out much better. You can also get white cream hardener, which works with with all the polyester based fillers. The trick is to tint with dry pigments (or sawdust) which you can mix BEFORE you add hardner. When adding sawdust, you actually gain some toughness (but trade off some feathering), just make sure you use extra fine dust. It's harder to gauge how much hardener and how well you've mixed when using white hardener if you're not familiar with body filter and mixing though. Also check out the short strand glass reinforced body fillers. They kick even faster, but they are rock hard and practically structural!
I definitely understand the weird smell fetish. I've always loved the Testors model glue Lol I bought a bottle at Hobby Lobby to keep in my desk just for those days.
11:25 "If you have a corner of a piece that you broke off and you're trying to repair it, I would recommend Bondo." This is exactly what I was looking for. I chipped off the corner of a new wood screen door planing the top edge.
A lot as to do with the project. I had to do an exterior repair for porch post. Cut out some rot and added hard word to fill the void. Bondo was perfect. It’s sets really fast so as long as you do small batches and are ready to roll. It worked great. Sanded and painted it was hard to find the repair. With that said I sure wouldn’t be filling nail holes with this stuff or trying to color match on a furniture repair.
This is really an excellent video - so much great information in so short a time. I'm on a project where the filler is really important and this is extremely helpful. I guessed the Famowood would be your pick because it was mine early on in the video. I also agree with everything you said about the wood "icing" spackling. I've used it on the bottom of stuff but it looks delicious in the container! I'll definitely subscribe and start working through your other videos. Thanks a lot.
Thanks for making this review with range of products and test criteria. This will help me in my little hobby project! PS. I guessed you would pick Famowood - seemed like the natural winner!
My # 1 is timbermate. I haven’t used all of these products yet but I have used some of them. The spakle works great over ply that is going to be painted. Used a lot of this on a home library build. The wood glue & saw dust works but is a pain to mess with in MHO. I bought some bondo for my garage door repairs but haven’t gotten to that yet because of the high heat of summer. (on me not the product) I totally agree with you on the plastic wood. Junk Timbermate works well for me. I don’t mind the smell, it sands good & is easy to use. Thanks for the video.
Hey Kevin, sounds like we're ranking them just about the same which is pretty neat. I can see how the spackle would work well there, but for just a little extra drying time I think I would still use the famowood because I think it's a little more durable, but man does that spackle spread like beautiful buttercream haha My dad, who used to do fiberglass work on boats, swears by Bondo, but I find it a little hard to work with. But he also had some really pro techniques to go with it like waiting for it to 50% cure and then knocking it down with a cheese grater, letting it cure a little longer, then smoothing it with a denatured alcohol rag, before final sanding kind of stuff. Hell he even said they used to spray it which was a race against time before it kicked inside the spray gun 😂
Great review. You did touch on the usage, however. The sparkling is more for household such as filling small holes in walls. The glue and sawdust, to me works great on fine wood 🪵 working projects. Plastic wood I have used, my farther use it as a carpenter back in the 60’s. I don’t like it. It does not seem to stick well and once you open the container it has a shelf life. Bondo, great on metal, not so good on wood. The two advantages is it’s fast, the other is you put it on and almost immediately use sure-form plane or a scraper to remove what you need while it is still in gel form. I use (guessing) what I think will work best for what I am doing.
Thanks for this thorough review. I actually like the smell of Timber Mate. And it does come in different colors which are meant to blend in with particular wood species. My only small complaint about it is that it tends to shrink a bit as it hardens, so I end up having to apply it a couple of times.
Very thorough and helpful. Thanks. I like famo too where strength is needed. But I like Drydex if just filling small finish nail holes. It sand easier than famo and you can basically sand it with your finger while putting it on. Lastly, I like bondo best when I have larger repairs that require more durability. If you have the right sanding tools, it is great stuff. If you don't, it would be a lot of work.
I have good interior window sills but due to rain and denting over the years they need to be revamped. I am looking to use a good wood filler for the interior wood, easy to sand, prime and paint. What would you recommend? Preventing from cracking and moisture in the future?
Informative but i question to what accuracy because it's evident that you haven't used the pink spackle, for if you did, you would know that the pink turns white when it dries.
Thanks, I appreciate the thorough, with many categories, detailed explanation and description of the wood fillers. I got the DAP plastic wood, probably because it's the cheapest and maybe easiest to use. But it wasn't easy to use. It was hard to apply, at this for this amateur. Thanks again!!!
I thought it was very easy to use, many people say how it dries fast and it’s tough to work with, I got water based one and thought it was great and it spread smoothly. Maybe they changed formulas.
