# Filler on a Paint grade Cabinet - putty or bondo?



## ShawnQ (May 21, 2004)

I'm building a set of cabinets for our laundry room. I volunteered to do it when my Wife tried to talk me into the $7k custom cabinets that the big box stores tried to sell her.










Anyhow, I've never built cabinets. Ive built a little bit of rustic style furniture where knots and cracks are desired. Ive built a few bookshelves and a tv stand with doors...but nothing that really needed to be precise like a cabinet. Thats not to say I'm not capable, we just wanted the old look. Now she wants a fancier look.

On these shaker style cabinets, my wife wants a smooth painted finish. I used pine/whitewood, which has a few flaws here and there that need to be filled. I built them with concealed fasteners, so my main use for fillers is on the knots and dents/dings that you get with cheap lumber.

In the past woodworking I have done, elmers putty has been enough. However, ive only needed to fill nail holes and maybe a small gap here and there. The few times I used it on larger areas, I have noticed that putty will sometimes shrink...so I'm hesitant to use it on these cabinets.

I have seen a lot of people in the field who use automotive bondo. I worked in a body shop for a few years and I'm quite confident and quick spreading filler. Is this an acceptable option? My main concern will be a noticeable difference in texture between the wood that is raw and the wood that has filler applied, even after primer. I assume I could use a light skim coat on all face frames and door trim...but that seems excessive.

My planned finish is a primer and Benjamin Moore Advance - acts like an oil based but its waterborne.

And, yes, I know I should've used a better hardwood. I'm doing this room on a budget as an example to show my wife what I can do(she thinks I can only do rustic)...hoping I can do our kitchen next (instead of paying $10k for custom cabinets). The money saved doing it myself will be a good down payment on a boat, property, etc.

Ive done the new doors, laid the tile, the faux planked ceiling, the trim, and the cabinets. Still planning to add a cabinet on top of the washer/dryer, and a clothes rack on the far side.



















Thanks in advance.

PS: I know this is kinda DIY forum material, but figured I'd ask in here since my specific question is more woodworking related..


----------



## bill (May 21, 2004)

if small dents, try a clothes iron with the steam setting on high...the wood will expand back out, I have used this and it works (I use a old piece of cloth between the iron and wood)

you can get non shrink wood filler or a painters putty


----------



## MT Stringer (May 21, 2004)

About the pine...sand it to 220, then wipe it down with a damp rag. Let it dry. Shouldn't take long. That should raise the grain. Sand again. If you like, wipe and sand again. Then bonds.

Try it on some scrap first.
Mike


----------



## trout250 (Aug 24, 2005)

i use it under painted finishes all the time, but most of the stuff that i paint is primed, sanded and then finished with laquer. bondo will show up as a slick place under your finish if it still has a wood grain left.


----------



## ShawnQ (May 21, 2004)

trout250 said:


> i use it under painted finishes all the time, but most of the stuff that i paint is primed, sanded and then finished with laquer. bondo will show up as a slick place under your finish if it still has a wood grain left.


That's the concern I had....hard to explain it.

I don't have many flaws or gaps...so the slick spots will be randomly placed.

A good primer should hide the grain if I use a few coats.

Off topic - anyone ever sprayed household paint through a automotive gravity feed HVLP?

Thanks for the info everyone

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk


----------



## Wado (May 15, 2011)

When you said household paint do you mean water base? I have sprayed water base acrylic through a siphon fed hvlp after thinning with fair results. I always used the tip for heavy finishes. Expect splatter and orange peeling unless you have everything just right. I no longer use my turbine hvlp setup and have converted to a pressurized hvlp using clean compressed air. You can shoot just about anything through it, just turn up the air pressure. Most painters use conventional airless sprayers but doing cabinets in place sure makes a lot of over spray. Best of luck.


----------



## ShawnQ (May 21, 2004)

Thanks for the info everyone.

I will try the wet rag trick to raise the grain, and re-sand.

In regards to the sprayer, I have an automotive gravity fed HVLP. I have sprayed some thick automotive primers through it, so I think I'll be OK with the paint. The paint I'm using is Benjamin Moore Advance. It is a water based alkyd that has the properties of an oil base. It is fairly thin, so it may work. I'll test it first.

I'll post results when I finally finish them (weather and work schedule pending :headknock )


----------

