Wood putty
Wood putty is a soft, coloured fill for small dents and nail holes in wood that is already finished. Minwax describes its Wood Putty as non-hardening and pre-mixed, colour-matched to its Wood Finish stains, and says it will not harden to a sandable surface.
When it goes on
After the finish, not before. Minwax's directions are to stain and topcoat first, then press the putty into the hole and wipe away the excess with a damp cloth. Because it never hardens, there is nothing to sand, and it is the one fill you can use on a piece without refinishing it. Minwax lists it for interior use and water clean-up.
| Product | Goes on | Hardens and sands | Dry before sanding | Outdoors | Maker's notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minwax Wood Putty One source: Minwax (Sherwin-Williams), the maker of that product | Finished wood, after stain and topcoat | No | Not sanded | No | Non-hardening, colour-matched to Minwax Wood Finish stains; stain and topcoat first, then press in and wipe off the excess |
When to use filler instead
For bare wood that will be sanded and then stained or painted, Minwax points to its Stainable Wood Filler instead, which hardens and sands; for rotted or badly damaged wood, to its two-part High Performance Wood Filler. More on the difference: wood filler vs wood putty, and dry times for fillers on the wood filler page.
We list only one putty so far because it is the only one whose maker's own page we have read; others will be added as we read their makers' data, not from retailer listings.