glimmertwin Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 ...so I thought I did a pretty good job using the band saw to cut pretty close to the line and decided to take on a little bit more with my router bit than I should have and surprise surprise I got a chunk of tear out in this mahogany LP Special body. I'm planning on doing a semi-transparent tv yellow finish on the special so I can go a little heavier in that repair area(lower bout on the back) but my question is how do I repair the tear out? Can I mix mahogany sawdust and glue(I'm using hide) and fill the patch that way? I would say it's about the size as a small marble. I have the chunks but they are blown out and can't be reconstructed. Would a veneer be the answer instead? Could I fill 80% of it with wood putty and use glue and sawdust to fill the last 20%. What are some recommended ways to patch up tear out chunks? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doeringer Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 My mistakes become inspirational posters, so to speak. But instead of the corporately cheesy sayings like "Goals" or "Perseverance" they say something derogatory & vulgar hoping that will make an impression in us, not to do it again. BUT, if starting over is not an option and you understand that it may never be perfect, both options may work. Putty may not hold very well and after time the entire Plug may loosen and crack the finish. Can you drill out the gouge and make a solid plug out of the same mahogany trying to match the grain as best as you can? Going heavy with the semi-transparent may make the mistake even more obvious so try it on a scrap piece first. Good Luck, I'm sure some of the other mayevenhave better advice. TD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick500 Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 Happened to me the first time I built a mahogany body. Fortunately it was less than 1/4" of tearout, so I just recut the outline of the body and made it a little shorter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glimmertwin Posted October 3, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 Is Mahogany particularly prone to this? I was paying mind to cut the appropriate direction...this is a complete bummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 Putty? Huh? Can you post a picture? Did you save the piece that came off? If you have the piece, then the fix is fairly simple, just glue it back in -- no dust necessary. Be very careful that no metal touches the glue (maybe wipe the gap and the piece with naphtha first) because that will darken the glue line. By the time you're finished sanding, staining, grain-filling, sealing, finishing, the line will become more or less invisible. Especially since, as you say, it's on the back toward the bottom -- who's ever gonna look at that anyway? If you don't have the piece, that's a little more complicated. But it's still possible to complete a pretty decent repair -- you'll want to reshape a new piece to match the gap, paying attention to the grain line -- chances are you have scrap from the rough cut, you can grab a piece from the same part of the blank. Use a slightly oversize piece. Since the glue will render the wood a bit flexible, you'll be able to work it into place, then sand as necessary. And I find mahogany to be quite forgiving in terms of this kind of repair, because of the grain and the way it seems to shimmer when it's been sanded. Fixing mistakes like this is a great way to learn about the possibilities of wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unrealize Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 I had some tear outs on my mahogany Explorer, but that was also my first build, so I just blame it on me not being very experienced... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted October 3, 2008 Report Share Posted October 3, 2008 Treat it as an "inlay", enlarge the tearout (you don't have to fill the whole depth), and inlay a scrap in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.