I have made a boob with some maple legs I have been making for a table. All was going fine until the last minute (how many times, how many times!). On one of the legs at the bottom where the taper is at its narrowest I managed to get a big tearout c 1/8in in two or three places so that if I try to remove any more material the taper will be massively overdone and probably not be strong enough either. I know that I could resort to the ‘get a new piece from the rack and start again’ but the legs are all from the same baulk so look identical, are pretty highly figured and I don’t have any more – all my other stuff looks bland and would be obviously different.
I would clearly put this leg at the back but what can I do to limit the damage. I had planned to use an oil finish. I had thought of a sawdust/ glue or filler mix but because of the figure, the timber is pretty iridescent and I imagine this type of approach may well make things worse.
Oh yes and one other thing I need to finish it by next week!
Thanks
T
Replies
Tim,
Depending on the final color you are aiming for with your finish, you may be able to fill the tearouts with stick shellac. Use a color slightly darker than your finished color. You can blend two or three sticks to get the right shade. At the bottom of the leg, turned to the back, this may be acceptable.
It will be more work, but if you have an off-cut big enough (ripped from the edge of the same stock) you can make a veneer, and glue it to the face of the leg that has the tear out. If you soften the edges, it will hide the lamination line.
Regards,
Ray
The finish colour was of course going to be clear - the top is walnut so I wanted to keep the contrast high!
The veneer may be an option but the leg is only 3/4" square at the bottom and I'm nervous about planing down further to accomodate a veneer and potentially having the same prob again. What do you think?
Thanks for your help
Cheers
T
Tim,
I don't know what tools you have in your shop, so my recommendation may not be practical for you.
I'd saw the veneer 1/32" or so, thin as I could comfortably do it. On the jointer, I'd take off a corresponding amt from the face of the leg. It won't matter if you get more tearout, you will cover it with the veneer anyway. Apply the veneer, and scrape smooth. Carry on.
Regards,
Ray
Tim,
I'm assuming the tear-out is narrow and long and fairly straight: route out the area and glue in a piece from the existing waste with matching grain/pattern. When it is finshed I doubt anyone could notice. I've used this approach several times and it works really well.
Doug
Tim
Don't use glue with sawdust for a filler the glue will look like s-it after the finish is applied. If you go the filler route use the really fine dust from a RAS and mix with shellac until you get the right consistancy (sp). Shellac and FINE dust make as nearly an invisable repair as your likely to get with a filler.
Can't visualize the boo-boo exactly so patching with a matching wood ala dutchman might be a better way to go, as someone already suggested.
BTW if you go filler, use dust from the same species your repairing.
Dan
'I'm assuming the tear-out is narrow and long and fairly straight'
No even better than that - its a bunch of pits!!! It really is almost curly. I'm thinking that the veneer option might be best...... or another leg!
Cheers
T
Tim,
Yes, curly is tough to handle unless everything is super sharp. My vote is for another leg and get everthing sharpened. Good luck.
Doug
I think sharpness is defo the answer - new planer blades and time at the stone for me tomorrow!
T
Tim, to avoid getting the tear out in wild grain on the jointer, a secondary bevel on the face reducing the hook angle to about 5 - 10 degrees will eliminate that tendency.
Everything has its trade-off though. If you work with softwood also, this will cause crushing of some of the cells on softwood.
Managed to get another leg out of what was left. Everything sharp as you like - job done :-).
Thanks for your help and advice. Its 5 legs per table form now on!
T
Trust me - make another leg. Whatever blade or bit boogered up the one you've got needs to be sharpened or replaced. If a router did the damage then buy a new bit.
FWIW, I ALWAYS make one more leg than any particular project calls for. My work is for sale and I've replaced an entire leg on a piece, due to damage by a customer, on more than one occassion.
A tip I learned from Lonnie Bird that works very well: Take a carving chisel and carve a scoop out of the damaged piece removing the damage. The scoop will be football shaped. Cut with the grain sort of like scooping ice cream. Take second scoop from another board that matches in color and figure. Try to make the scoop the same size or slightly larger. Glue the new scoop into the recess in the workpiece with a clamp block and wax paper. When dry scape and sand. If you did a good job matching, the patch is nearly invisible.
Tim, I've never done it but I've heard you can do wonders with an airbrush and I do sell a lot of them to furniture makers and restorers. It might be worth a try if you've havent already done something else.
Sincerely;
The Tool Guy
Sawdust and glue is fine for pine if your going to paint it. Otherwise, it'll show. If your any good with chissels, remove each gouge and cut patches beveling the edges of the patch so they fit snugly and sand away. It won't show that much and you'd probably be the only one to be see it anyway. Or, just soften the edges of the gouges and finish. It's the sharp edges of such things which catch the eye. Be proud of the rest of the table. Brad
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