for all the wood filler questions, here is my experience:

I had to patch in pieces of oak and various types of cedar and spruce flooring
in a house we did... and also to repair some huge screw holes and chips/cracks
in the "fruitwood" woodwork thru-out the house

for all the spots, I used a really light colored generic wood filler product...
I forget the brand, but it was porous....
I let it set, and sanded it smooth and flush with the surrounding surface

then I used minwax stains of various shades, and blended them,
experimenting with the mixes til I got a stain that was really close to
the natural color of the wood, just a tinch lighter....
I experimented on small blobs of the filler that I'd put on a paint stirrer stick...
then I put the mixed stain on the actual repair with a small watercolor brush,
and added coats as needed to get the color just right,
and blended into the surrounding material....

then the whole surface was sanded, and in most cases, polyurethaned....
sometimes after the final sanding I had to add a little more stain

there were a whole lot of places to be patched, mostly little, but they added
up to a really big job...
most places, the patches are visible, but not noticeable, and in many places
not even really all that noticeable...
the results kind of depended on the location of the surface, the lighting, etc...
but I got better at it as I went along too, as practice makes perfect  ;)

good luck with the project   ;)

deb

----- Original Message -----
From: Cubberly, Donna R (Donna) <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2001 12:59 PM
Subject: Western Red Cedar Crown Molding


> >       Is there a product available that could be used to fill in the small
> > gaps created by butt-joining western red cedar crown molding around the
> > ceiling of a living room?  I am leaving the molding unfinished and would
> > like to make the molding appear as though it is continuous, rather than
> > butt-joined.  I do not think the garden variety wood fillers will blend
> > with the western red cedar.
> >
> >       Thank you.
> >       Donna R. Cubberly
> >       [log in to unmask]
> >
> >
> >
> >


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