Timber Mate - Wood Filler (Rating: 5)

For years I was a regular user of the old crusty… I mean trusty Minwax Stainable Wood Filler. I've thrown away quite a bit that hardened around the edges, then the last bit on the bottom. Sometimes it would get a foul odor, too… but it "worked".

Then, some time ago I came across Timber Mate and thought I'd give it a try. I've been using nothing but this product ever since. I liked it so much after the first order that I immediately ordered all the other colors.

It's a product from Australia, but is available in the US. They do a great job of truthful advertising, so I'll give you their spiel … then I'll add a few more tidbits of personal opinion:

From http://www.timbermate.com/timbermate-wood-filler-is-the-only-non-shrinking-water-based-wood-filler-on-the-market

Now Available in the United States

For over a decade, Timbermate® has been the leading wood filler in Australia. The reason for its dominance is simple: there is no other product like it; there is no other product better.

Timbermate never shrinks, sinks, cracks, or falls out!

Timbermate comes in 13 wood tones, ranging from Australian Cypress to Walnut, and our Natural/Tint Base can be mixed with any type of tint or stain. And unlike ordinary wood fillers, if Timbermate dries out, just add water so there's never any waste.

Timbermate is water-based - professionals love it

Timbermate is the only completely water-based wood-filler, crack filler, grain filler, and troweleable filler available on the U.S. market. Other interior-grade wood-fillers are solvent, latex, or acrylic based, and they tend to buckle when the wood "shifts" , in addition to shrinking, cracking, sinking or falling out as a result of ambient humidity change. Existing fillers also have trouble accepting stain.

- Timbermate is impervious to climate shifts
- Timbermate easily takes nails, screws, planing, sawing, drilling, and routing
- Timbermate takes stain so well you won't believe it's not the real wood

I'll add to that…
- It is much finer in texture than any wood filler I have ever experienced. As fine or finer than sheetrock mud or a light spackle.

- The finer "grain" of the product also sands smoother and flatter than others.

- It dries very fast.

- The filler does not "stain" the surrounding wood, so when you sand it to smooth you really have only sanded the filler off the surface of the wood. I seemed to be sanding a bit extra to get the surrounding wood stained by other fillers.

I love it. I recommend it.