"Cardinal" wrote in message
and complete. I kind of glob it in the hole and then use a putty knife
to push across it. Doing it like this - the putty starts coming apart
and up from the opposite side of the hole. When I try it the other
way, it then does the same thing on the other side. I wind up wetting
my thumb and going across it like that, but I know there must be a
better way. Can anyone give me a litte advise on this? Thanks very
much.

Much depends on the particular situation where you're using the putty. What
brand is it? How big are these holes to fill? How new or moist is the putty?

Those questions aside, since I feel that all wood putty shrinks a bit upon
drying, I put on a blob of putty that is more than necessary and then come
back when it's dry and sand it flush with the wood. Depending on the size of
the hole to be filled, I sometimes have to putty twice, letting it dry in
between applications.

I suppose I take more time than many with my putty jobs, but it irks me no
end to build some nice project and have an obviously visible putty job be
noticeable after finishing.