Nine products for the gap you are looking at, sorted by the only questions that matter: will it shrink, will it take stain, and is it going in before the finish or after it?
Most wood filler disappointment comes from one mistake, and it happens in the store rather than at the bench: buying a product designed for a different point in the project. Wood filler hardens and is sanded flush, so it goes on bare wood before the finish. Wood putty never hardens at all — Minwax’s own page says in as many words that it “Will not harden to a sandable surface” and instructs you to “Stain and topcoat before applying putty”. Use one where the other belongs and the repair either stays soft or stays visible.
So this page is organized around the gap in front of you rather than around brands. Four questions decide it, in this order. Is the surface bare or already finished? That single answer eliminates most of the shelf. How deep and how wide is the defect? Minwax caps its stainable filler at holes “no larger than 3/4 inch” and names a different product for anything bigger. Will it be stained or painted? Paint hides almost anything; stain exposes every filler ever made. And does it need to be structural? A chipped corner carrying load is a different job from a nail hole.
One warning about the word on the tub. “Stainable” is a relative claim, not a promise, and the best evidence for that is Minwax’s own page for its stainable filler: it says the product is “specially formulated to accept all Minwax penetrating stains”, and then tells you to test the stain on scrap wood with the filler in it first. Those two sentences together are the honest state of the art.
And a note on the figures. An Amazon listing for filler states the volume, the color and little else — no dry time, no maximum depth, no shrinkage. Where we could read the manufacturer’s own page on the day we have quoted it; where we could not — DAP and General Finishes returned 404s, 3M returned nothing — the card says so and claims only what its listing states. Here is exactly what we do instead of testing.
How this is funded: we earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which tool we recommend, and we’ll tell you plainly when to skip one. Full disclosure.
Quick picks
Ranked on the specs that matter for a beginner and honest buyer fit. Select a row to jump to the full write-up. We haven’t hands-on-tested these — here is exactly what we do instead.
#
Product
Best for
Price
1
Timbermate Hardwood Wood Filler, 8 oz (Maple/Beech/Pine)
The filler that behaves the way a woodworker needs one to: water-based, sold in wood colors rather than putty beige, and the manufacturer's claim is that it "does not shrink, sink, crack or fall out". It is the one on this page we would reach for on a piece of furniture rather than a piece of trim.
DAP Plastic Wood-X with DryDex Wood Filler, 16 oz (7079800542)
The color-change filler: it goes on one color and turns another when it is ready to sand, which removes the single most common filler mistake - sanding too early and dragging a soft smear across the grain. For a beginner that indicator is worth more than any spec on the tub.
The filler to use when the repair will be stained rather than painted, with the caveat its own maker prints: it is formulated to accept Minwax penetrating stains, which is not the same as disappearing into them. Test it on scrap from the same board before it goes anywhere visible.
Elmer's E849D8 Carpenter's Interior Wood Filler, 16 oz
The one you have already seen on a hardware store shelf, in the size that makes sense for a project rather than a touch-up. Nothing about it is clever; it is cheap, it sands, and for holes that will be painted that is the whole specification.
Pre-tinted to a wood color rather than to beige, which is the right idea for a repair that will be clear-finished instead of painted. Buying it by species color means you are matching a board rather than trying to tint a white paste to look like walnut.
A two-part filler you mix with a hardener, which puts it in a different class from everything above: it cures by chemical reaction rather than by drying out, so it goes deep without sinking and it is hard enough to shape like wood. Overkill for a nail hole, correct for a broken corner.
Not a filler, and that is the point of including it. Putty never hardens, so it goes in AFTER the piece is stained and finished, to hide the nail holes the finish just made obvious. Using it instead of filler is the single most common filler mistake there is.
Starbond Thick Super Glue Pro Kit, 2 oz (Gap-Filling CA)
The woodworker's answer to a hairline gap, a chipped edge or a torn-out splinter: thick CA glue, flooded into the defect and sanded flush, optionally packed with sanding dust from the same board so the repair is literally the same wood. Nothing else here fixes a crack in minutes.
