View Full Version : Steaming out a dent
Erik Oerter
10-15-2007, 10:41 AM
Anybody have insight on how to remove a dent in African Mahogany by steaming or other methods? The wood is unfinished. Thanks.
Dennis Peacock
10-15-2007, 10:44 AM
Erik,
It works...bepending on how deep the "dent" is.
Put a drop or two of water in the dent, have the iron heat set to around "cotton", cover the area of wood with a "thin" cloth and apply the iron directly to the wetted dent. May take a couple of applications / steamings, but it will take most of the dent out. Some woods do "un-dent" very well though.
Mike Spanbauer
10-15-2007, 11:39 AM
Try this on a scrap piece first though as some woods discolour also... walnut, bamboo, and others...
DAMHIKT.
Mike
Heather Thompson
10-15-2007, 11:56 AM
Erik,
I took a class in 2005 at RoseWood Studio in Ontario. After spending three weeks building my final project of the course, which was pre-finished prior to glue up, a clamping block dented one of my table legs. Heart broken was not even close to a description of how I felt. Ron Barter, my instructor, broke out an iron, water bottle and cotton towel. My initial thought was, this is no time for ironing, was I ever wrong. Just another valuable lesson learned during my six weeks. Mistakes seem to be our best learning experiences. I would also take Mike's advice and try it on a test piece or you may be looking for advanced finishing advice next. :)
Heather
Joe Meazle
10-15-2007, 12:05 PM
Erik,
With a softish wood like Mahogany, with lots of pores to boot, you may not even need the heat just a few drops on the dent could swell the cells back out.
Ditto on the test peice.
Joe
glenn bradley
10-15-2007, 12:25 PM
I have had surprisingly good success with Dennis' method. My experience is patience. Do a little work and let the material dry and become 'normal'. If required, do a little more. I guess I mean don't expect it to come out perfect immediately, take your time, it will usually get there.
Jack Briggs
10-15-2007, 8:28 PM
I constantly have to steam out dents from mahogany and maple in guitar building. I use an 80 watt soldering iron and a wet clean cotton rag, folded over a couple of times. Depending upon whether face grain or side grain and severity of the 'ding', most often it will spring back in a few seconds.
End grain is another story...........................
Dennis Montgomery
10-15-2007, 10:32 PM
What has always worked well for me is a wet wash rag and a clothes iron.
Paul Girouard
10-15-2007, 10:48 PM
I use iron and wet rag , I generally wet the whole piece or board as well it raises all the grain so when you sand / scrape etc later you don't get a "flash" where only a spot was wet.
Khaya , African Mahogany may be to "brittle " to steam well though.
Do you have a test piece you could use first??
Josiah Bartlett
10-16-2007, 4:52 PM
I use an iron designed for applying heat shrink skin to RC aircraft- it has a heat control and a small sole that is easy to put where you want it, but isn't hot enough to burn the wood like a soldering iron would be.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 4.2.5 Copyright © 2024 vBulletin Solutions Inc. All rights reserved.