Design 92
RESTORATION, REPAIR, AND REFINISHING 38S
If the veneer is in such bad condition that repairs will produce a patchwork appearance, it is best to remove the entire surface and replace it. When this becomes necessary it should be remembered that glue adheres better to wood than to glue; therefore all old glue should be removed by soaking it with water, followed by a gentle scraping and sanding, if necessary. In the event that suitable presses or clamps are not available, sandbags, clothes boilers filled with water, or piles of bricks can be used to good advantage.
Very small breaks and gashes can be filled by "burning in" stick shellac. Similar in appearance to sealing wax, stick shellac is obtainable at paint stores in a variety of colors. It not only looks like sealing wax but must also be melted like wax when used. For averagesize repairs, the shellac is melted with a soldering iron or an old screwdriver that has been heated, care being taken not to char the cement with too much heat. When the depression has been filled "slightly more than flush with the surrounding surface, it is let harden after a moistened finger has been pressed upon it as quickly as possible; it can then be smoothed down flush with a spatula or nail file that has been heated over an alcohol burner, or in any other way that will not deposit soot on the blade. In order to avoid damage to the surrounding finish, an alternate method is to pare down the shellac patch with a razor blade.
Once hard, the glaze of the patch can be removed by rubbing with rottenstone and oil. If a single stick of shellac will not provide the right color, cement from different sticks can be blended.
Fig.
7.1.
Patching materials and equipment.
Fig. 7.2. Steaming blistered veneer.
Blisters are common disfigurations in old veneer, and if small and unbroken can often be reduced by the application of a hot flatiron over a damp cloth. If the blister is broken, it is probable that dirt has collected underneath, and must be removed by an icepick or an orange stick before the top can be flattened and glued down; Large blisters usually require opening, with two side cuts and one across the grain to form a flap. Since old veneer is invariably brittle, it is better to steam it into pliability than to cut it in its dry state. A simple "steamer" can be assembled from a length of rubber shower hose that is forced over the spout of a teakettle, with its other end enclosing the spout of a small funnel (Figure 7.2).
386
FURNITURE MAKING AND CABINET WORK
As steam emerges, the open end of the funnel is placed over the blister until the veneer becomes limber. Once the blister has been opened, a drop or two of glue is introduced and the flap pushed down and clamped or weighted; too long a delay in this operation will require resteaming of the veneer. Excess glue should be wiped away, and a piece of waxed paper placed over the flap before the weight is applied.