The trick to filling nail holes and small gaps in furniture, woodwork and cabinets is to use colored putty that matches the wood finish.
Universal fillers claim: “Will take stain and match the color of the wood.” Don’t believe it. Often they don’t match accurately, and the filler shows up as a distinct light mark.
Professionals who finish furniture or woodwork will complete the stain and apply the first coat of clear finish. Then they fill imperfections with putty colored to match the wood. They may use several colors of filler. After filling, a second or third coat of clear finish is applied.
If you are patching an area with an old, completed finish, add the colored putty with your finger and wipe the surface smooth with a clean cloth. As long as the color matches, you don’t need an additional coat of finish.
But how do you match the color? Either buy the correct colored putty or use this trick: buy three colors – light tan, dark brown and mahogany. Then just blend the colors till you have the correct color match. Putty that is oil-based and about the consistency of modeling clay works best.