I salvaged some attractive doors from a neighbors whole house gut job and used them to build a large kitchen cabinet. The doors and completed unit are all painted. I noticed recently, one of the doors has a “bubble” in the veneer that is about 3″ long by 1 1/2″ wide. To fix this, I was thinking of applying heat and moisture to the bubble until it becomes flexible, then making a very thin cut the length of the bubble, inserting some glue and carefully clamping the veneer flat against the door.
Will this method work or does someone have another “trade” secret they could share.
Thanks,
Rob
Replies
>> Will this method work ...
It might. At a minimum you'd have to pick the same glue the original manufacturer used. Even then, whatever made it bubble in the first place might also make your repair fail.
Maybe this would be your chance to learn to do inlays. Cut out the bad spot and inlay some decorative shape in a different wood.
I would try putting the slit in first. It's slightly possible that steaming and heating with an iron might reactivate the original glue. If the slit is already there to allow the air bubble to escape, you might get lucky and have it re-adhere just with the iron. If not you can still inject some glue into the slit.
If you build it - he will come.
You could have a toughie there. If the doors were industrially made after WWII there is no chance of the skin being held with hide glue. Depending on age, it could be a casein or a resin glue like urea-formaldehyde. If they were made in a custom shop, it's possible you'll find PVA or hide glue, but I doubt that they were custom made.
There's an old saying that glue doesn't stick to glue, and it's largely true. About the only glue that might work if you are faced with a de-bonded non-reversible glue would be an epoxy, because it sticks well to non-porous surfaces. You might try something slow drying with high capillarity (?) that will help spread itself throughout the debonded area once you get it past the slit. I have used the epoxy they sell for repairing dry rot on boats a time or two, and got OK results.
Michael R
A very successful method I've used to repair lifted veneer: Inject some thin super glue using an insulin syringe. You will be able to use the syringe only once. Spray a piece of wax paper with accelerator, back it with a piece of flat scrap board and slam it down onto the veneer area. Kneel on it or clamp it (fast!!!). Let things sit for a few minutes and remove the board and wax paper. I ought to be fixed.
I've done this on fresh finished lacquer and you can't see the repair.
Jeff
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