I was putting a piece together and realized that a little 1/4″ X 1/4″ piece of veneer had flaked off just behind the face frame and that little piece could not be found. I’m always dissappointed when I use some kind of filler because it never seems to take stain very well. Has anyone found a great remedy for these kinds of problems. And as long as I’m at it has anyone come up with a solution when they have accidentally sanded through veneer. I’ve tried to blend it with different stains and dyes but I’m usually just short of throwing the whole thing in the trash by the time I’m done.
Thanks,
Del
Replies
Del,
I've had mishaps much like yours (hasn't everyone). What I've done is to stain the patch or filler as close as I can--making sure to make it too light rather than too dark--and then make the necessary changes with touch-up pens (I can't recall exactly what they're called. I believe the ones I have were made by Minwax. They're like a felt-tip marking pen but they're filled with a stain). You really need only three or four pens. With them you can darken areas, change the color, and even draw in grain to match the rest of the area.
Alan
Thank you so much for your great suggestions. I can't wait to do some damage so I can try them out.
DEL
If you need the practice, come to my shop....I usually get one or two sandthroughs every time I use plywood (daily).
Len (Len's Custom Woodworking)
Del,
I have yet to meet a wood filler which does the trick of taking color well. I get around that by not filling or patching until after the first or second coat of finish (depends if it is oil finish, stain/lacquer-poly). When I know what the surrounding color is, I can usually get dead on with colored putty (mixing two colors if needed) and then "penning" it as mentioned above. Letting all dry before continuing on in the process makes it come out nicely.
Can't help you with sand through. If it's on top, it's usually becomes a good place to put a potted plant. :)
Scott
I've found a way to deal with sandthrough that usually works so well I can't even tell where I sanded through when I'm done. you take some of your scrap veneer and find a piece that will match the surrounding grain (one nice thing about veneer is that you can usually get a near perfect match from the next sheet of veneer). then you take your ROS and sandthrough the area even more, so that your left with a dip in the surface that is about the same depth as your veneer thickness. take your scrap of veneer that should be cut a little bit larger than the sandthrough area, put some glue down, and press it in place. I find that an iron along with catalyzed white glue works well for pressing. make sure that the entire area has bonded, and then take a sanding block, and carefully sand the patch until everything is flush, and the edges of the patch have feathered out making an invisible repair. hope this helps
andrew
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