Is there some kind of epoxy syringe?

[Brian Kent]

This is a laminated headrest. While sanding to shape a dark spot appeared about the middle of the headrest (and about the middle of the photo) just below and right of the "eyes" in the wood grain.

I felt it and it gives slightly. I sanded through to the glue line between the laminated boards, and have found an air bubble.

I figure I have 2 choices:

1) Drill a tiny hole and inject the bubble with epoxy or super glue. I still risk sanding through later, but if I don't, I'll have the consistent grain pattern.

2) Find another piece of wood with similar grain, carve out the bubble (1" x 1/4") and inlay the new piece. Possibly visible, but stronger.

What do you think?

[Mike Henderson]

The dark spot appears to be on one of the dark grain lines. I'd probably cut it out and inlay a piece with the same color. If you choose your wood carefully, it will be almost invisible. In any case, you have a dark spot there now which calls attention to itself so an inlaid piece will not be more obvious.

Mike

[Brian Kent]

You are right, Mike. I'll go find a piece with similar grain from the same board.

Thanks,

Brian

[Brian Kent]

I did not do a good job at all on the patch inlay. It looks like a patch and it is right in the middle of the headrest.

One option is to buy another piece of wood.

Another is to get help and do a bigger inlay. The bubble between boards ended up being 3/4" by 2", and the patch inlay really sticks out.

But since I am not uploading a photo, I hope that means it didn't really happen.:o

Brian

[Bill Huber]

I did not do a good job at all on the patch inlay. It looks like a patch and it is right in the middle of the headrest.

One option is to buy another piece of wood.

Another is to get help and do a bigger inlay. The bubble between boards ended up being 3/4" by 2", and the patch inlay really sticks out.

But since I am not uploading a photo, I hope that means it didn't really happen.:o

Brian

What if..........

You cut a 1/8 inch strip off of the same type wood and made it the same shape only say 1 inch smaller all the way around. Then cut another 1/8 strip and made it the same shape but 3/4 of an inch smaller then the last one.

You could even use a different wood on the first layer.
Now you can call it part of the design.

This will give you an idea of what I am talking about.

139343

[john bateman]

Do you have the ability to make a veneer? Resaw a board of similar appearance to about an 1/8" and sand or plane until it's 1/16" or so. Then glue it overtop that entire part of the chair and feather-sand the edges until it all blends together.

[Brian Kent]

Bill, your idea is very nice, except for the clash of styles with the rest of the piece. It is a Maloof style rocker that needs more organic flowing lines.

John, I may try that one, since it involves feathering with soft lines and not inlay with hard lines. Here is the source of the problem:
http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=129774&highlight=board+thickener

Here is some more about the rocker:
http://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=124002&highlight=maloof+rocker+plans&page=10

The piece that is now in front is too thin in the middle. But the structure could also be a part of the solution since I could now slice a piece from the back, convex surface of the headrest, which was immediately adjacent to the front, concave part. Since it is a curved surface I would not try flat sanding, but could hand sand it until it matches.

I have done flat veneer before, but not curved. I imagine it would need a vacuum bag to secure it while gluing. What vacuum bag would you recommend with a shop vac?

The rest of the glue is Titebond III, with epoxy a couple of places. What kid of glue would you recommend for this experiment?

edit: I checked the lumber store this morning and found only one piece of Padauk the right size for replacement, so I bought it. I probably will still try the veneer if the vacuum bag is not to much, but I have a good back up plan now.

Brian

[Steve Clardy]

Looks like I'm a little late..

A good glue injector is your air nozzle.

Just add your glue, epoxy, etc. to the spot then take your air nozzle, open slightly and blow the glue/epoxy into the delamination.

[Brian Kent]

You are not really too late because I don't have an air nozzle. But I am glad to know this for the future.

[mark r johnson]

Your new piece of wood will fix your problem, but try this first. The original problem can have be fixed since you are not going to stain the chair. I'm just not sure with the patch, but this will fill fix the void.

I have some small syringes where I'll poke a hole through through the top surface with a #60 drill bit. I do this all the time with veneer that is starting to separating from the substrate. Most of the time I inject hide glue on the old stuff, but try to match the glue. Most glues will have to be thinned to get it through the needle. I just do not recall where I got the syringes; just look someplace that sells veneering supplies, or try smallparts.com.

The dark spot was likely the TBIII layer. It turns almost black in Paduck, but looks like a growth ring.

[Bill Huber]

I have one of these and have used it a lot to fix chairs that had bad glue joints. It works very well and it will squeeze out glue around parts of the chairs I have used it on.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=22068&filter=glue

[Fred Preston]

if you decide to veneer it you can use a piece of thick semi-stiff foam rubber and a piece of scrap cut to the same radius and size. glue the veneer on and place the foam rubber over it then the scrap and clamp it. this works well and saves the aggravation of a vacuum bag on such a piece. the foam evens out the clamping pressure. just don't get any glue on the foam! :-]

[Brent Ring]

I have one of these and have used it a lot to fix chairs that had bad glue joints. It works very well and it will squeeze out glue around parts of the chairs I have used it on.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=22068&filter=glue


Hoping not to hijack, but how do you keep this clean, especially if you use epoxy?

[Jeff Willard]

Mebbe try this:

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=20003&cat=1,110,42967

[Narayan Nayar]

Brian, I'm not trying to be a stick in the mud, but why bother? It looks like wood to me.

Unless the void is large or deep enough to cause stability problems, I'd leave it. It's a nice reminder that you're working with a natural material.

But what I do to fill large voids is to mix up some dyed epoxy (dark, usually), thin it a bit until its viscosity lets it run, then pour it into the void (with some masking tape around it to prevent the epoxy from entering the surrounding grain. I let that dry then us a block plane or chisel and sandpaper to sand flush. In this case, since the surface is curved, I'd use a spokeshave.

[Brian Kent]

Here's my next try. The first photo is my poor job of an inlay. Ooops.

I resawed a slice (about 1/8" thick) as recommended, cut to a shape that emphasizes the natural grain lines, and thinned and feathered the veneer on the belt sander.

[Brian Kent]

First photo - the feathered edge.

Second - the placement in the new position on the front.

Third - the backing for keeping pressure on the veneer. This mdf was placed on top of some dense foam rubber on top of plastic baggies to keep the pressure plate from sticking to the glue.

Fourth - believing my colleagues that you can't have too many clamps. I just used all of them and cranked the heck out of everything.

[Chip Lindley]

Use a disposable *turkey baster* syringe instead of paying shipping from Rockler. There is no easy way to clean out epoxy. I found one in the kitchenware section at Target for about $4.00.

[Brian Kent]

Here's the fix. I'll still decide whether to use this one or another.

[Michael Peet]

Brian, I think it looks fine and unless I knew what happened or was studying it very closely I don't think I would notice it.

Nice job on the repair.

Mike

[Brian Kent]

Thank you, Mike.