Linseed putty to fill small defects on joinery - how long to dry?

[JoeS]

Want to use some linseed putty to fill a small crack in a panel on a victorian front door before repainting. Previously when using linseed putty around glazing I've waited weeks for it to go off.

Do I have to do the same for the linseed putty?

Regards
Joe
(student and disciple of the Jacob School of linseed oil products)

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Use 2 part filler and paint over it five minutes later.

 

[Dee J]

Leave it a week for the putty to skin over and paint with oil based paint.

 

[Jacob]

It sets quicker if you spray it with water mist, and is easier to clean off the glass.
You can paint on it as soon as the surface has dried off a touch.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I used to work with a decorator who insisted on using putty - the work he manufactured was unreal, every single job he did had to be revisited (often rained off, and often with extending ladders). Yes, you can use putty, but why anyone would choose to use it is beyond me.

 

[Dee J]

Addendum to my previous reply. If you're using traditional linseed oil based paint, it's essentially the same stuff as the putty, so the skinning over of the putty is just to give a firm surface to paint on. A light touch and a soft brush, especially on small areas of putty, and the wait time can be eliminated.

 

[Dee J]

I used to work with a decorator who insisted on using putty - the work he manufactured was unreal, every single job he did had to be revisited (often rained off, and often with extending ladders). Yes, you can use putty, but why anyone would choose to use it is beyond me.

Why use putty? - because it's wonderful natural stuff you can make yourself from basic ingredients. Seems more compatible with wood (and with me) too.
As an artist working in traditional oil paint, including making paint from raw ingredients, this seems like a natural extension of my practice... Linseed oil, and whiting already sit on the studio shelf.

 

[johnnyb]

remember this crack is a problem now but when that panel swells the issue will largely disappear. the real issue is the panel is jammed in its groove and when it shrinks the gap appears. filling is a very short term issue and it will appear again next year like Mr benns costumer.

 

[johnnyb]

filling often results in a ginormous crack after many attempts. ie crack appears....fill...swell... push back.. repeat ad infinitum. I hesitate to say try and loosen the panel or anything else as I've no idea on your competence and yours was a seemingly simple enough question.

 

[scholar]

I have been using two products new to me, both of which have been very good:

https://www.repair-care.co.uk/product/dry-flex-sf-2-in-1-150ml/Lots of videos on how to use this 2 part epoxy - not cheap, but it is very good. For bigger gaps/repairs you can use the other Dry Flex products.

https://www.chemfix.co.uk/products/...oxy-wood-repair/timbaglaze-putty-replacement/I have been using this for sealing in glazing tape and also for gaps between window frames (frame within frame).

For the panel job, I would use the Dry Flex.

Cheers

 

[niall Y]

I remember from my childhood that decorators of my grandfathers generation used what was called "Swedish Putty" As far as I can gather this seems to be a mix of paint and putty. It did go off quicker than ordinary putty, and was really useful when filling the many small cracks that form in oak sills exposed to weathering and the sun.

Probably the key ingredient is Terebine present as a drier in paint. I believe the present Terebine recipe differs from the old in that it no longer contains lead - though I could be mistaken in thinking that it used to.

It might be worth an experiment with some additional linseed oil and a few drops of Terebine, which is still available

 

[johnnyb]

just like paint if you want it to dry quicker make the layer thinner. it's the same with putty. mix undercoat and putty to make swedish putty. but it's fine surface filler.
lead acts as a drier with linseed paints. but it's still quite slow. it's useful to retard mould on stuff that will never be sanded such as burnt sand mastic. it's obviously useful on paint but it could be sanded so is best avoided. terebine is a metallic salt drier add to old paint or on cold days. bit like pozzolans with lime many things can speed up the set reaction.

 

[JoeSheffer]

I used two pack in the past - that's why the crack is there in the first place. Rookie error. The panel is now free from two part and i'm going to use linssed putty which has some give it it to repair the cracked panel as best i can.

 

[Owd Jockey]

I use Milliput inlays on some of my turnings. Goes 'off' after 24 with no shrinkage.

 

[johnnyb]

linseed oil putty has zero give once set. dryfix has some give though and would be my choice. the green is cheaper slowest to set and has most give( it really needs to be stuck using the correct thin viscosity product dryflex?)

 

[Ollie78]

I agree with everyone advising against putty. If you must then dusting it with plaster can help it dry a little quicker.
I would use one of the many fillers actually designed for the purpose,