All you’re gonna wanna make your own wood filler is wood glue and sawdust.
To complete the color match, follow up by rubbing the patch with wax wood filler sticks.
As with any wood filler, DIY wood filler will not be able to match the wood grain.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Most wood glues are lightly brown-tinted.
White wood glue creates a better color match.
Asanderwith a collection bag makes it easy to collect the sawdust.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Cutting wood on an electric miter saw is another way to create sawdust without wasting wood.
Tip
The dust should match the area being patched.
Avoid using dust from a knotty area, which is usually darker than the rest of the wood.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
The dust should be representative of the material.
Gather the Sawdust
Gather a pile of sawdust onto a piece of cardboard or scrap wood.
Sift through the sawdust and remove any large particles, wood or metal shavings, or other impurities.
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Run amagnetthrough the sawdust to pick up ferrous metal.
Wrap the magnet in plastic, then discard the plastic to separate the shards from the magnet.
Other items will need to be identified by sight and removed individually.
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Cleaner sawdust makes better wood filler.
Take care with this step to produce pure, color-accurate sawdust.
Avoid adding so much glue that the mixture becomes runny.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Form the mixture into a workable dough that you’re able to roll between your fingers.
If the dough has already begun to stiffen, it will be difficult to apply to the work material.
Once the proper texture is achieved, move immediately to the software of the filler to the work material.
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Working quickly, use a putty knife to flatten the wood filler and scrape away the excess.
Let the filler dry completely.
Wash the Putty Knife
Wash off the putty knife right away with warm water and soap.
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The filler is difficult to remove from tools once it dries.
Discard unused wood filler.
Stored wood filler will harden and cannot be saved.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
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Finish the Project
Sand the filled area very lightly with afine-grit sandpaper.
It takes little effort to sand the area smooth.
Avoid over-sanding, which will gouge the patch.
Avoid sanding far beyond the patch area as this may embed sawdust in the rest of the wood.
Wipe the area clean with atack cloth.
Lightly draw over the touch-up with the wax stick, adding other colors as needed.
Smear the colors with your thumb to mix them and to soften the effect.