Filler goes in with a blade, not a finger, and the difference between a flush repair and a proud smear you then have to sand off is a flexible blade wider than the hole. Three flexible widths plus a stiff one is exactly the spread this job wants.
Timbermate Hardwood Wood Filler, 8 oz (Maple/Beech/Pine)
The filler that behaves the way a woodworker needs one to: water-based, sold in wood colors rather than putty beige, and the manufacturer's claim is that it "does not shrink, sink, crack or fall out". It is the one on this page we would reach for on a piece of furniture rather than a piece of trim.
Strengths
+Timbermate's own claim is unusually strong and unusually specific: it "does not shrink, sink, crack or fall out and has an indefinite shelf life"
+Water-based, so cleanup is water and the jar is not a solvent hazard on a garage shelf
+Sold in wood species colors (this jar is maple/beech/pine), which is a better starting point than coloring a white filler after the fact
Trade-offs
−Timbermate states it is "an Interior grade 4 in 1 Wood Putty, Grain Filler, Edge Filler and Crack Filler" - interior only, so outdoor furniture needs something else
−Timbermate's site does not state whether it takes stain, so we claim nothing about that - test it on an offcut from the same board
−Several times the price per ounce of the hardware-store fillers below, which is hard to justify for nail holes that will be painted
Type
Water-based hardwood filler
In the set
Single tool
Material / build
Water-based filler
Key spec
8 oz jar; interior; water cleanup; wood-color matched
Best for
Best overall for furniture and visible repairs
Worth knowing. The listing states Timbermate Maple/Beech/Pine Hardwood Wood Filler, 8 oz jar. The "Australian made, water-based woodfiller range" description, the "does not shrink, sink, crack or fall out and has an indefinite shelf life" claim, the "Interior grade 4 in 1 Wood Putty, Grain Filler, Edge Filler and Crack Filler" positioning and the note that it "can be thinned slightly with water" and then used as a sanding sealer come from Timbermate's own site, fetched October 16, 2026. That site states nothing about stain acceptance, sanding or dry time, so this card claims none of those.
Specs read from the product listing, on October 16, 2026. “Not listed” means the listing doesn’t state that figure.
#2Best for beginners - it tells you when to sand
DAP Plastic Wood-X with DryDex Wood Filler, 16 oz (7079800542)
The color-change filler: it goes on one color and turns another when it is ready to sand, which removes the single most common filler mistake - sanding too early and dragging a soft smear across the grain. For a beginner that indicator is worth more than any spec on the tub.
Strengths
+The DryDex color-change indicator takes the guesswork out of "is it dry yet", which is where most filler repairs go wrong
+The biggest tub on this page for close to the lowest price, so there is no reason to ration it on practice pieces
+Sandable and paintable per the listing, and the big-tub format suits a whole project's worth of nail holes
Trade-offs
−DAP's own product pages returned 404 on every URL pattern we tried on the day, so no dry time, maximum depth or shrinkage figure is quoted here
−A 16 oz tub of a water-based filler will skin over if the lid is not seated properly - buy the size you will actually use
−The indicator tells you the surface has changed, not that a deep fill has cured all the way through; deep holes still want layers
Type
Latex wood filler with dry indicator
In the set
Single tool
Material / build
Latex (water-based) filler
Key spec
16 oz; DryDex color-change dry indicator
Best for
Best for beginners - it tells you when to sand
Worth knowing. The listing states DAP Plastic Wood-X with DryDex Wood Filler, Natural, 16 oz, part number 7079800542, and classifies it as a latex wood filler, interior, sandable and paintable. DAP's own product page could not be reached on October 16, 2026 - every URL pattern tried returned HTTP 404 and dap.com's sitemap endpoint returned its 404 page - so no dry time, maximum repair depth or shrinkage claim is quoted for this product.
Specs read from the product listing, on October 16, 2026. “Not listed” means the listing doesn’t state that figure.
#3Best for a repair that will be stained
Minwax Stainable Wood Filler, 6 oz
The filler to use when the repair will be stained rather than painted, with the caveat its own maker prints: it is formulated to accept Minwax penetrating stains, which is not the same as disappearing into them. Test it on scrap from the same board before it goes anywhere visible.
