# Repairing shallow dents on painted door frame



## titan7 (Aug 26, 2010)

I have a couple hammer dents, very shallow on a door frame, what's the best product to fill them? I don't think bondo or wood putty will work as they are shallow.

Thx


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

titan7 said:


> I have a couple hammer dents, very shallow on a door frame, what's the best product to fill them? I don't think bondo or wood putty will work as they are shallow.
> 
> Thx


Hate to ask but...wood or metal door frame?


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## Jmayspaint (May 4, 2013)

Is the door frame painted already? I know what you mean about doubting that a spackle or filler would work. Very shallow depressions on painted trim are difficult to fix with such products because the fillers don't want to stay in the depression. 

What I do sometimes when detailing trim is to use caulk for a filler. It's kinda tricky because caulk isn't sandable, but it can work. Put a little caulk in the depression and knife it off flush with trim profile. I find a flexible putty knife works well for this. You have to knife it perfectly, because you won't really be able to sand any ridges or excess off. Even with shallow depressions sometimes you have to do it twice to totally fill it because the first application of caulk will shrink as it dries. 

It takes some practice to do it well, but it's a handy trick for filling things like hammer tracks or partially filled nail holes on painted trim. Dampening the blade of the putty knife slightly before knifing can help it smooth the caulk more perfectly.


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## housepaintingny (Jul 25, 2009)

Jmayspaint said:


> Is the door frame painted already? I know what you mean about doubting that a spackle or filler would work. Very shallow depressions on painted trim are difficult to fix with such products because the fillers don't want to stay in the depression.
> 
> What I do sometimes when detailing trim is to use caulk for a filler. It's kinda tricky because caulk isn't sandable, but it can work. Put a little caulk in the depression and knife it off flush with trim profile. I find a flexible putty knife works well for this. You have to knife it perfectly, because you won't really be able to sand any ridges or excess off. Even with shallow depressions sometimes you have to do it twice to totally fill it because the first application of caulk will shrink as it dries.
> 
> It takes some practice to do it well, but it's a handy trick for filling things like hammer tracks or partially filled nail holes on painted trim. Dampening the blade of the putty knife slightly before knifing can help it smooth the caulk more perfectly.


We too will sometimes use caulk for minor imperfections and use a putty knife or similar to smooth it out. I have found that caulk will usually stay in minor imperfections, as a sparkle or similar product will not.


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## daveblt (Nov 7, 2011)

Bondo or wood putty may work OK if the area is roughened up first .


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

...wood or metal door frame?


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## AlphaWolf (Nov 23, 2014)

Use a product called DynoPatch. Its sold At Sherwin Williams. General paint. Maybe even ur near buy hardware stores. Its like drywall compound. It spread much nicer than wood filler and bondo. Yet dries just as hard. Have been using it on steel and wood door frames for years, It will stick to the surface and u can sand away


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