Chipped tabletop
by
Robin Pryor
+9
I have this awesome little end/side table that is solid with tons of potential, but the top of it has a chip that exposes the particle board. Is there anything I can do besides decoupage to cover it or smooth it out?
12 answers
-
I can see why you want to repair this. It's gorgeous! You could buy the strips of wood veneer at HoDe of Ls to replace the missing piece. It's be a bit on the tedious side and wouldn't match perfectly, but certainly doable.
Z
on Jul 31, 2013
-
Yeah, I didn't even see it until I started sanding the top. It's actually smooth and flush with the rest of the table, but the difference in texture stands out like a sore thumb. I wondered if wood putty would help camouflage it, but I don't think that will do much to blend into the wood grain.
Robin Pryor
on Jul 31, 2013
-
Anything you do has a chance of still showing. Unless you are lucky enough to find a similar grain on the strips of veneer tape. It would look better than this though since the particle board will take stain differently than the wood veneer will. When sanding wood veneer in the future make sure to do it slowly. It's very thin and the pressure of a power sander can remove way more wood than doing it by hand so remember use a very light hand with very little pressure. Good Luck! Make sure you share finished pictures.
Z
on Jul 31, 2013
-
@Robin Pryor I am tagging @KMS Woodworks in the hopes you will find help there. Lots of good advice on this site from him. My only suggestion would be to use a thing strip of veneer as @Z has suggested. You would have to make it slightly larger so that you could sand the edges (by hand) to blend into the table. You would also need to know the type of wood in order to get the right veneer. Let us know what you do. It is a beautiful piece.
Gail Salminen
on Jul 31, 2013
-
Thank you, ladies! I will keep you posted.
Robin Pryor
on Jul 31, 2013
-
Ouch...this is a classic example of a "sand through" the veneer on these tables is maybe 20 thousandths of an inch thick and a power tool can wreck havoc very quickly. The best repair would be to find some veneer that is a good match...I can say you will never get it perfect or even close, but better. And better is good. The best tool for doing this repair will be an Xacto knife. Here you would cut out the damaged area in a diamond or rectangle shape, then carefully make a "patch" to perfectly fit the hole. The more precise you are the better it will hide. With the patch made you would glue it in place with some quality wood glue, ( i use titebond III). Some very light sanding ( by hand) will even it up a bit. It look like the entire table top has some soiling , water staining and or mildew issues. So those will need to be addressed too.
KMS Woodworks
on Aug 01, 2013
-
Is the damage enough for me to walk away, or is it worth the repair?
Robin Pryor
on Aug 01, 2013
-
@Z I have to commend you on your fine "sketch" the outline you suggest would be the best as it would eliminate any perpendicular "cuts" to the grain lines that are not already present.
KMS Woodworks
on Aug 02, 2013
-
Why thank you @Kevin. I feel quite honored in hearing that from you. You put a big smile on my face. Thanks!
Z
on Aug 02, 2013
-
some wood puttys are stainable ,i would try that first, would be an easy fix
Becky Newberry
on Aug 02, 2013
-
Can you tell what kind of wood this is? Would that make a difference in choosing veneer?
Robin Pryor
on Aug 03, 2013
-
I'm leaning a bit toward "cherry" but the level of contamination from the water damage and mildew is masking it a bit tough to determine. http://www.veneersupplies.com/ the site above has a lot of pics, you might also try to track down a local Marquetry artist in your area. they may be able to help with the ID and provide the veneer you need. I have a stock of veneers, but nothing in Cherry. Some of my veneer is pictured in this article I wrote. http://www.networx.com/article/about-cabinet-facing
KMS Woodworks
on Aug 03, 2013
Sign Up to Answer
