Q:

I’m making Greg Paolini’s Morris chair (“Build a Bow-Arm Morris Chair,” FWW #205). When gluing the veneers to the legs, I ended up with some gaps along the glueline. How do I fix them?

Albert Sisk, Ayer, MA

A:

Even using lots of glue, cauls, and a bunch of clamps, a gap between the veneer and the blank can happen. Before covering it up, check to make sure there’s not a bigger bond failure. Do this by tapping on it to see if it sounds hollow. If that’s the case, you’ll have to plane off the old veneer, and apply a new one. It’s a simple fix, but time-consuming.

If the gap is only cosmetic, ignore it until after the final layer of finish is applied. Then fill the gaps with hard wax sticks, which come in many colors to match the finish and are available at some home centers and finish-supply houses.

Wax to the rescue.
Push the stick back and forth over the gap, working the wax into the void.

Can you see me now?
The wax stick does such a good job that you’ll have a hard time finding the repair, and no one else will ever know.

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