Strengths
+Minwax states it is "specially formulated to accept all Minwax penetrating stains", naming Wood Finish, Gel Stain and WaterBased Stain
+Latex formula with water cleanup, and Minwax lists it as interior/exterior - the only filler here rated for both
+Minwax says it can be topcoated directly with a clear finish or painted, so it does not force a stain step
Trade-offs
−Minwax caps it at holes "no larger than 3/4 inch" and sends you to its High Performance filler for anything bigger
−Minwax's own page tells you to test the stain on scrap with the filler first - which is an admission that the color will not match exactly
−Deep fills have to be built up in layers of about 1/4 inch, and Minwax's dry time is 2 to 6 hours, so a deep hole is a whole-day repair
Type
Stainable latex wood filler
In the set
Single tool
Material / build
Latex (water-based) filler
Key spec
6 oz; holes up to 3/4 in; 2-6 hr dry; interior/exterior
Best for
Best for a repair that will be stained
Worth knowing. The listing states Minwax Stainable Wood Filler, 6 oz, latex, sandable and paintable. The "stainable and paintable latex formula" description, the claim that it is "specially formulated to accept all Minwax penetrating stains" (Wood Finish, Gel Stain, WaterBased Stain), the 3/4 inch maximum hole size with the referral to High Performance Wood Filler for larger holes, the instruction to fill deep holes in layers of about 1/4 inch, the 2-6 hour dry time, the interior/exterior rating, the water cleanup, the direct-topcoat-or-paint note, the advice to test stain on scrap first and the recommendation to use Wood Hardener on rotted fibers all come from Minwax's own product page, fetched October 16, 2026. Minwax publishes no coverage figure and no stated sanding wait.
Specs read from the product listing, on October 16, 2026. “Not listed” means the listing doesn’t state that figure.
#4Best value in a project-sized tub
Elmer's E849D8 Carpenter's Interior Wood Filler, 16 oz
The one you have already seen on a hardware store shelf, in the size that makes sense for a project rather than a touch-up. Nothing about it is clever; it is cheap, it sands, and for holes that will be painted that is the whole specification.
Strengths
+One of the cheapest fillers here per ounce in a 16 oz tub, which is the right size for a run of trim or a shop fixture
+Interior wood filler per the listing - the standard, predictable product most beginner advice assumes you are using
+Widely stocked, so a replacement tub is a trip to the hardware store rather than a shipping wait
Trade-offs
−Elmer's product documentation was not fetched for this entry, so no dry time, shrinkage or maximum depth figure is quoted - only what the listing states
−Interior only, so it is the wrong product for anything that lives outside
−A plain filler with no dry indicator and no wood-tone color range, which is exactly why it is the cheap one
Type
Interior wood filler
In the set
Single tool
Material / build
Water-based filler
Key spec
16 oz tub; interior wood filler
Best for
Best value for a whole project's worth of nail holes
Worth knowing. Everything claimed here is from the Amazon listing, read October 16, 2026: "Elmer's E849D8 16 Oz Carpenter's Interior Wood Filler". No manufacturer spec page was fetched for this product, so no dry time, shrinkage, stainability or maximum-depth figure is stated on its card.
Specs read from the product listing, on October 16, 2026. “Not listed” means the listing doesn’t state that figure.
Pre-tinted to a wood color rather than to beige, which is the right idea for a repair that will be clear-finished instead of painted. Buying it by species color means you are matching a board rather than trying to tint a white paste to look like walnut.
Strengths
+Sold in wood colors (this one walnut), so the repair starts closer to the surrounding board than a white filler ever gets
+Latex formula per the listing: water cleanup, no solvent smell in a closed garage
+A pint is enough for a project without being the tub you throw away half of
Trade-offs
−No FamoWood spec page was fetched for this entry, so dry time, shrinkage and maximum depth are not stated on this card
−A pre-tinted filler only helps if you picked the right color - and a walnut filler in a maple board is worse than a neutral one
−Color-matched fillers still take stain differently to the wood around them, so the match is approximate on a stained piece
Type
Pre-colored latex wood filler
In the set
Single tool
Material / build
Latex (water-based) filler
Key spec
1 pint; pre-colored walnut; latex
Best for
Best pre-colored filler for clear-finished work
Worth knowing. Everything claimed here is from the Amazon listing, read October 16, 2026: "FamoWood 40022142 Latex Wood Filler - Pint, Walnut". No manufacturer spec page was fetched for this product, so no dry time, shrinkage, sanding window or maximum depth is quoted on its card.
