Wood putty?

[torinodan]

I stained matching wood, then sanded and used the stained dust with epoxy. Worked a little better. Long time ago don't remember the epoxy.

 

[Ruger34]

Get some of these.... https://www.amazon.com/General-Tool...4T7OO?ref_=ws_cp_52233fbac966722e299e_p_1_t_p

Cut the plug from the face grain of the same type of wood you're trying to plug. Use a forstner bit
to cut the hole to fit your plug. Be careful with lining up the grain, and you can "almost" make them unnoticeable.

I never have big enough holes for that, 9 times out of 10 I will have no holes in the face of the wood other than a brad nail hole here or there.

 

[4ssss]

They also sell wood putty with the stain in the tube. It's only for the most popular colors. Best thing is to get sawdust and mix it with glue like they said above.

 

[zesty]

Is there any wood putty that actually takes stain the same as the wood it is being applied too?

or any other method of filling nail holes and small gaps?

Short answer is "no". Nothing non-wood will stain like wood. Not exactly anyway.

Long answer on how to fill the holes depends on what you're filling.
- For something like a wood floor, you'd stain it and then putty fill to match the stained color.
- For something like a gun stock (I have less experience here), you use a few methods to naturally fill small holes by swelling or steaming the wood before staining.

 

[Bellman2]

Mix sawdust and clear epoxy, I’ve done that too. That works but it’s more time consuming.

This works!

 

[zesty]

Short answer is "no". Nothing non-wood will stain like wood. Not exactly anyway.

Long answer on how to fill the holes depends on what you're filling.
- For something like a wood floor, you'd stain it and then putty fill to match the stained color.
- For something like a gun stock (I have less experience here), you use a few methods to naturally fill small holes by swelling or steaming the wood before staining.

I'm dumb. I forgot, with a wood floor you do use a wood filler before staining You can use a premade filler or stuff made from saw dust. It stains darker than the wood though. Usually you put your nail holes in the grain, which is darker, so it blends in.

 

[yardboss1]

I always use Elmer's Stainable Wood filler.

 

[The Old Jaybird]

Sawdust or sanding dust from the wood you are using mixed with regular old water based wood glue or Elmers glue.

this is what my son the carpenter does

 

[jeep78]

For gunstocks, use baking soda and superglue. You have to practice with stain and,or sawdust, but it works great and is sandable. Absolutely will not work on floors unless you want to make it your life's work.