Maple wood filler

[Rich]

Has anybody used wood filler with maple successfully? I bought some the other day - tried it on a sample piece - and it looks like crap. I didn't try to finish over it yet but I don't think that's going to help it either.

[ITE]

What kind of maple are you using? anything special, birdseye, etc. What do you mean it looks like crap? Why are you using a filler on maple. It is a rather closed grained material and is not usually finished with a filler. What is the moisture content? was it air dried or kiln dried?

[Rich]

Not for any of that.. on the last pass on the planer for a drawer face it ended up getting turned around and it tore out a few spots. It has just enough figure in the grain to not plane smoothly in more than one direction.

[Tom R]

Rich,

How do you like somebody that anwers a question about 3 months later than it was asked? Oh well, here goes anyway. I like to use the little 'jars' of filler they sell at Home Depot, among other places. I believe they're called 'Color Putty'. Anyway, they come in about 10 colors at about $1.99/each. Buy them all, and 'mix' a small ball of 'three' or even four colors of your choice to match your wood. The 'multiple' colors will give a 'marble-ized' or 'grainy' effect. Always use 'white' or even 'light pine' as one of your colors. For best effect, use 'between' finish coats. Works great for nail holes and small gaps.

[Rich]

Answers are answers.. :)
I actually found some very good stuff called Famowood - excellent filler. Barely distinguishable after finishing. Can be mixed with other colors for color matching.

[Tom R]

I like 'famowood' too, very 'pliable'.

[dengle]

I like 'famowood' too, very 'pliable'.

my father has used sawdust of the same wood-type and wood glue as a pretty good filler. aside from no grain it works well and is almost always the same color when staining.

[mfinley919]

I've had good luck with hide glue mixed with the saw dust of the wood I'm working with. Never tried it with maple only alder and cherry.