There have been a couple of similar questions but none for my exact usage or that provides a good answer. I consider myself average to weak on finishing wood work so would like to hear some good input.
Let's assume that the floor or door trim is either poplar or pine (wood I usually use). And let's also assume that it will be painted white.
I usually use a wood putty to fill the finishing nail/staple hole. However I run across two minor issues.
- the wood putty dries smaller leaving an indention. Sometimes this is not noticeable for months
- even when being careful and wiping the surround area, there seems to be some noticeable putty remnants near the filled holes
So just looking for any tips/secrets in getting a perfect finish on white wood.
Update: Over the next couple of days I will go wood putty (using ecnerwal's advice) vs. spackle to see what turns out the best. Any other fillers to try?