Overheard a contractor at Home Depot say he uses a paintbrush to apply wood filler and I've been wasting my time with a putty knife

He said it takes 30 seconds per hole instead of 5 minutes of sanding and wiping and now I'm mad I spent 2 hours on a single shelf last weekend, anyone else got a simple swap that made you feel dumb?

2 comments

2 Comments

umar5915d ago

ok but what if the brush trick is not about the filler at all and more about getting into tight grain or corners where a putty knife just cant reach. i do a lot of those little dings and scratches from cabinet hardware and a stiff brush works way better than trying to mash putty into a tiny crack with a knife. you still gotta sand it down after anyway so the air pocket thing feels overblown if youre just doing light patches. different tools for different jobs i guess.

oscarc5315d ago

Nah, putty knife is still the better tool for real precision work. Paintbrush just smears filler AROUND instead of packing it tight, so you end up with air pockets and shrinkage that need a second coat anyway. Take your time and do it right the first time instead of chasing shortcuts.