What is Selleys Plastic Wood, and where should you use it?

Selleys Plastic Wood is a fast acting solvent based wood filling cement containing natural wood fibres. It is suitable for use in repairing all types of woodwork in interior conditions. The wood fibres are the point of difference: because the cured filler contains real timber fibre, it can be stained, varnished or painted like real wood, rather than sitting in the repair as an obvious patch of something else.

The one thing to settle before you buy it is location. Plastic Wood is interior use only. If the timber you are repairing lives outside — a window sill, a door frame exposed to weather, decking trim — this is not the product for that job, and no amount of careful application changes it. Look at the rest of the filler range for exterior work instead.

What "fills to 6mm" means in practice

The instruction that shapes how you use Plastic Wood is this one: do not fill deeper than 6mm in one application. Solvent based fillers harden by the solvent leaving; a deep single fill traps solvent under a hardened skin, and the result is a repair that feels solid on top while remaining soft underneath, then sinks when you sand it.

So a deep hole is a staged job. Fill to no more than 6mm, let that application dry, then build the next layer on top. It takes longer in elapsed time but almost no extra work, and it is the difference between a repair you can nail into and one that collapses.

The related instruction is to slightly overfill deeper holes. Read the two together and the reasoning is clear: the final layer should stand slightly proud of the surrounding timber so that when you sand back, you are sanding down to a flush surface rather than discovering a dish.

Where to use it

• Repairing all types of woodwork in interior conditions
• Holes, gouges and damage in interior timber that will be sanded and finished
• Repairs you intend to stain, varnish, paint or lacquer

Once dry, the filler can be sanded, nailed, planed, painted or lacquered — which is a wider set of options than most fillers give you. Being able to nail and plane it matters for furniture and joinery repairs, where the repaired section may need to be worked further rather than simply painted over.

How to apply it

1. Stir thoroughly before use. This is not optional with a solvent based filler — the solids settle.
2. Ensure the surface is clean and dry.
3. Apply with a putty knife, pressing the filler into the repair.
4. Slightly overfill deeper holes, so there is material to sand back to flush. Remember the 6mm-per-application limit — build deep repairs in layers rather than in one pass.
5. Allow to dry before sanding or painting.
6. Clean tools with methylated spirits.

Limitations — where Plastic Wood should not be used

• Not suitable for exterior use. It is an interior product.
• Not suitable where structural movement may occur. The cured filler is rigid; a joint that flexes will crack it out.
• Do not fill deeper than 6mm in one application.

The movement limitation is the one people most often discover the hard way. A hole in the middle of a solid timber panel is a good candidate. A gap between two pieces of timber that shift against each other seasonally is not — that is a job for a flexible gap filler, not a rigid one.

Storage, and reviving a stiff tin

Plastic Wood keeps, but it changes in the tin over time. If the product has stiffened or developed an oily separation layer due to extended storage, mix it thoroughly. If it is still stiff after mixing, add a few drops of acetone or methylated spirits and mix thoroughly again.

That is a genuinely useful piece of advice, because a half-used tin of solvent based filler almost always looks unusable after a year and almost always is not. Add the solvent a few drops at a time — you are restoring the original consistency, not thinning it into a paste.

Pack sizes

• 50g tube
• 230g can
• 460g can

The tube suits occasional small repairs where the tin would harden before you used it again. The cans make sense when you have a run of work, such as filling a set of doors or a furniture restoration.

Safety information

Selleys does not publish a safety data sheet for Plastic Wood in the sources used to build this page, so no GHS hazard classification, signal word or hazard statements are reproduced here.

That is an absence of published data, not a finding that the product is non-hazardous. It should not be read as an all-clear, and the classification of a similar or neighbouring product should not be assumed to apply — variants within a Selleys range frequently carry genuinely different classifications.

To obtain it, request the safety data sheet for this product from Selleys directly: 1300 555 205 in Australia, 0800 735 539 in New Zealand, or contact Selleys. For an emergency involving a Selleys product the emergency line is 1800 220 770 in Australia and 0800 220 770 in New Zealand; for suspected poisoning, the Poisons Information Centre is 131 126 in Australia and 0800 764 766 in New Zealand.

Common questions about Selleys Plastic Wood

Can I use it outside?

No. Plastic Wood is for interior conditions and is not suitable for exterior use.

Can I stain it to match the timber?

Yes. It contains natural wood fibres and can be stained, varnished or painted like real wood.

How deep can I fill in one go?

No deeper than 6mm in one application. Build deeper repairs up in layers, allowing each to dry.

Can I nail into the repair?

Yes. Once dry, it can be sanded, nailed, planed, painted or lacquered.

Should I overfill?

Slightly, on deeper holes, so you can sand back flush once it has dried.

Can I use it on a joint that moves?

No. It is not suitable where structural movement may occur.

How do I clean my tools?

With methylated spirits.

My tin has gone stiff or oily on top — is it finished?

Not necessarily. Mix it thoroughly first. If it is still stiff, add a few drops of acetone or methylated spirits and mix thoroughly again.

Do I need to stir it before use?

Yes, thoroughly, every time.

What sizes does it come in?

A 50g tube, a 230g can and a 460g can.

Can I lacquer over it?

Yes, once dry it can be painted or lacquered.

What surface preparation does it need?

The surface must be clean and dry before you apply it.