How to Use Wood Filler to Repair Furniture

Have you come across a piece of furniture that you fell in love with, but the damage was too extensive? Maybe there was peeling and chipped veneer, maybe there was water damage, maybe both. Some projects can be fixed. Learning how to use wood filler is a great way to save old pieces from being thrown away.

Simple Tips on How to Use Wood Filler

If you have never used wood filler before, rest assured that it’s not too difficult. The main concern is prepping the area before you begin, and to make sure to use a mask, gloves, and a well-ventilated area while mixing and using the wood filler.

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What You Will Need:

1. Wood Filler (I used MINWAX High Performance Wood Filler)
2. Latex-type Gloves
3. Painter’s Mask
4. Box Cutter
5. Plastic Putty Knife
6. Orbital Sander with Medium Grain Sand Paper (I used 80 Grain)
7. Damp cloth for cleaning the area
8. Acetone to clean-up

Prepping the Wood

As you can see, the wood had a lot of water damage, plus peeling and chipping veneer. Before doing any kind of filling, you have to prep the area. For this project, I used a very sharp box cutter and cut away the water-damaged portion of the veneer and wood underneath. I also removed the chipping veneer that couldn’t be salvaged with wood glue.

Once the broken and damaged portions are removed, it’s imperative that the area is cleaned of all dirt and debris. I used a vacuum to remove the loose pieces. Then, a damp cloth to clean all areas to ensure that the wood filler would adhere correctly.

Mixing the Wood Filler

Once the area has been prepped, it’s time to mix the wood filler. In this case, I used Minwax Wood Filler. There are different types out there. However, this is my go-to for wood projects.

Before you begin, make sure to wear gloves, a mask and work in a well-ventilated area. This stuff stinks and will make you feel light-headed. Safety first, always!

Mix the wood filler with 1 part hardener, and 16 parts filler (16:1). Mix the combination thoroughly until you are no longer able to see the white of the wood harder. The MINWAX wood filler comes with a plastic top that you can use to mix it.

The paste will be usable for about 10 minutes. This may vary a bit depending on your humidity level. I live in Montana, at high-altitude, where it is extremely dry. I do not have 10 minutes to work, I have about 5 before it begins to harden.

If you live in a very humid environment, you may have a bit longer to work with the wood filler.

Applying the Wood Filler to Damaged Areas

Apply the paste to the area that needs to be filled. Feel free to use a heavy-handed amount in order to fill in all the nooks and crannies. I used a plastic putty knife to fill the gaps and holes.

Then I scrape the wood filler with the edge of the putty knife to make sure that any extra wood filler is removed from the furniture piece. Again, you’ll want to work fast as it will begin to dry pretty quickly.

Clean-Up

Be sure to clean up your plastic putty knife and any other tools or objects that touched the wood filler. Clean with acetone before it has the opportunity to dry. Once it has dried, it’s nearly impossible to remove from surfaces.

Moldable

After about 20 minutes, the wood filler is hard enough to work with, but still soft enough to mold. If you have a large area or you’re filling in a corner or an edge, this is the perfect time to use a sharp knife or scalpel and meticulously cut and mold the edges and/or corners of the furniture. Take your time and be careful.

Sanding Down

Wait at least 6 hours (on the container it says 30 minutes, but I always wait longer to be safe), and sand the area to ensure the surface is smooth. As you can see, a lot of the wood filler on the sides is removed at this point and you can see exactly where it will stay.

Painting or Staining

Once your furniture piece has been sanded down it is now ready to paint! You can also stain it, but if the area of repair is large, it may be obvious that wood filler was used. Wood filler is stainable, however, it doesn’t take stain as well as wood (in my opinion) and it stains one solid color, while stain on wood will show wood grain. Therefore, if a large area needs wood filler, I will paint instead of stain.

As you can see above, the wood filler saved this piece from being taken to the dump. You can’t even tell I used wood filler on the corner and I love that I can salvage old, beautiful projects with this great product.

Want More Furniture Projects? Be sure to Check out:

• Chalk Painting for Beginners
• Picking Our Furniture to Chalk Paint
• Sofa Table Transformation
• How to Care for Chalk Painting Brushes

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