Replies

1. 
   dmdnk | Nov 06, 2009 07:41am | #1

   Is it actual tearout as in there is material missing?  If so, you can try some wood putty, and sand it flush.  During finishing you can use an artists brush to add color and graining to that area.  If you are able to post a photo, that may help.

1. 
   stillfigurinitout | Nov 06, 2009 08:17am | #3

   I thought about wood putty.  Thanks for the confirmation.  I bought some oak colored putty from Woodcraft for another project.  I don't have it in front of me but it's a popular brand of colored putty.  I used it on some minor tearout on a miter cut and the color blends well.

   What I didn't mention is it was late and this was my last piece to prepare.  I didn't realize I had tearout, and when i went over it with a hand sander, just light manual sanding, that's when the bits of veneer came off.  I did notice the area was rough, I just wasn't paying good attention.  I may try to put on a light film of putty and see if it will stick.  I may hit the area once with say 100 grit paper to give the putty something to grip onto.  Do you think a coloring stick could do some good?.  Heck, I'm not really sure what a coloring stick is.

1. 
   dmdnk | Nov 07, 2009 05:17am | #8

   I agree with Steve that you should get a putty that will be a close match to the stain color- not the unfinished wood.  Also, I would avoid the 100 grit sanding before putty.  I usually use the corner of a chisel to remove a tiny bit of material in the damaged area and to create an irregular shape.  This will give a more natural look to the repaired area and give you a hole to put the putty into.  Definitely on oak, be careful not to get the putty in the surrounding grain!

   David

2. 
   Dave45 | Nov 06, 2009 07:47am | #2

   Two suggestions.

   1. Bit the bullet and buy another sheet of plywood
   2. Find a furniture refinisher and see if they can do anything to help you.

   I had a somewhat similar problem last week with a set of fireplace mantle legs and apron. The leg fronts and apron were made from beech ply and joined with pocket screws. Apparently, I had let the stop collar on my Kreg system drill slip a bit and when I ran in the screws, they went just deep enough to slightly swell one of the leg fronts, and when I sanded, I took of most of the veneer.

   No stain on this project, and when I shot the clear, I got three BB size spots where the ends of the screws were.

   I just finished rebuilding new legs/apron and this time I moved the drill stop collar ~1/8". This one is perfect. - lol

1. 
   stillfigurinitout | Nov 06, 2009 08:21am | #4

   Dave45, I feel your pain.  I had a few boo boos I fixed without a problem.  Thi one has me scared.  The BB size is just what I have.  I think I'm to try the colored putty, and then if needed some trans tint in shellac wash, then the watco.  It that doesn't work, that place will forever be covered with a book to heavy to lift.

1. 
   SteveSchoene | Nov 06, 2009 01:17pm | #5

   First do your staining and the first of your top coat.  Then you will know what color to match.  There are NO fillers that will take stain the same as the wood surrounding them.  But with the color fully establish you can find a filler that will give a good match.  On oak you may want to texture the filler to simulate grain with a needle, and use a VERY fine brush to paint on a grain line or too.  If you have that sort of detail in mind be sure to start with the filler matching only the lightest of the colors you see. 

3. 
   DonStephan | Nov 06, 2009 05:03pm | #6

   Steve's suggestion is the procedure I've seen in multiple sources, and what I try.  If the veneer has prominent pore structure (like oak) you might tape off the surround as closely as possible else the filler will level those pores.  Even with a good color match with shellac and powdered pigments, a repair on mahogany stood out significantly because I didn't scratch in grain lines after sanding flush.

4. 
   oldusty | Nov 06, 2009 05:24pm | #7

     still ,

          Lucky for us there are many ways to fix problems.

        Another way depending on the particulars is to use a router set about the thickness of the Oak veneer or so , rout away the bad and inlay a fresh strip , maybe the entire length .This method can be used in many ways on solid stock as well as veneers.

          good luck           "how good we are is how good we fix our mistakes"

                       dusty,boxmaker

5. 
   Floss | Nov 07, 2009 05:18am | #9

   Sometimes you can get close with a colored shellac and then use colored pencils to finish out the match.

   I use prismacolor earth tones. I picked up a pack of 6 at an art supply store. I used to use them a lot as a finish carpenter when I accidentally sanded through veneer. You can use the black and burnt umber for graining.

   As Steve said. Do your coloring first then match the area to its surroundings.

   F.

6. 
   stillfigurinitout | Nov 15, 2009 05:58am | #10

   THE FIX

   Well, I weighed the options and decided for this piece I'd bit the bullet and rip the area of torn veneer located just behind the edge strip.  I used a full kerf WWII blade and fortunately it made a clean straight rip cut.  I lost an eighth inch of width on the shelf but since this is (now) the bottom shelf, the 1/8" gap at the back will go unnoticed.  I planed a small remnant of plywood off the edge strip and reglued it.  It worked fine.  I can barely make out a dark speck or two, but only I would notice.  Fear of specialized finishing techniques is a great motivator.  Thanks for all the suggestions.  Maybe next time I screw up, I try finishing my way out of it.