big ugly scar...

[fanlee]

Hi.

I attempted a shellac and sawdust patch . I've done 1 or 2 in the past which were hard to see, ie OK, but this doesn't seem to be going well.

I intend to dye the surface. I have the offcut from which I could sample a piece, but can anyone offer a simpler method.

There's a dip in the surface directly beside the binding. I guess a slipped up sanding the carved surface before the binding was applied.

Any suggestions please?

Thanks, Rob.

[yvonnegee]

OK - I am far far from an expert and have no experience with shellac and sawdust. But I will provide a comment.

When building an oiled jarrah balcony and deck we had some deep knotholes to be filled. We filled with 2 pot epoxy. For a small amount we were able to get some very cheaply from a nearby boatbuilder, plus some clear filler. We found for an oiled finish that a clear fill looked better than one filled with sawdust. Usually more than one fill was required to take into account shrinkage. The epoxy married together seamlessly. So long as clean up was quick it was easy to clean around the fill area to make a neat job.


For painted timber I have successfully used sawdust and epoxy mixes. The secret is in getting the mix thick enough to work but thin enough to be self levelling, then cleaning around the area quickly. Any overfill can be sanded off.
Oil and probably stain does not stick well to the epoxy, but the paint was fine.


I can only imagine that using shellac is not that different, but easier to cover with a variety of finishes. My thought looking at your photo is that it will work, but you need to add a deal more sawdust to your mix. It is better to overfill and sand than to have to deal with the darkened (shellac?) area while staining unless you are using a very dark stain.

[AlexS]

We found for an oiled finish that a clear fill looked better than one filled with sawdust.

Absolutely. You can use clear epoxy untinted, or you can use powdered tints such as ochre, venetian red and umber (available from art shops), from which you can match most timbers.

You can plane, scrape and sand it, and shellac will go onto it with no problems.

[fanlee]

hi. I went weak at the knees on reading Barry's advice on MIMF - Barry is a very experienced guitar builder,


I always think that a well fitted wood filler patch is superior over dried glue especially for trying to match the existing, surrounding finish.

Carefully cut it out to a depth of maybe 1/8" (but removing the least material possible) using vertically cut chisels and/or knives, or a small router. Then close fit and glue in a tapered patch. It can sometimes be done to the point of invisibility, or at least that's the goal.

To

but i really had no choice ..so ..i cut with an assortment of hobby knives chisels...whatever..

the patch was small and flimsy and broke a number of times...

I have never done anything like this, and never want to again...but..

here are the 'after' pics...


The bandages are just off..still a lot of prep to do on the the top, but I don't believe I could have expected a better result due to my relative inexperience. Thanks for all your considerations guys


REgards,
Rob.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

Good work!

Patching is the harder option, but IMHO the result speaks for itself. Well worth it. (And now you don't have to work as hard trying to hide the repair with a surface finish. Bonus! )