Specs read from the product listing, on October 16, 2026. “Not listed” means the listing doesn’t state that figure.
#6Best for large repairs and broken corners
Bondo Wood Filler, 12 oz with Hardener
A two-part filler you mix with a hardener, which puts it in a different class from everything above: it cures by chemical reaction rather than by drying out, so it goes deep without sinking and it is hard enough to shape like wood. Overkill for a nail hole, correct for a broken corner.
Strengths
+Two-part chemistry means it cures all the way through rather than drying from the surface in, which is what a deep fill needs
+The listing states it repairs chips and cracks in wood and is sandable, paintable and stainable
+Comes with its own hardener in the box, so there is nothing else to buy to use it
Trade-offs
−3M's own product page could not be reached on the day, so no working time, cure time or mix ratio is quoted on this card
−Mixed filler has a working life measured in minutes - you mix what you can use and the rest is waste
−It is harder than the wood around it, so sanding flush risks dishing the softwood next to the repair
Type
Two-part polyester wood filler
In the set
Single tool
Material / build
Two-part polyester filler with cream hardener
Key spec
12 oz filler + 0.5 oz hardener; mix to activate
Best for
Best for large repairs and broken corners
Worth knowing. Everything claimed here is from the Amazon listing, read October 16, 2026: "Bondo Wood Filler 12 oz with Hardener 0.5 oz | Repairs Chips and Cracks in Wood, Sandable, Paintable, and Stainable". 3M's own product page for this item returned no response when fetched on that date, so no working time, cure time or mix ratio is stated on this card.
Specs read from the product listing, on October 16, 2026. “Not listed” means the listing doesn’t state that figure.
#7Best for nail holes in finished work
Minwax Wood Putty, 3.75 oz (Walnut)
Not a filler, and that is the point of including it. Putty never hardens, so it goes in AFTER the piece is stained and finished, to hide the nail holes the finish just made obvious. Using it instead of filler is the single most common filler mistake there is.
Strengths
+Minwax color-matches it to its own Wood Finish stains, so the putty is picked to match the color you already used
+No dry time to wait out: it is pressed in, wiped off and done, which is why it belongs at the end of a project
+Interior, water cleanup, and a 3.75 oz jar lasts years because the job needs a fingertip of it
Trade-offs
−Minwax says plainly that it is "Non-hardening" and "Will not harden to a sandable surface" - so it cannot be sanded flush or shaped
−Minwax's own instruction is to "Stain and topcoat before applying putty", meaning it is the wrong product for bare wood
−Minwax's page does not state whether putty can be finished over, and its dry time field reads "0 minute 0 minute", which tells you nothing
Type
Non-hardening wood putty
In the set
Single tool
Material / build
Non-hardening putty
Key spec
3.75 oz; non-hardening; apply after finishing
Best for
Best for nail holes in already-finished work
Worth knowing. The listing states Minwax Wood Putty, Walnut, 3.75 oz, interior, water cleanup. The "intended to repair minor scratches, gouges and nail holes" purpose, the color-matching to Minwax Wood Finish stains, the "Non-hardening" rating, the "Will not harden to a sandable surface" warning, the "Stain and topcoat before applying putty" instruction and the "Various colors available" note come from Minwax's own product page, fetched October 16, 2026. That page's dry-time field reads "0 minute 0 minute" and it states no coverage figure and nothing about finishing over the putty; the card says so rather than filling the gaps.
Specs read from the product listing, on October 16, 2026. “Not listed” means the listing doesn’t state that figure.
#8Best for hairline cracks and tearout
Starbond Thick Super Glue Pro Kit, 2 oz (Gap-Filling CA)
The woodworker's answer to a hairline gap, a chipped edge or a torn-out splinter: thick CA glue, flooded into the defect and sanded flush, optionally packed with sanding dust from the same board so the repair is literally the same wood. Nothing else here fixes a crack in minutes.
