When you need to putty a nail hole, the putty often smears and fills open grain around the hole. 

 

Solution: Put down some painter's masking tape and nail through the tape.   Putty the hole and remove the tape.   Result is the putty is just in the hole.

Edited December 5, 20178 yr by Ron Dudelston
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A question????   What are you putting nails in? An indoor object that requires a good presentable finish?

nails?!

 

either it's glued together, or it's screwed together.  nails pull out.  and if it's screwed together, then either hide them on the inside (like pocket holes), or plug the pocket holes, or cut matching plugs for countersunk screw heads.

 

nails?!  

 

nails belong in framing of the shop.

 

Trim molding mostly, but whatever you do.

 

The other option is to stain, finish up to penultimate coat, add a filler to match, add last coat of finish.   Or let it completely cure and do a burn in.

We installed a lot of trim in offices and used finish air nailers to attach. The painters always told us not to putty the holes, they would do it. They would finish the trim and then make a matching putty and apply it LAST, unless it was paint finish then they would apply it before the paint. If the trim was prefinished they applied the putty after installation during touch up. That way the finish was already sealing the wood and any excess would just wipe off.

Herb

Thank you, Kevin...great tip...especially for putting up trim that may get pickled or stained before installation. 

 

 

Great Idea!

Another consideration is that if the putty is applied before the  finish it will darken differently than the wood, and stand out, that is another reason to match the putty to the color of the wood after it is finished. A good putty color match will be virtually undetectable.

Herb