Drywall products will be much easier to use (go on quick, sand really
easy, etc.), but they are not very hard/durable. They also shrink alot
(if you have a big or deep dent). If your shelf gets dinged up now, it
will be even worse with spackling. Just add a tiny bit of water to the
wood filler. Or just spit in it. Really. And don't fuss -- just put it
on and sand it when dry.

-Kevin

Chris wrote:
I need to smooth out lots of screw holes and various dings in some
plywood shelving. I was going to use wood filler putty but it seems so
hard to work with, not very smooth, kind of dry, crumbly, difficult to
spread. So I notice all these different spackling varieties at the
HD--"crack shot", "vinyl spackling", "fast and final" etc. They all
list wood as an acceptable substance, although I have always thought of
spackling in terms of repairing drywall dings. The spacking seems to
spread on much more easily than the wood filler.

So, what's the best product to use for filling lots of holes in some
wood that will be sanded & painted (oil based paint)? Will the
spacking perform well, or is there some reason to stick with the wood
filler stuff? I was using Elmer's wood filler.

Thanks,
Chris