Hello Ladies & Gents–
Would appreciate advice on how to repair a hole in a relatively new office desk.
The previous owner hacked a hole through a panel of the desk to run computer cables, etc. The desk is roughly 1.25″ MDF with cherry veneer both sides. The hole is about 2″ by 4″ with some of the veneer on the front splintered back a couple of inches from the hole’s edge.
I would like to effect a permanent repair with focus on the appearance of the front side.
I have purchased a sheet of thin (1/64″) adhesive-backed cherry veneer. My current approach and questions:
1. I figure that I need to replace the core of the panel. Any ideas on how to attach the patch? Maybe pocket holes and screws?
2. I need to provide a flat, smooth surface to which to adhere the veneer. Should I enlarge the hole or trim back the splintered veneer (with a router ata depth set to remove just the veneer)?
3. What’s the best way to get the size & shape of the veneer patch to match the hole? A template and guide bushing on the router?
4. I figure I’ll use some sort of putty to fill any gaps. Suggestions on brand & type?
5. Any ideas on how to match the color of the patch to existing? It will not see sunlight; will the cherry veneer darken under fluorescent light? I’d prefer not to refinish the entire panel.
Any other thoughts you could offer?
Thanks in advance. If you have any questions on shop electrical wiring, come over to Breaktime, or e-mail me directly.
Cliff Popejoy / [email protected]
Apex Electrical Contracting
Sacramento, California
Replies
Cap, run a thin strip of cherry (Or ebony)across the whole desk top to cover the damage.
Before you attach it, using a corebox bit plus a rounding over bit in your router, rout out a few lengthwise flutes for pens and pencils etc. It will look like it was designed that way.
If you want to make deeper flutes, use thicker strips and 'Let it in' to the mortised area covering the damage.
Glue the finished piece in, but, allow a scant 1/8" to stand 'Proud' of the surface. G'Luck Stein.
Cap,
Repairing veneer is a fussy job. As you suspected, you have to patch the underlayment before you can get to the veneer. I'd probably patch the MDF with a thinner pc of the same stuff. Cut it 1/2" or 3/4" bigger than the hole all around, lay it over the hole, and scribe around it. Rout to the thickness of your patch plus the thickness of the veneer, a step or ledge out to the mark you scribed. Glue the patch in. (If you are repairing both sides of the panel, you'll need to do this on the other side too.) You want the patch to be flush with the substrate you are patching.
Now make a veneer patch. It will be less noticeable if the ends of the patch are irregular (jagged) rather than making it a rectangle. Try to match the grain pattern and figure the best you can. A striped patch in a face grain surface will never look right. Try to orient the grains inclination to match as well. In other words, if the grain is running uphill from left to right, and your patch's grain running downhill (as if you were going to pass a plane across it) it won't ever match either. (Are you scared yet?)
Lay the patch over the opening, and scribe around it with a sharp X-acto or some such. Carefully chisel away the veneer inside the scribe marks. Try it and pare away anything that doesn't allow it to go in. Then glue it down, with wax paper or saran wrap over top, then a flat block to keep everything flat. Use just enough glue to be sure of a good bond without having a lot of squeeze-out. Clamp it , or use weight if a clamp won't reach. I like to seal the end grain of the patch and its opening with shellac or lacquer before gluing, to make the glue line less noticeable. It helps if the edges of the patch are slightly tapered, so it wedges itself as it is pressed into place.
Now you're ready to match the color and finish. Scrape off any glue, and lightly sand the patch and area around it. You'll have to use your own judgement on that, but I usually start out with a dye and try to match the highlight color in that area. Gradually add more color and opacity to approach the final color of the finish, with the idea that every coat brings you closer to a match. The last couple coats should be clear, unless its a tinted finish you are matching. Remember to match the degree of gloss as well as the thickness and type of finish, or it will stand out. If you do both sides of the repair, practice on the least visible side first.
Good luck,
Ray
Thanks very much for the advice.
If the problem were on the desk top, I'd take steinmetz's advice. Nice approach--turn a problem into a "feature"!
Joinerswork, I appreciate the good ideas. I used a similar approach (cutting the patch on the substrate) when splicing in drawings to pages of text for my master's thesis. This was way before computers--I had the assistance of a typist and a graphic artist, and I made up the pages to be xeroxed.
If it turns out, I'll post before and after pix.
Cliff
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