Overheard a guy at the lumber yard say he uses a dab of toothpaste to fill tiny nail holes

I was picking up some maple for a vanity job last week and heard a guy telling the counter guy about it. He said he uses plain white toothpaste, not the gel kind, for those pin holes you get from a 23-gauge pinner before finishing. He lets it dry, sands it flush, and then primes and paints over it. I was pretty skeptical, but I had a small paint-grade filler project at home, so I tried it on a scrap piece. It worked okay, honestly. It dries fast and sands smooth, but I'm worried about long-term shrinkage or yellowing. Has anyone else used this trick on a piece that's been around for a few years? I'm curious if it holds up or if it's just a quick fix that fails later.

3 comments

3 Comments

the_pat1mo ago

Ever tried mixing a little baking soda into the toothpaste first?

dakotacraig1mo ago

That gritty baking soda trick from @the_pat is a no for me.

cameron42625d ago

Seen this kind of thing a hundred times. People always try to use household stuff as a quick fix for real jobs. Toothpaste for holes, mayo on scratches, it's everywhere. It feels clever in the moment but usually skips the real problem. That stuff isn't made for wood, so who knows what it does in five years. Makes you wonder why we're all so against just buying the right tool for the job.