How to use Amaco Nail Hole & Corner Filler?

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I asked a frame supplier how to touch up some moulding and in reply they sent me Amaco “Nail Hole and Corner Filler.” This is a powdery substance. The problem is that I have no idea how to use it as a paint or as a filler. I found the Amaco web site (amaco.com) but did not find any information about how to use this at their site. I'm guessing it needs to be mixed or suspended in something so it will dry hard but don't know what to use. Any suggestions?


TIA
 
It is a petroleum based wax like substance that does not harden. In the old days most frames were nailed using small head brad nails which left 2-3 holes in the side of frames. The filler then was used to fill that small hole. It is mostly used now to fill fine seams in the miter to give a seamless look.

There are tons of products out there for touch up that actually dry and range from markers to creams which dry more like paint. Many items such as smooth black frames can not be repaired to as new look. On a large number of frames a new frame would be more cost effective than a repair.
 
But, Jeff... she said it is a powdery substance. We both know about the wax like substance we have but what is she talking about??o_O
 
I have gold leaf powders that were in the corner putty box when I bought the business. Those were a bear to work with, usually used for surface repairs not filling in nail holes.
 
The nail hole filler is wax but the Rub n Buff is not. Don't see any powders on the site but the description used being "Nail Hole Filler" indicates the wax we've been using all along. Rub n Buff is more paste or paint than anything else but in any case without a photo of the blemish being repaired we will never know if it is better off with a new frame or an attempt to fix.

http://www.amaco.com/shop/category-180-framing-supplies.html
 
Hi and thanks for the feedback.

It is a petroleum based wax like substance that does not harden.
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I must have received an ancient batch as this is large flaky granules. I guess I could have been waxy in the distant past.

So this stuff is not intended as a touch up paint but instead is a hole filler? Nice. That make sense given the previous general incompetence of the supplier. When I spoke with the manufacturer of the moulding they said there was some touch up paint available from the re-seller. I noted this to the re-seller of the moulding and asked them what they had, given that they are a manufacturer recommended and authorized supplier...

There are tons of products out there for touch up that actually dry and range from markers to creams which dry more like paint.
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Can you recommend any brands? I used a variety of stuff about 40 years ago when I did furniture repair and refinish but have no idea what is around at this point or who it’s sold by. I am familiar with touch up pens which are mostly dies/stain, but I’m looking for paint.

But, Jeff... she said it is a powdery substance. We both know about the wax like substance we have but what is she talking about??
Click to expand...

Not that you can tell from text but for the record I am a he, and evidently referring to some ancient crap provided by vendor that doesn’t know the difference between touch up paint and 20 year old hole filler.
 
If you post a photo of the moulding we can give recommendations on products. The reason there are so many different types of products out there is due to how finishes will accept and blend with them.
 
Post a pic of the nail filler and can. If it is flaky or a powder then it probably isn't what we are used to thinking of as nail filler. The vendor may have sent the wrong stuff.

I use an old wooden tool for applying the nail filler. Flattish on one side, rounded on the other. Smooth it on and then press it into the gaps, cracks, spots needing filling. Then wipe the excess off with toilet tissue.

You can custom mix the fillers to match the moulding colors.
 
They must have sent you some kind of powdered pigment. Amaco nail hole fillers never become anything other than what they started out: pliable wax. I rarely use these, so many of my color tins are the same ones I've had since I opened 37 years ago. Guess what- they are still fine. They do not break down into a powder at all. As Jeff said, it would be helpful to see what your intended use is in order to give you good advice. Most fillings or touchups I do involve using Elmer's wood filler (water soluble) and then common craft acrylics in the little plastic bottles from any craft store. With a few minutes' work you can achieve a virtual closed-corner look if you want. Most of the time I don't even need the filler.
:cool: Rick
 
Maybe it's some kind of clay powder. Amaco make tons of that stuff.
 
Thanks for the added posts. The crappy filler is on its way back to the seller and I’ll stop at a hobby shop and see what they have for colors. The moulding in question is yer basic mahogany and black mix so it will be a pretty easy match. I’m also going to re-assess the need for touch up paint in general. The back-story is that prior to a few weeks ago when I started to make frames, I had the misfortune to put some removable labels on a few of my works. On some of them the finish came off with the label. Wonderful. I contacted the folks who made the frames for me and they offered no solution. I have 4 frames that had this problem, iirc, and they are sitting in a corner somewhere. That is where the recent quest for some touch up paint began.

About 40 years ago I used a paint kit made by Mohawk and also another set of pigments that could be mixed in with clear acrylic or lacquer and applied by brush or with an air gun. Now that I have a lot of the same moulding nearby, it would be pretty easy to just make another frame, but being a thrifty fellow, I could do a good fix for small problems such as this in about 2 minutes at about 1/100 the cost of making a frame.

I wrote to Amaco “tech support” to inquire how to use their product a few days ago, but evidently they don’t bother respond to that kind of inquiry. I guess it doesn't matter since it was explained here. But you can certaintly learn a lot about a company by their customer relations or lack of the same....
 
Ah. The real story!

OK, your options consists of basically buying four replacement frames or breaking these frames apart, chopping the long legs to the short leg length and ordering two chops the long leg length. Or enough moulding to do this if you order by length. That is provided the long legs are reusable, aren't the legs with the finish missing.

When breaking down frames you usually lose at least a half inch of the rail because of the vnails. If you used brads and a corner vise then you might get away with sanding the glue off but since this was your first purchase of corner putty I am assuming you used vnails. Hand nailing corners go hand in hand with corner putty.
 
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