Edge & corner damage

[Clark]

Hi, Terry,

> "patch in appropriate species" That approach crossed my mind. What tips 
> might you have to blend/match the patch piece with the existing veneer - in
> my case I am working with rosewood?

I've seen the most amazing factory patches in Rosewood veneer, sometimes
considerable portions of panels are patches! These have been visible,
but not immediately.

I think solid patches in Rosewood would be wasteful, but small pieces,
shavings and sawdust can be steeped in alcohol to make a stain.

Easiest is to have a lot of Rosewood veneer on hand to find a piece of
scrap that approximates grain patterns; its color is volatile and so
bleaching and staining kind of ruin its character, but with the
precedent I don't think it matters much - anyhow, small pieces can be
matched well, and larger ones can be grained.

After I tag in new wood and trim it level with the core, I outline the
area I'm patching with masking tape. Joints less than 45 deg's to the
grain are the least noticable. I tape the patch on by duplicating the
first outline, and cut through the new and old veneers at the same time.
I like to do this by hammering a break-off blade at an angle so that the
joints are mitered.

Hammer veneering with hide glue works best, a little tape-clamping
sometimes helps prevent edges curling while the glue sets, and an iron
on low can reactivate the stuff to reset the patch if necessary. I
haven't needed to pre-size little pieces, but I size bigger ones.

Regards,


Clark