Laminate stock fix

[Terryb00]

Hi Guys,
I've got a nick on a laminate stock. See pics below. And I'd like to fix it, if possible.
Looks up close to be wood exposed, like it's just the finish, that's got a hole in it.
I heard a while back about using a damp cloth and an iron to take a nick out. I'm not sure that would apply to this.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Terry

 

[Lewis]

Depending on the level of perfection you are after, a bit of clear nail polish can do wonders. Fill till it's above the rest of the surface, sand and buff back to level, polish, job done.

 

[Terryb00]

good idea @Lewis.
Thanks

 

[RadioFlyer]

I concur with Lewis.

Steaming this boo boo would only make it worse and it would cloud & or try to lift the finish in that area. This appears to be exactly what you described Terry “ a nick in the finish” not a dent. Filling with clear nail polish is an excellent idea.

Grasshopper

 

[Terryb00]

Thanks Jamie

 

[Terryb00]

Depending on the level of perfection you are after, a bit of clear nail polish can do wonders. Fill till it's above the rest of the surface, sand and buff back to level, polish, job done.

recommendations on sanding, grit, paper?

 

[Fuciliere]

Soak it with superglue, then, wet sand it when it dries, then polish it, learned that trick from guys that makes custom pen.

 

[Lewis]

I would tape off the surrounding area and start with 400 and work your way up to 2k then polish and buff with car finish products like rubbing and polishing compounds. you can finish it like glass.

 

[Lewis]

Soak it with superglue, then, wet sand it when it dries, then polish it, learned that trick from guys that makes custom pen.

Will the superglue dry clear enough or will it remain milky?

 

[Mr.H]

There's another product in the "superglue" family called Gluboost. Guys that make custom pens and luthiers use it to fill imperfections like whats on your stock.

 

[Sicumj]

I believe polyurethane is what is used on laminates to finish them. Looks like yours is a satin finish. You could probably touch the nick up without sanding if you are careful. As others have said small bottle of hobby paint or nail polish will work. I would look though for satin finish.

 

[A.G.R]

Method 1
Sprayed finish, looks like water base satin poly finish. It’s clear and has white edges. It’s a a sold chip to bare wood common to the finish as the glue resins are difficult to hold onto. Thus a complete shiled pulling in equal directions hold its shape. It’s NOT a penetrating finish but a surface bonding finish and is only as strong as the initial bond. Direct angular blows will chip it. Its ability to hold shape is greater than scuff or abrasive blows..

Now the fix.. Similar to what Lewis has said. Instead I would use satin ,I say this with regret Minwax water poly( most don’t have access to professional floor finish as I do) and a eye dropper needle to slowly add finish to the area.. (deft touch, don’t flood it in one attempt.) Use a hair dryer to advance dry early coats As coats build the hair dryer is further away as to not blow finish off the piece but speed drying . It’s a multiple layer build up. With each layer forming a bond with the next. Then buff ever so slightly with 800 grit to 1500 and rotten stone and oil final blend.. PREP IS EVERYTHING.. CLEAN AREA WELL WITH ACETONE AND LET DRY FOR 1 hr

***** Even professionals hate doing touch up repairs as patina and age still may not match even with the exact product originally used

Method 2 ,

Quick and dirty.. I use a lot .. clean well.. use 5 min epoxy and drop in just over the shoulders. Let it sit till it’s stiff but sticky but holds its shape to touch.. take a finger dip in 91 % rubbing alcohol. Smooth over slightly cured epoxy, the alcohol wil ever so slightly soften the fresh epoxy and allow you to shape it.. Let dry For a day. Buff with rotten stone and oil for blend. When done it’s a sold fill fast and hard.

Method 3 , my most used.

stare at it for a good hr on and off with disgust and anger, set it down and come back and hr later with emotional liquid hep ..
as your emotional,help starts to kick in each one serving to blur the chip even more until you can’t see it at all

 

[rcs9250]

This ad popped up while I was cruising YouTube. $45 but might have other uses around the house.
The video of it in use looked pretty good, if it’s truth.

DIY Manual Wood Floor & Furniture Cracks Repair Kit

FEATURES: Widely use. Repair scratches and pet marks, fill holes, cracks, dents and damages on any color furniture, floor, deck, parquet, doors, tables, cabinet and more; Wax blocks from A to K, with 11 most common wood colors included, you can easily match any color needed, superior...

www.vrsgs.com

 

[Terryb00]

thanks for your suggestions, Guys.

 

[OldSpook]

Will the superglue dry clear enough or will it remain milky?

It's like fingernail polish but dries a bit faster. Makes a really hard finish but polishes up nicely. Either would work. They use superglue a lot in the slingshot world to put final finish on wood slingshots.

 

[JimD]

Nail polish is lacquer. It will protect the wood but is itself fragile compared to other finishes. It is also very thin. But it dries quickly and you could build up layers. I agree with the others that poly is probably what is on the stock. It is tougher. No idea if it would be oil based or water borne. The water borne is harder but thinner and dries much quicker. The oil base, when fully cured (about 30 days) is tougher and would be easier to fill the area with. Oil base has an amber tint, water borne is normally very clear. That may suggest you stock is finished with water borne.

It isn't normally viewed as a finish but I agree with the epoxy comment. Mine is not clear, it has an amber tint but your realistic goal is not to make this go away, it is to make it less noticable. If you really want it to go away, strip the stock and refinish it. Any sort of touch up will show, it's just a question of how close you have to look. A well done poly fix is probably going to be less noticable but take more effort. Epoxy is very tough and it would take nearly no time to do.

I don't use it but some people who make pens apparently use crazy glue as a finish. Might work great. Might mess things up.

I would not under any circumstances start sanding on the stock unless you are prepared to do a total refinish. You are very likely to make the area much more noticable than it is now. I would dab a bit of finish on the boo boo to protest the wood and make the nick less noticable.

 

[Sicumj]

Epoxy is not UV resistant and requires a clear coat of some kind to protect it from the sun. I know this from building transoms for boats. It is common to take marine plywood and epoxy each layer together then clamp. West Marine whose epoxy I use states to clear coat any exposed surfaces to protect from the sun. This may or may not affect your repair but with enough time the epoxy coat repair may not stay the same color. Even florescent light can affect it.

 

[Fuciliere]

Will the superglue dry clear enough or will it remain milky?

This is a sample of a wooden steering wheel i have that have a gouge, i refilled it and the sand it down to even up the surface, then superglue it, and then wet sand it with a very fine sand paper and polish at the end.

 

[Lewis]

Looks great! I wouldn't have thought of that. I'll definitely try it sometime.

 

[Trucker3573]

I’m thinking a gun is going to get more tiny boo boos than that. It’s a tool and expected.