Doug Miller wrote:

In article , Nil wrote:
On 28 Jul 2004, (Doug Miller) wrote in
igy.com:

Patching plaster shrinks less than spackle, and dries faster and
harder.

For a hole 1.5 x 5 inches, I'd use patching plaster, but not
filled quite all the way flush with the surface. Then after the
plaster cures, lay on a thin coat of spackle.

Before applying the patching plaster, moisten the drywall with a
sponge. Plaster cures by chemical reaction between the powder and
the water. If you don't dampen the area around the patch, it will
wick enough water out of the plaster to prevent it from curing
around the edges, and the patch will not adhere well to the wall.

Thanks VERY much for the quick answer. Of course, none of the teenagers
working at Ace had a clue.

Tip: when you need advice in a hardware store, look for a guy with gray hair.
Doesn't even matter if he's a customer and not an employee.

So, would joint compound be a bad choice for these repairs? I would
think it would be OK for screw holes and smallish dings and dents, and
also to top off the larger hole repair instead of spackle. Yes?

Well, there's joint compound, and then there's joint compound. The powdered
stuff that you have to mix with water (typically labelled "setting-type joint
compound") is essentially patching plaster. The premixed joint compound is the
same thing as spackle.

Spackle is not suitable for filling holes much bigger than a pencil, or deeper
than about 1/8", because (a) it very little strength, (b) it shrinks too much
and cracks as it dries, and (c) the thicker you apply it, the longer it takes
to dry, which means (d) large or deep patches need to be built up in multiple
layers, allowing it to dry after each layer, which means (e) it takes forever.

Spackle does do well on shallow dents and dings, but for screw or nail holes,
there's something even better: DAP Painter's Putty. (Which may well be the
only product DAP ever made that's actually worth a hoot. If you ever need to
re-glaze a window, don't even think about using DAP glazing compound. Go back
to that Ace hardware, and buy some of the Ace-brand stuff. It's really good.)
But I digress... Anyway, the DAP Painter's Putty can be smoothed out with
your finger, and painted over far sooner than spackle or plaster. A little
goes a *long* way, though. Don't buy it in a quart can, you won't use it up in
your lifetime. Look for it in half-pint cans. I think Lowe's has it in that
size.

plain old acrylic caulk works well for screw and nail holes, but like
you said you need to smooth it out with your finger. However his
joint compound will work just as well.