"benick" writes:

"charlie" wrote in message
...

"blueman" wrote in message
...
The DAP package says: "A premium quality all-purpose patching product
for the repair of cracks, holes and defects on interior wood
surfaces."

The water putty comes as a dry powder that looks just like the gypsum
in setting joint compound. After adding water, it also looks and
works just like 20 minute setting joint. The only difference that I
have noticed is that it seems to set harder and be more difficult to
sand.

So, what is the (official) difference in formulations and properties
of "Water Putty" (whether DAP or Durham) vs. standard setting joint
compound?

what does the package say? if not there, the msds will have the
differences. what does it say?

Durabond contains...
Plaster of Paris (CaSO4.½H2O) 60

Limestone 20

Or Dolomite

Mica 10

Vinyl Alcohol Polymer 5

Attapulgite 5

Crystalline Silica 5

May Contain:

Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Polymer





EASYSAND CONTAINS.....

Plaster of Paris (CaSO4.½H2O) 60-70

Limestone 10

Or Dolomite

Expanded Perlite 10

Mica 10

Vinyl Alcohol Polymer 5

Attapulgite 5

Crystalline Silica





Water Putty contains...

Plaster of paris

Calcium carbonate

Silica, crystalline

Bottom line , Joint compound is for sheetrock...The Water Putty is for
wood...It's BEST to use the correct product for the job...ESPECIALLY
if you are using it for a customer...If **** goes WRONG the
manufacturer won't stand behind you and YOU will eat it , so to
speak...LOL...If at home and you want to experiment...Go for it...Let
us know how it works out...LOL...Hope I helped....

Well, most of my patching is for old lath & plaster walls around
deep/wide cracks, holes or near the old wood corner bead.

I find that the harder setting versions work well in this case (even
though they are harder to sand when dry) since they tend to bond
together the weak plaster better than a sheetrock joint compound
does. In particular, I am now using it to patch around the wood corner
bead which is obviously a high stress/high traffic area and needs to
be shaped to conform to the rounded edge.

So far, the Wood putty does appear to be signficantly harder than
setting joint compound and works well.

Since it is more difficult to sand when dry than joint compound, one
trick I use is to come back after 5-10 minutes or so when it is almost
hard and run a sponge or wet sanding pad over it. This allows me to
gently "wet sand" it just before it totally hardens and leaves me with
a rock hard, smooth surface when dry.

Of course, if I am just taping a superficial crack or veneering an
area, I use the setting joint compound (even over plaster lath).

By the way regarding "experimenting", on an old house (1/2 of ours is
from the 1860's the other half is from the late 1700's), I find that
experimenting is typically necessary and even fun!