Best way to fill seams, gaps and staple holes?

[Bretster]

Hi All,
What is the best product or DIY to fill exterior seams, gaps, staple and screw holes? Will be painted so not worried about color, just need it to not fall out and be waterproof. Following are some ideas:
- PVA sawdust slurry
- Sikaflex 291 (can’t get 292 around here)
- automotive body filler

Thanks much!

Bret


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[JasenC]

For screw holes, knot holes etc, Minwax high performance wood filler.
If it's a joint that is going to have some movement/flexing, Sika.

[Philip]

Look around in the big box stores. Around the flooring section there will be tubes of floor repair putty. You can get in colors. It doesn't shrink when it dry's. It takes paint very good. I haven't used it on screw holes. Staples, brad holes it works very well. I also used it for corner gaps. It doesn't have linseed oil in it. There is no long turn shrinkage problems.

I used it on my camper and sprinter builds. I have found any pop out from my travels on the van.

[tony.latham]

or DIY to fill exterior seams, gaps...

How big are the gaps?

Tony

[Bretster]

Biggest gap is less than 1/8”, mostly more like 1/16” or less. And a couple spots where butt ends are uneven and will require some filling and feathering to make smooth.

Bret


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[tony.latham]

If it were me, I'd use thickened epoxy. You'll not need to worry about it coming loose as might happen with Bondo.

Tony

[JasenC]

That all sounds like wood filler or epoxy.

[twisted lines]

Bongos a no!

Spell check and I left it

[swoody126]

epoxy thickened with wood flour(not saw dust)

you can create the viscosity desired quite easily

treat the wood with un-thickened epoxy first and allow it to begin curing while you mix the wood flour into the rest of the pox to make your filler

apply the thickened mix to the still green epoxy coated wood leaving it a hair proud for fairing

sw

[Bretster]

Thanks everyone, I think I will use wood filler for most of the staples, except for the deeper ones where my crown stapler acted up, and epoxy/wood flour for gaps. Luckily I have a very good boat supply store nearby. Here is how the trailer looks at this stage.


Bret


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[JasenC]

It's coming along nicely Bret.

[dmdc411]

I used Durhams rock-hard water putty. Something my grandfather showed as a kid! I've used it for various repairs over the years! And it's cheap!

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[tony.latham]

I used Durhams rock-hard water putty. Something my grandfather showed as a kid! I've used it for various repairs over the years! And it's cheap!

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I use that for... mouse poison. I mix it in with rolled oats. It's plaster.

Tony

[Bretster]

I have a follow up question I will ask in a bit.

First some history. I have filled the staple holes with wood filler and seams, gaps and screws with epoxy/wood flour. I like the wood flour, it makes the epoxy easier to work with. The epoxy is not the easiest stuff to sand and I am finding that the edges are somewhat difficult to feather into the surroundings. I don’t want to be too aggressive since this is 1/8” ply.

My first question is, can I use wood filler to feather the epoxy ridge? It means that wood filler will in some cases either butt against epoxy or will form a thin cover over the epoxy. Will this cause issues with adhesion in the future?

Thanks again everyone for your insights. I can see the end in sight at which point I plan to post some photos and some notes.

Bret


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[tony.latham]

The epoxy is not the easiest stuff to sand and...

Are you fiberglassing over it? (Epoxy thickened with micro balloons makes for easy sandy, BTW.)

Tony