How to remove wood filler from Pine bench?

[prakash260]

Hi Team,

I have done a diy bench with dressed pine but after applying the wood filler I have come to the understanding that I have applied more than required causing patchy surface all over. May I know how to resolve ?  is sanding is my only option.

TIA

[KatieC]

Hi @prakash260,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community! It is awesome you have joined and thank you for sharing your bench. You have done a great job filling it already and although it looks patchy, once it is lightly sanded it will be smooth and lovely. Our resident DIY expert @EricL will be online this afternoon to assist with the best way to remove excess filler. I'll also tag in our knowledgeable woodworking and upcycling members @JoeAzza, @Oddchair22,  and @woodenwookie to check if they have any advice. 

In the meantime, I suggest checking out this great article How to upcycle a bedside cabinet by @MitchellMc where he writes about sanding back excess wood filler in step 4. 

We would love to see your finished project, please update us with photos. 

Katie

[prakash260]

Thanks @KatieC . I will do further sanding.  And will share how it turns out. At present it looks good but worried about finishes

 

[EricL]

Hi @prakash260 

If you feel that the sanding process is taking too long, I suggest using an electric sander such as the Ozito ¼ Sheet Orbital Sander. It doesn't require special sanding sanding pads and works with ordinary sandpaper. If the 240 grit is not getting far enough into the filler, I suggest using Flexovit 115mm x 1m 180 Grit Painted Surface Sandpaper Roll and finishing it off with 240grit to recover the smooth surface.

Please keep us updated with your progress, we look forward to seeing your project completed.

Eric

[Oddchair22]

Hi @prakash260 when you apply filler I would recommend applying in small amounts to cover just the areas needed then using a metal scraper and scrape off excess and leave to dry as per product recommendations. Once dry you would need to sand it back and you will find it will just blend in once all filler has been sanded. To do this I normally use a circular sander with a 240 grit. Clean all the dust residue and your surface is then ready to varnish or stain as required. Also I would choose a filler that is as close to the colour of the wood I’m working with, Bunnings has kits with a variety of fillers for different colours to suit different wood like pine, red gum, Ash ect. 
another tip is you can also colour your own filler using paint. I buy a white filler and then add a small amount of paint to make it a desired colour.

Hope this is helpful and let me know if you need any further assistance 😊

[prakash260]

Thanks for your reply  @EricL . I have done the sanding mostly with 180 and have 240 lightly as finish. I might give one more round of sanding and apply clear varnish. 

 

[prakash260]

@Oddchair22 The painting tips are pretty interesting and  I realised how hard it is to sand manually due to my excess filler usage. Thanks so much I will keep posted.

[KatieC]

Your bench is looking great already @prakash260! I look forward to seeing it finished. 

Katie