Strengths
+The listing describes it as gap-filling CA glue with a clog-resistant applicator - thick enough to stay in a crack rather than running out of it
+Packed with sanding dust from the same board, it gives a repair that matches the wood instead of approximating it
+Cures in minutes, so a chipped edge is fixed inside the same work session rather than the next one
Trade-offs
−It cures hard and glossy, so it takes stain and finish quite differently from the wood around it - better under a clear finish than a stained one
−CA glue bonds skin instantly and the fumes sting eyes in a closed garage - gloves and ventilation, not optional
−A 2 oz bottle is small and has a limited shelf life once opened, so it is not the product for a project full of nail holes
Type
Gap-filling cyanoacrylate (CA) glue
In the set
Single tool
Material / build
Thick cyanoacrylate adhesive
Key spec
2 oz; thick/gap-filling viscosity; minutes to cure
Best for
Best for hairline cracks, tearout and chipped edges
Worth knowing. Everything claimed here is from the Amazon listing, read October 16, 2026: "Starbond Thick Super Glue Pro Kit (2 oz) - Gap-Filling CA Glue (Cyanoacrylate Adhesive) - with Clog-Resistant Applicator Cap". No Starbond spec page was fetched, so no cure-time figure, viscosity number or shelf-life figure is quoted on this card.
Specs read from the product listing, on October 16, 2026. “Not listed” means the listing doesn’t state that figure.
#9Best applicator
WORKPRO 4-Piece Stainless Steel Putty Knife Set
Filler goes in with a blade, not a finger, and the difference between a flush repair and a proud smear you then have to sand off is a flexible blade wider than the hole. Three flexible widths plus a stiff one is exactly the spread this job wants.
Strengths
+The listing states 1.5 in, 4 in and 6 in flexible blades plus a 3 in stiff blade, which covers nail holes through to a panel repair
+Stainless steel per the listing, so a blade left in a damp garage does not rust into the filler next time
+A flexible blade scrapes the excess off level as you load the hole, which is most of the sanding you then do not have to do
Trade-offs
−Four knives is more than a nail-hole repair needs - the 1.5 in flexible blade will do 90% of the work
−No blade thickness or hardness figure is published, so flex is a guess until you hold it
−A stiff 3 in blade is a scraper, not a filler knife, and using it to load a hole leaves the filler proud
Type
Putty / filler knife set
In the set
4 pieces
Material / build
Stainless steel blades
Key spec
1.5 in, 4 in, 6 in flexible + 3 in stiff blades
Best for
Best way to get filler in flush - buy it with the filler
Worth knowing. The listing states "WORKPRO 4-Piece Stainless Steel Putty Knife Set | Includes 1.5\", 4\", 6\" Flexible Blades and 3\" Stiff Blade". No blade thickness, temper or hardness figure is published on the listing, so none is claimed here.
Specs read from the product listing, on October 16, 2026. “Not listed” means the listing doesn’t state that figure.
Filler, putty and CA glue are three different products
This is the whole page in one section, and the single most-searched question in the family is “wood filler vs wood putty”. The answer is not which is better; it is which point in the project you are at.
Wood filler hardens. It is a paste of fine solids in a water-based or two-part binder. It cures, it sands flush, and it accepts a finish. It goes on bare wood, before finishing. The Timbermate, the Plastic Wood-X, the Minwax stainable, the Elmer’s, the FamoWood and the Bondo are all fillers.
Wood putty does not harden. It is a soft, oil- or solvent-bound paste colored to match a finished surface. It is pressed in with a fingertip, wiped off and never sanded. It goes on after staining and topcoating— Minwax’s own instruction, in those words. Using it on bare wood under a finish is the classic mistake: the finish will not cure properly over it.
Thick CA glue is neither, and often the best answer. Cyanoacrylate flooded into a hairline crack or a torn-out splinter cures hard in minutes and sands like the wood around it. Pack it with sanding dust from the same board and the repair is literally that board. It is the fix for defects too small and too thin for any filler to stay in.
