Wood filler
Wood filler fills nail holes, cracks and gouges in bare wood. It dries hard, sands flush, and then takes stain or paint with the rest of the piece. That is what sets it apart from wood putty, which stays soft and goes on after the finish.
How long before you can sand it
Dry time before sanding, shallow repair
2 hours
The makers span 0.5–6 hours.
Median of 3 sources
That is the median of three makers for a shallow repair: Minwax says most shallow repairs dry within 2 hours, DAP 2–6 hours, and FAMOWOOD about 30 minutes. A deep fill takes much longer: DAP says 36 hours. Both Minwax and DAP say to build a deep repair in layers of about 1/4", letting each dry before the next. DAP's Plastic Wood-X goes on pink and turns natural when it is dry, so you can see it.
By maker
| Product | Goes on | Hardens and sands | Dry before sanding | Outdoors | Maker's notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minwax Stainable Wood Filler One source: Minwax (Sherwin-Williams), the maker of that product | Bare wood, before the finish | Yes | 2 h shallow2–6 h deep fills | Yes | Deep fills in layers of about 1/4"; not for holes larger than 3/4"; test the stain on scrap first |
| DAP Plastic Wood-X One source: DAP, the maker of that product | Bare wood, before the finish | Yes | 2–6 h shallow36 h deep fills | Yes | Goes on pink and turns natural when dry; fill deeper than 1/4" in layers; DAP says to stain the wood before filling |
| FAMOWOOD Latex Wood Filler One source: Eclectic Products (FAMOWOOD), the maker of that product | Bare wood, before the finish | Yes | 0.5 h shallow | Yes | Dry "approx. 30 minutes" before sanding; deep repairs in layers; apply at 40–90 °F |
Staining over filler
All three are sold as stainable, and two of the makers still say to test first: Minwax asks you to try the stain on scrap wood with the filler, and DAP to test the filler with your stain on scrap before filling. DAP also says to stain the wood before filling when the piece is to be stained. Minwax says not to use its filler on holes larger than 3/4" and points to its two-part High Performance Wood Filler for those.