normanwisdom wrote:

Nonsense. Putty has been successfully used as a filler for hundreds of
years

Putty (linseed oil and chalk whiting) has certainly been used for
hundreds of years. However:

- This isn't the same putty. A lead-dried linseed oil will cure more
happily than a modern cobalt-dried oil, particularly where moisture is
high and oxygen availability is low (such as thick putty, or painted
putty)

- It was never regarded as a high quality filler. Quality work,
whether in picture framing or cabinetry used "compo" instead, which
contains rabbit skin glue as well.

- It's not much good. It never was much good, but those were the days
when we thought cholera was a good idea because we didn't have much
choice about things. Nowadays we have a lot more options. In
particular, it shrinks.

If you want references try these:

Historical use of fillers in trim carpentry:
James Ayres' "Domestic Interiors"
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/...455/codesmiths

High quality fillers and compo:
Paul Curson's "Framing & Gilding"
http://www.skillspublish.com.au/BK07-12.htm

Bill Knight's monograph on linseed oil finishes for gunstocking is also
the canonical ref on old linseed oil drying processes.


if painted over reasonably soon (within a few weeks) it sets hard and lasts forever.

Painting it over will _slow_ the curing (which is slow anyway).