filling nail holes

[rookie]

I assumed that nail holes in cabinets should be filled and sanded off before staining. The guy that built the cabinets said that the cabinets should be completely finished and the the nail holes filled with a matching color of putty. What's the best way?

[Tom R]

It's damn near impossible to 'predict' how any particular stain will 'take' to any particular filler, - - without some time consuming experimentation.

I find the most efficient filler for stained wood is MINWAX 'color putty', - - HD sells it in about a dozen or so colors (about $1.99/each?). You can mix a pinch or two of 3 or 4 colors together to make not only a custom color that matches your stain, - - but also a 'marble-ization' effect that will more closely give a 'grain-variation' appearance, - - rather than an obvious 'solid-color' patch.

Apply your 'putty-ball' right before your last coat of 'finish', - - because it tends to slightly 'dull' the area, - - putting a last coat on top of it not only solves that problem, - - but it also 'locks' the putty within.

Take what you need out of each jar, - - and then close the lid right up, - - as it will tend to 'dry out' some in the air. If your mix becomes a little dry to work with, - - 'wet-it-up' with a little of the stain itself.

Hope this helps.

P.S. If you fill the holes 'before' staining, - - you are also (un-intentionally) filling the surrounding pores in the wood, - - which will prevent them from 'absorbing' the same amount of stain as the rest of the project.

[rookie]

Thanks, that helps a lot.