I have a tub of wood filler that I bought for a project and only used about 1/4 of it. How long will it last before it dries out?
I open mine every few months (when I remember), and sprinkle a little water on it, otherwise it seems to dry up in a year or so.
Almost entirely dependent on how tightly you closed up the container. Air circulation drying out the contents is the problem. And Beowulff’s suggestion does help.
Sometimes it dries hard on the top but underneath it’s still workable.
Put saran wrap (or similar) directly on the remaining portion before putting the lid back on. That keeps air from contacting the filler. I have used filler months after first opening.
Have a tub of filler about 7-8 years old. Add water, macerate with a paint scraper and shake vigorously the day before using. Should work fine.
Same goes for Dry-Dex, poly-filla, etc.
Had dry-dex crack at the bottom, and dry out completely over about a year. The above method worked like a charm. It even went back to vibrant pink, albeit slightly faded.
Hope it works for ya!
Yeah, the saran trick is really the bomb! Mine has lasted for a few years as a result! It helps to smooth the remainder wood filler out so the Saran makes full contact with remaining product.
One trick with drywall mud is to leave a complete layer of water on top for long term storage. As long as you carefully poor the water off when you need the mud again and don’t mix it in, the mud does not get significantly diluted. This would probably work well with typical wood filler tub for storage as long as you do not disturb it much. I do this to a lesser degree with dri-dex and acrylic filler as they will dilute; but a few little puddles on top in the tub will keep it moist without diluting it.
I usually buy wood filler by the small tube and still never finish those things before they have dried out too much to squeeze out properly. Wood putty I will sometimes soften with a bit of air tool oil if it has dried out / hardened too much.