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Replace Missing Wood with Epoxy
If you discover missing veneer, chipped wood or a damaged molding, you can fix it easily with epoxy putty. Kevin showed us the process he uses, and the resulting repair is so realistic that it’s hard to spot. When it’s hardened, the epoxy is light colored and about the density of wood. You can shape, sand and stain it like wood too, so it blends right in.
To use this type of epoxy, you slice off a piece with a razor blade or utility knife and knead it in your gloved hand. When the two parts are completely blended to a consistent color and the epoxy putty starts to get sticky, it’s ready to use. You’ll have about five or 10 minutes to apply the epoxy to the repair before it starts to harden. That’s why you should only slice off as much as you can use quickly.
To reduce the amount of sanding and shaping later, there are a few things you can do before the epoxy hardens. First, smooth and shape the epoxy with your finger. Wet it with water first to prevent the epoxy from sticking. Then use the edge of a straightedge razor to scrape the surface almost level with the surrounding veneer. If you’re repairing wood with an open grain, like oak, add grain details by making little slices with a razor while the epoxy is soft.
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Finish the Epoxy
After the epoxy hardens completely, which usually takes a few hours, you can sand and stain the repair. Kevin sticks self-adhesive sandpaper to tongue depressors or craft sticks to make precision sanding blocks. You can also use spray adhesive or even plain wood glue to attach the sandpaper. Sand the wood carefully to avoid removing the surrounding finish.
Blend the repair into the surrounding veneer by painting on gel stain to match the color and pattern of the existing grain. You could use stain touch-up markers, but Kevin prefers gel stain because it’s thick enough to act like paint, and can be wiped off with a rag dampened in mineral spirits if you goof up or want to start over.
Choose two colors of stain that match the light and dark areas of the wood. Put a dab of both on a scrap of wood and create a range of colors by blending a bit of the two. Now you can use an artist’s brush to create the grain. If the sheen of the patch doesn’t match the rest of the wood when the stain dries, you can recoat the entire surface with wipe-on finish to even it out.
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Restore the Color with Gel Stain
It’s amazing what a coat of gel stain can do to restore a tired-looking piece of furniture. The cool part is that you don’t need to strip the old finish for this to work.
Kevin demonstrated the tip on this round oak table. The finish was worn and faded. He loaded a soft cloth with dark gel stain and worked it into the surface. Then he wiped if off with a clean cloth. It was a surprising transformation. Of course, gel stain won’t eliminate dark water stains or cover bad defects, but it will hide fine scratches and color in areas where the finish has worn away.
There are other products, but Kevin prefers gel stain because he finds it easier to control the color and leave a thicker coat if necessary. Also, since it doesn’t soak in quite as readily as thinner stains, gel stain is somewhat reversible. Before it dries, you can remove it with mineral spirits if you don’t like the results.
Gel stains offer some protection, but for a more durable finish or to even out the sheen, let the stain dry overnight and then apply a coat of wipe-on finish as shown below.
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