The practical consequence: most projects want two products, not one. A filler for the bare-wood stage and a putty for the touch-up after the finish. Both are in the cheapest bracket here, and they are not substitutes at any price.
The three ways a filler repair fails
Knowing these three is more useful than any brand ranking, because all three are avoidable and all three are the reason people say filler never works.
It sinks. Water-based fillers are solids suspended in water, and when the water leaves, the volume goes with it. Fill a deep hole flush in one pass and you come back to a dimple. This is why Timbermate’s central marketing claim is worth quoting exactly — the company states the product “does not shrink, sink, crack or fall out and has an indefinite shelf life” — and why Minwax’s instruction for deep holes is to build up in layers of about 1/4 inch at a time. The fix for every other filler is the same: overfill slightly, let it cure fully, sand back.
It shows up under stain. Filler has no grain and no pore structure, so it takes pigment as a flat patch while the wood beside it takes it in a pattern. Even the products sold on stainability only get close. The three real answers are: use sanding dust from the same board mixed with glue; use a pre-colored filler close to the final color; or plan to paint. More on the stain problem below.
It sands into a dish. A cured filler — especially a two-part one like the Bondo — can be harder than the softwood around it. Sand aggressively with a block or a machine and the soft wood erodes faster than the repair, leaving a shallow crater with a proud island in the middle. Sand filler by hand, with the paper on a flat block, and stop early and often to check with your fingertips rather than your eyes.
Does “stainable” actually mean stainable?
Partly, and the manufacturers are more honest about it than the internet is. Minwax says its stainable filler is “specially formulated to accept all Minwax penetrating stains”, naming Wood Finish, Gel Stain and WaterBased Stain — and the same page tells you to test the stain on scrap wood with the filler first. Timbermate, which is the most expensive water-based filler here, states nothing at all about stain acceptance on its own site, so we claim nothing for it either.
What that means at the bench is simple. If the repair will be painted, any filler on this page will do and you should buy on price and tub size. If it will be stained, your options in descending order of how well they work are:
Glue and sanding dust from the same board. Still the best-matching repair there is, and it costs nothing. The method is in how to fill gaps in wood joints.
Thick CA glue packed with that same dust, for cracks and tearout too fine to hold a paste.
A pre-colored filler chosen to match the species rather than a white one you hope to tint — which is what the FamoWood walnut and the Timbermate maple/beech/pine are for.
A stainable filler, tested on scrap first, as the manufacturer itself tells you to.
A non-hardening putty applied after the finish, color-matched to the stain you actually used. For nail holes this is not a compromise — it is the correct method.
Our wood stain roundup covers the other half of this problem: a conditioned, evenly sanded board takes color flat, which makes a filled repair less conspicuous before you even start matching it.
How deep is too deep
The published limits are narrower than people assume, and only one manufacturer here states one. Minwax restricts its stainable filler to holes no larger than 3/4 inch and names its High Performance filler for anything bigger; for deep holes it says to work in roughly 1/4 inch layers and gives a dry time of 2 to 6 hours, with most shallow repairs dry inside 2 hours. Nobody else on this page publishes a depth limit we could read.
Above that size the right product changes class. A two-part filler like the Bondo cures by chemical reaction rather than by drying out, which is why it handles a broken corner or a missing chunk: there is no water to leave, so there is nothing to sink. The trade is a working life measured in minutes once it is mixed, and a cured hardness that makes the dishing problem above worse rather than better.
And above that: stop filling and start cutting. A missing corner on a table leg is better fixed with a glued-in patch of the same species, grain running the same way, than with any amount of paste. That is a joinery repair rather than a filling one, and the joints that make it possible are in wood joints explained.
Buy these alongside it
Live prices, from the same feed as the cards above. Filler is a four-item job and only one of those items is the tub.
Tool
Why you need it
Price
WORKPRO 4-Piece Stainless Steel Putty Knife Set
A flexible blade wider than the hole loads it and scrapes it level in one pass - most of the sanding you then skip
Live Amazon prices as of October 21, 2026; they change, and we don’t display stale numbers — a tool with no live price shows “Check price” and is left out of the subtotal. #adHow we’re funded.
