It is a filler that allows you complete control on how wet you want it to be, how much you want to mix up, and how you want to form it. Any unused portion kept from getting wet will last at whatever temp you store it at without degrading, or getting to old.
On any premixed wood fillers, you know they are going to dry out in a year or 2. I have a can of Durhams that has to be 25 years old, and still works as soon as I wet it down.
In the past I have used Durhams on trim, that was broken, to recreate something that had been broken, and lost some of it's shape. Globbing some on, fairly stiff, you just sand, file and shape it to match the trim that is still whole. Clean it, and then paint it. In short time you have repaired trim on something that could be a few hundred years old.
For wet, it can be a stiff fast drying filler for small holes, and defects on wood before paint. Or you can water it down, and use it like a paste to fill end grain of wood, plywood, MDF, or drywall and plaster, tiles, many hard building products will work well with Durhams.
As it dries it never shrinks, indoors or out. Outside you do need to keep it painted, but if you do it will help you on so many projects.
There is another filler used by many, and falling out is one of the troubles with Bondo, it's lousy outdoors, and if it gets cold in wood it's gone.
Durhams has been a friend to me, maybe it could be a friend to you to.
I noticed Phil Huber of WoodSmith shop had a video on Durhams. I'll let him show you how to use it.
Gork’s Goodfilla is similar stuff. Mix up what you need, never shrinks, tintable (handy, if you’re using it for artistic grain-fill) and just all around good stuff.
Thanks for the heads up GW. Not that I'm gonna grab a plane (air, not hand) and fly over and buy a can... as I have been using this local supplied product by my buddy Timbermate, for years like you... but this review reminds me that my supply is nearly exhausted and I need a top up, 2bsure, 2bsure.
If your first cut is too short... Take the second cut from the longer end... LBD
Good to hear it helped in some way Duck. I was doing something at home with my supply, and at the same time saw that email from Woodsmith. I figured I'd just throw it out there to maybe make some aware of a product like this. All of the ones being mentioned are probably close in what they are doing, and that means they are just choices people are using for the same job. Mostly to say if what you are using comes already wet, and you are tired of it drying up, lookie here.
Tony I went cheap once, and swapped to Bondo. I think pound for pound there is like a 2 cent difference per ton, but I went with Bondo. I couldn't keep it in wood long enough to sand it flat, kept breaking out as I tried to sand it. Swapped back to Durhams, and never had that again. I followed the instructions, maybe just wasn't meant to be? I know a lot of people use it, but this is made for wood, and Bondo is made for metal, that was all I could figure what the differences were.