I think a good way to add to these videos would either be to cut in an example of you using the product in the described manner (spreading, sanding, tinting, etc.) and I think it would also be great to assign a numeric value (1-10) in each category on screen as you go through and then at the end you have a logical rating scale to say "this is what I think is the best/worst overall" Edit: An additional category that would be great is the value. I say that because you could have the best of the best product but if something that works almost as good is significantly less expensive, it may be better to take that into account during judging.
@Let's Plays You're completely right. To be 100% honest, the video I posted wasn't what I had in mind. I meant it when I said I'm working on another project currently that I royally screwed up, so I needed to find a good wood putty/filler. Everything I tried I kept not liking for one reason or another, which is how I ended up with 7 different kinds haha Anyway, by the time I made this video, I had already repaired everything I needed to and had not filmed it. So the idea came to me to do a super fast, no frills, review/comparison. No fancy tests, no fancy B roll, nothing except a crazy fast "dap spread best, timbermate third, bondo a bit better but dries too fast, etc." The video I intended to make would have been ~5 minutes long, but as I went through each category I found myself giving more detail than I had intended, and deeming it necessary info on top of it all. By the time I had edited it together, I agreed that it could have used some B-roll, or a serious shortening, but I thought WTH, let's give this a shot. See if it's well-received or not. Kinda wanted to try out @struthless 's 70% is good enough philosophy Hope that clears it up bit and I really do appreciate your feedback since it's spot on!
@@Craftswright Hi, I absolutely didn't not mean my comment in a disparaging way at all. I have really enjoyed your videos since I started watching when you posted on reddit. Just wanted to provide some suggestions if you decide to make this a sort of 'series' on information (which honestly would be great because there are so many brands of stuff out there that people starting off in a craft have a hard time finding what's worth it and what's just over priced junk.). The fact that you even took the time to make a video about it is more than enough for us because you aren't under any obligation to do so, either way I (and I'm sure others as well) appreciate what you do.
@@DarknessLPs no no no no! I didn't take it in a disparaging way at all, I took it for what it was: well-meant and valuable feedback. I genuinely meant that I was thankful for your comment and found your advice to be spot on! Cheers friend :)
I find working bondo a bit before adding the hardener to soften it helps. Perhaps adding powdered dye to the base, andworking it in w a putty knife really well before adding the hardener?
I have a love hate relationship with plastic wood. In Canada it's sold under Lepage, I dont know if the formulation is the same as DAP. I really love it because it cures to a hard filler that adheres surprisingly well, but you waste a boat load of it because it forms a skin and refuses to spread properly. Despite that, it has adhered to the substrate very well once you get to sand it. Very strange behavior. It is not recommended to thin it, but acetone and 99% isopropyl alcohol work. Even if it seems like it turned bad, I tested that it still works 100% fine. I really like the hard finish, hate the application. Elmers makes the ProBond Max filler, it's my favorite. it is water based, exterior rated and dries to a slightly softer finish than plastic wood, suffers somehow from similar spreadability issues, but my god it's durable and it dries quickly. Barely softer, but more flexible, it holds fasteners. Mixing it with some DAP acrylic caulk gives it some extra flexibility at the expense of dry time.
Thank you for taking the time in breaking down all the wood fillers and results. can you recommend what filler to use. I am re doing kitchen cabinets. filling all the holes from the hardware. I want something thats durable and basically easy to fill with great results after being sanded. I thought the Timber Made would be appropriate. ???? Thank you again !!!!!
OK bro.You got me... Lol!! I really didn't think I was going to find a video about wood fillers that I would want to watch all the way through, but the stars have aligned and here it is. You keep bringing up the "silver bullet/unicorn" maybe, just maybe... it's your youtube channel. Lol!! Great video brother! Maybe we could get together sniff some Timber mate and make fun of things someday.. #Subscribed
Thanks for the great info. I’ve tried all BUT your two favorites. That will have to change! I’ve not been happy with the others and I’ve been looking for a better one. Thanks again. Great video with awesome information!
I'm guessing Spamo is your favorite. Right now I'm using Plastic Wood. I definitely should have watched this video yesterday. Thanks for all the good information.
Love this review lots of facts quick to the point the info I need without a lot of fluff....no one I see is this direct with experience. I love timbermate because you can thin with water mix the pre colored fillers, they never go bad, easy to same and yes the smell is awesome white timbermate has the strongest smell use the precolored one.
