Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
christymck

Wood filler & Sanding Kitchen Cabinets

ChristyMcK
9 years ago

Hi. I am painting our kitchen cabinets. The previous owners painted them a lovely color but the wood filling was not properly sanded (leaving big bumps where previous hardware was), used only one coat of paint, and the paint was peeling in parts of the kitchen. I am painting them over, with the same lovely lemony cream color (Pratt & Lambert Ambertique).

My question has to do with wood filler and sanding and getting that ultra smoother finish over filled wood. My cabinets are fir plywood from the 1960s. I thought they were super smooth post-sanding based on touch but now that primer is on, I can see raised wood filler in parts (just the problem I was trying to correct!) and parts where the wood filler didn't fill and is still indented. Tips? Is there a really awesome wood filler I should try? How do I get super flat fill that is seamless with the wood?

I started with elmer's carpenter's wood filler max but it was too thick and granular. The hardware guy then recommended Zar latex wood patch which has worked pretty well - it's at least a good consistency. Most of the dents are from prior hardware and wear and tear. It isn't big, it's just ugly and I'm a bit of a perfectionist.