Where filler is the wrong answer
Four jobs where reaching for a tub is the mistake rather than the repair:
A joint with a visible gap. Filler in a loose joint is cosmetic, not structural — it has almost no strength and it will crack along the line as the wood moves. Re-cut the joint, or add a glued shim. The honest options are in how to fill gaps in wood joints.
Anything that will move seasonally. A filled line across a solid wood panel will open again, because the panel changes width with humidity and the filler does not. See wood movement explained before you fill a crack in a tabletop.
A stripped screw hole. Filler has no thread to hold. A glued hardwood dowel or a bundle of toothpicks and glue gives the screw real wood to bite — the stripped screw guide covers it.
Hiding sloppy work on a piece that will be stained. Stain makes filler more obvious, not less. If it is going to be stained, the repair has to be right rather than hidden.
The verdict
Buy the DAP Plastic Wood-X if you are buying one filler. The biggest tub here for close to the lowest price, and the color-change indicator removes the one mistake beginners reliably make. For painted work it is all the filler you will ever need.
Buy the Timbermate for furniture you care about. It is the most expensive water-based filler here and the only one whose maker will put “does not shrink, sink, crack or fall out” in writing. Interior only, and they publish nothing about stain, so test it.
Buy the Minwax stainable filler when the repair will be stained and you want the manufacturer’s own compatibility claim behind it — then do what Minwax says and test it on scrap from the same board first. Holes up to 3/4 inch only.
Buy the Bondo when the defect is big: a broken corner, a missing chunk, a knot that fell out. Two-part chemistry cures all the way through instead of drying from the surface in, so it does not sink — and mix small, because the clock starts when the hardener goes in.
Buy the Minwax Wood Putty whatever else you buy. It is the cheapest thing on this page, it does a job nothing else here can do, and it is the correct answer to the nail holes you will notice the moment the topcoat dries.
Buy the Starbond thick CA if your defects are hairline cracks, chipped edges or router tearout. Flooded into the crack and packed with dust from the same board, it is the closest thing to an invisible repair that exists — and it is done in minutes rather than hours.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between wood filler and wood putty?+
Wood filler hardens and wood putty does not, and that one difference decides when each is used. Filler cures, sands flush and accepts a finish, so it goes into bare wood before you stain or topcoat. Putty stays soft permanently - Minwax's own page says it "Will not harden to a sandable surface" - and is color-matched to a finished surface, so its instruction is to "Stain and topcoat before applying putty". Most projects want both: filler at the bare-wood stage, putty for the nail holes that are still visible once the finish is on.
What is the best wood filler for woodworking?+
For painted work, DAP Plastic Wood-X - the biggest tub for the lowest price, and its DryDex color-change indicator tells you when the repair is ready to sand, which is the mistake beginners make most. For furniture that will be clear-finished, Timbermate, whose manufacturer states it "does not shrink, sink, crack or fall out". For a repair that will be stained, Minwax Stainable Wood Filler used exactly as Minwax says - tested on scrap from the same board first. And for anything bigger than about 3/4 inch, a two-part filler like Bondo instead.
Does wood filler really take stain?+
Approximately, and the manufacturers are honest about it. Minwax says its stainable filler is "specially formulated to accept all Minwax penetrating stains" and then tells you on the same page to test the stain on scrap wood with the filler in it first. The reason is physical: filler has no grain and no pores, so it takes pigment as a flat patch while the wood beside it takes it in a pattern. The best-matching stainable repair is still glue mixed with sanding dust from the same board, and for nail holes a color-matched putty applied after the finish beats all of it.
Why did my wood filler sink or crack?+
Almost always because it was applied too thick in one pass. Water-based fillers are solids suspended in water, and the volume leaves with the water - so a deep hole filled flush in one go comes back as a dimple, and a thick patch can crack as it shrinks. Minwax's instruction for deep repairs is to build up in layers of about 1/4 inch at a time. The other common cause is movement: a filled line across a solid wood panel will reopen seasonally because the panel changes width and the filler does not.
