How to fix damaged corner in old furniture?

Jarful House
by Jarful House
Do you think you can just use wood filler?
  14 answers
  • Marlene Lexie Springer Marlene Lexie Springer on Jun 26, 2015
    I am learning a lot on this wonderful site.
  • Debi53 Debi53 on Jun 26, 2015
    If you get some answers from more experienced wood workers, please take their advice over mine, but my thinking is that you are missing too large of a section to use putty. If it were me, I would glue a piece of luan to the top & then add trim around the edges to cover the damaged area. Use White Lightening to blend the edges between the luan & trim pieces. Then paint.
  • Jarful House Jarful House on Jun 26, 2015
    My friend suggested scruwing piece of wood and use bondo.. not clue how to do it yet. What about luan? what is it?
  • Marlene Wilson Marlene Wilson on Jun 26, 2015
    I saw a site somewhere and that women used Bondo on a wonderful piece.It was to die for when she got done and it was in worse shape than yours.Afterward she sanded it down and finished it .Don't be afraid of Bondo.
  • Trudy Trudy on Jun 27, 2015
    If you can't get it to look seamless, how about a decorative corner cover. Either in metal or wood? Search Etsy for corner protectors.
  • Marlo Brown Marlo Brown on Jun 27, 2015
    Everyone in suggestions gave really great advice. My take on this is I just finished a table that had gashes in it and it had been this way for the longest because I had boys. The wear and tear on my tables were evident. But, I finally did my tables and how I got rid of the gashes and missing sections was with a product called Plastic Wood by DAP. It's a carpenter's wood filler. It dries quickly enough where you won't have to be there all day watching it dry. You can shape it enough and mold it enough to fill in the big missing piece of wood. You can also sand it into shape once dry to mimic the other corners. And, I also got the product from Menard's or any hardware store. I hope this helps.
    • See 1 previous
    • 9530106 9530106 on Jun 27, 2015
      @Marlo Brown I too, have "rebuilt" many things with this product, as well as wood filler and rock hard water putty. I was thinking you could insert a screw into the corner and build up around that, for extra strength.
  • Darla Darla on Jun 27, 2015
    That's a pretty big chunk to build up. I think if you glue and screw in a piece of wood and use the filler to even it out, you'll get better results.
  • Janet Janet on Jun 27, 2015
    Bondo
  • Lindcurt Lindcurt on Jun 28, 2015
    If this piece is going to be painted anyway - why not replace that board with a new one? Find a carpenter to use his router on the edge. It will look the same. Less mess. Plus a beautiful old piece of wood left over for another project.
  • Honour Min Honour Min on Jun 28, 2015
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UFIWHNUt7o the epoxy product moulds to the shape needed but getting it right takes both skill and patience. So much easier to use yellow carpenter glue to add plastic or metal corner.
  • Patricia Swinford Patricia Swinford on Jun 28, 2015
    You can email Ron Hazelton .com and he does perfect pieces like this there are a build of furniture finishing products you use He may still have his information on the internet
  • Kathie Eastman Kathie Eastman on Jun 28, 2015
    Why not take a router and make the same thing on the other side after you kind of clean this up? I have seen many dressers like that after damage like this one. Make it look like that is the way it came. Just round the damaged end and take off the same amount of wood on the other corner and make it look like it came that way.
  • Lisa Lisa on Jun 28, 2015
    Great suggestions! I'm taking an on-line class via craftsy.com, which is excellent. Check out MH Ready Patch to "rebuild" the missing piece. Check out the class too - really recommend!
  • Linda Fraser Linda Fraser on Jun 30, 2015
    I think you could use a wood filler. Do that alittle heavy handed and let dry for a good 24 to 36 hours then sand well starting with a rough piece of sand paper then finishing with a very fine piece for the finishing part. There is no way to match the finish exactly to the piece but go to like lowe's or whatever and look for touch up stains for scratches you might come very close. I would take a drawer in with you to match. Good luck