# Nail filling and polyurethane



## gowings (Jun 17, 2013)

So what do you recommend for brushed on water based polyurethane coats on clear maple before filling the nail holes. I was thinking 1. Then started thinking might sand the top coat off, if I'm not careful after sanding the filled putty holes. I usually do 3 coats, sanding after the 2nd with 180 and I'm happy with the final feel for smoothness after the 3rd is applied.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

What is the project? If you need to fill nail holes in a finished piece of furniture I would mask around the nail hole and fill it with any wood putty and sand it flat to the tape and then remove the tape and finish sanding with finer paper to the finish and then clear coat over. Normally if I need to put a nail in finished wood I put tape on first where the nail is going and shoot a nail through the tape and then putty. If the project is woodwork I finish the wood and then fill the nail holes with a soft putty and just buff with a cloth.


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## gowings (Jun 17, 2013)

I'm using veneer maple plywood on the face of a locker room bench. In a high volume traffic area. Not in a so called residential setting of a home where its a piece of furniture.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

If a hole needs filling, and the fill used is one that needs to be sanded, the hole is filled before the topcoats go on. For finished woodwork, the crayon type fill pencils work very good. That media is also available in small bottles, and can be mixed to match. It's just pushed into the hole and a clean cloth wipes it off flush with the topcoat.








 







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