How long does wood filler take to dry before sanding?+
It depends on the product and the depth, and most listings do not say. Minwax publishes 2 to 6 hours for its stainable filler, with most shallow repairs dry inside 2 hours and deeper layered fills taking the full range. DAP's Plastic Wood-X avoids the question entirely with a DryDex indicator that changes color when it is ready. Two-part fillers like Bondo cure chemically in minutes rather than hours. When in doubt wait longer - sanding filler too early drags a soft smear across the grain and makes a bigger repair than you started with.
Can you use wood filler on a gap in a joint?+
You can, but understand what you are buying: filler in a joint is cosmetic, not structural. It has very little strength, it will not stop a loose joint moving, and it tends to crack along the glue line as the wood expands and contracts. For a visible gap the better answers are a glued-in shim of the same species, re-cutting the joint, or glue mixed with sanding dust if the gap is hairline. Filler is the right product for nail holes, small gouges, knot holes and tearout - defects in the face of a board rather than in the joint itself.
What can I use instead of wood filler?+
Two things, both of which often work better. Wood glue mixed with sanding dust from the same board gives the closest color and grain match available, because the repair is literally made of the wood around it - the method is in our guide to filling gaps in wood joints. And thick cyanoacrylate glue flooded into hairline cracks, chipped edges or router tearout cures hard in minutes and sands like wood, which no paste filler will do in a crack too fine to hold it. For holes you intend to paint, though, a tub of filler is cheaper and faster than either.
Sources
Minwax — Stainable Wood Filler — The filler sold on its stain compatibility, with the limits its own maker prints. It is "a stainable and paintable latex formula" for cracks, small gouges, nail holes and knot holes in unfinished indoor and outdoor wood, and is "specially formulated to accept all Minwax® penetrating stains" - naming Wood Finish, Gel Stain and WaterBased Stain, and "designed for use with oil-based and water-based wood stains". The page advises testing stain on scrap wood with the filler first. Size limit: holes must be "no larger than 3/4 inch", with Minwax® High Performance Wood Filler named for anything larger; deep holes are filled in layers of about 1/4 inch at a time. Dry time 2 to 6 hours - most shallow repairs within 2 hours. Rated Interior/Exterior, water cleanup, and it can be topcoated directly with a clear finish or painted. Rotted wood should be treated with Minwax® Wood Hardener first. No coverage figure and no stated sanding wait are published (accessed October 16, 2026)
Minwax — Wood Putty — The page that settles the filler-versus-putty question in the manufacturer's own words. The product is "intended to repair minor scratches, gouges and nail holes" and is "color-matched to Minwax® Wood Finish™ stains". It is described as "Non-hardening", and the application section states it "Will not harden to a sandable surface." The preparation instruction is the decisive one: "Stain and topcoat before applying putty." Interior, 3.75 oz package, water cleanup, surface must be "clean and dry", "Various colors available". The page does NOT say whether the putty can be stained or finished over, and its dry-time field reads "0 minute 0 minute" - so neither is claimed on this site (accessed October 16, 2026)
Timbermate — water-based wood filler range (manufacturer site) — The manufacturer's own description of the range: an "Australian made, water-based woodfiller range", positioned as "an Interior grade 4 in 1 Wood Putty, Grain Filler, Edge Filler and Crack Filler". The claim the roundup quotes is theirs verbatim: "Timbermate does not shrink, sink, crack or fall out and has an indefinite shelf life." The page also notes it "can be thinned slightly with water" and then used as a sanding sealer. It states NOTHING about stain acceptance, sanding behavior or dry time, and nothing about re-wetting a dried jar, so none of those is claimed on this site (accessed October 16, 2026)
Titebond — Frequently asked questions — Clamping: "we recommend clamping an unstressed joint for thirty minutes to an hour. Stressed joints need to be clamped for 24 hours", and "not stressing the new joint for at least 24 hours". Shelf life stated as two years, with Original and II usually usable beyond it; thickened glue is restored by shaking. Titebond III and Titebond II "have both been approved for indirect food contact" and are the glues recommended for cutting boards. Oily species such as teak, cedar and redwood should be planed, jointed or sanded shortly before gluing (accessed September 18, 2026)