I never would have thought that the smell would differ among the tints, that's intriguing. I intended it to be even shorter and to the point, but I also have a tendency to ramble 😂 I think if I had to choose, I would go Famowood latex, but if I didn't have any and my tub of Timbermate was there, I wouldn't hesitate to use it either. Both are pretty great
Your video is very helpful to me right now. Thank you for your expert advise and opinion on the subject of wood fillers. I have always resorted to wood glue and sawdust but never happy with it when it was time to sand it for smoothness; so I could relate to your comments on wood glue & sawdust-NOT my choice. So, with that said, I’m off to purchase Famowood! Thank you so much! Very helpful to ME.
I heard some termite control companies are using One Pass as a wood filler for rotted or infested wood. It's fast setting and workable in a few minutes.
Beautiful summary! Thanks so much. Everything you found is consistent with my more limited experience, and it sure helps to have a more informed opinion to confirm it. (..And I sure understand the emotional attachment to nasty VOC's... some of my fondest memories from College is the distinctive aroma of Watco Danish Oil finally going onto solid walnut furniture. As one of my classmates put it.. "Putting the oil on at the end of a long project is better than eating dessert!")
I’m trying to fill in a small bit of missing fake wood veneer on a kitchen cabinet. I’m going to tint the putty, but I need to know: 1. Which of these will have a smooth, eggshell finish. 2. Which of these is stiff enough that it won’t flow and droop while it is setting - given that I’ll be filling a vertical surface. 3. How much does each product shrink?
I would have guessed Famowood or timber mate, but I went with Famowood. Also I'm going to go buy some for the 1900 dresser I am working on. Thanks for this review. I needed something like this. Sadly I have to remove what I already did. I missed the 'non hardening" label. Who need non-hardening filler??
Is Famowood flexible? I need a product to fill gaps between my floor boards. I've used the Dap products and they've cracked and fallen out. The floor boards move so I need a flexible solution. I was leaning towards the TimberMate until you mentioned the smell which my wife would not be appreciative of. But once dry, it shouldn't smell, right?
My only disappointment with Titebond glue, used as a filler (mixed with saw dust of course) is that no matter how much its color approximates that of the wood, once it dries out it changes color and goes very dark. I've used Titeebond II and III- same problem with both. The sanding is very hard and messy (the glue turns into paste due to the heat during sanding) but I try to remove as much as possible before the glue dries out. Alternatively one can use an angle grinder with a sand pad attached to it as opposed to using an orbital sander. Much quicker removal, that way.
I'm working on am old door, I moved some.of the rotted wood but it seems the rotted goes deep. Will finish what can tomorrow, but what would you, or the others recommend? Note: the door has been out in the elements for a long time, yet the body is strong, save for the few rots.
I bought the dap plastic wood, i wish i would’ve seen this video before, i had such a hard time with it, I only did one cabinet out of like 20 and it took me over an hour 🤦🏽♂️
I rarely use wood filler, but when I do it's always dried out. Every project or repair I do requires a new purchase. The only thing that even comes close to prolonging the stuff is to purchase a type that has a large lid, then I put a paper towel on top and put some water on it to keep the product damp. Even that only works for a while.
Thank you for the review. I really like Timbermate filler. I like how it takes stain. You have piqued my interest in trying Famowood. Plastic wood is the worst filler I have ever worked with.
I been doing woodworking for years now I built some Adirondack chairs I you the first three wood filler after years of being our in the rain and the sun I use it to fill up screws heads after 6 years I see the wood filler in comings out I fill some holes in a piece of wood around the window with Bondo it till there I use Bondo wood filler it been there longer than the chairs yes it more trouble but I think it’s worth it in the long run
As a professional carpenter, the one I use the most is the water based Plastic wood. It adheres really well, sands really well and is very tough. It is very durable regardless of what he says. It can also be used in an exterior application. And if I have really big voids to fill I’ll use bondo then use Plastic wood as a final filler because it sands so well, and because it’s so durable. I don’t know what he was trying to do with it, who knows..
And it drys fast. Not as fast as their solvent based version, but the solvent version is more difficult to sand. So use the water based version kids. You’ll really hate yourself if you’ve got a fairly large project and you’ve chosen the solvent one. Get the one in the (plastic tub)
@@wyattsdad8561 Hello, and can the water based Plastic Wood be stained? I have a bow window and the seat has been ruined with water that dripped from our hanging plants. I am trying to fill in the seatboard with something so that I can then stain it back to its original look. Thx.
I’m sure it’s been said, but if you put the smallest amount of hardener to bondo increases work time. I freaking love bondo… I have no idea how you feel about wood glue is stronger than bondo you need to consider the fact that bondo is so consistent in almost all environments… and it’s in the only one that Is worth using in large voids or repair.
