Non-setting Filler

If you try hard, you might be able to dig a fingernail into it, rather than it being cement-hard, but never had it not set ...

If that's 'lightweight' filler it is for small cracks and fillets only. It is decorative, not structural...

It says up to 75mm deep, I've not used it that thick, maybe 3/4 inch and it was fine, I "tamped" it a bit after a few minutes, yes its the type with hollow microspheres to reduce density.

Its always dentable.

I used that to full gaps in balsawood models - its similarly weak!

No - nothing like that hard, more like blutack. Probably a bad batch.

Some products have a shortish shelf life. Has the tub got any date stamps

Fillers tend to set much faster the more out of date they are.

I keep a part-used bag of Wickes fine surface filler that is years O-O-D because I can mix small amounts to fix something where I want a fast setting result that can also be sanded down smooth quite easily.

Yes - June 2025 manufactured, 24 months shelf life.

I've recently been using a filler that you can get from Screwfix (and no doubt other places) called Toupret. It's from France as one might guess, but it's a powder that needs mixing with water. I had doubts as I recall how difficult it used to be to mix Polyfiller with water, but Toupret is a very fine powder and mixes into a firm paste fairly easily. It's workable for maybe 30 minutes and sets very hard in a couple of hours, depending on the ambient temperature. It will fill quite a deep hole and I've got good results so far.

Useful: Thanks

Toupret is a (French) brand, with many different filler products, some very specialist and expensive.

Agreed that the Polyfilla equivalent (I have some called 'Toupret Interior Filler') is very good - I prefer it to Polyfilla. I have been happy with all the Toupret products I have used. They are not the cheapest though.

Wherever possible I use either real plaster that goes off before you get it out of the bag, or the lightweight stuff that is as fragile as a young girls honour in a mosque.

Polyfilla et al are hard to use, take ages to dry and are a bugger to sand.

I'm inclined to get a bag of plaster - a lot cheaper and seems to be fine to an inch or so thickness. But yes, it does go off quickly, especially if it's old and/or not stored in ideal conditions.

Possibly for something in between are the easy fill 20, 45, 60 products. The number refer to the working time in minutes and they seem to be a mix of curing time and drying time before you can sand them. They probably need a two coat regime, fill the bulk and then a second light coat to fill the minimal shrinkage.

I've found that it is best to mix the powder with water and then leave a few minutes and mix again, as it may require a bit more water.

Thanks. Useful. I dont need it right now but...