Repair or Replace? Salvaging a rotted leg on a Modernola
Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 5:44 pm
We were faced with the decision to repair or replace the lower portion of a severely water damaged leg for a Modernola. The damage to the wood was pretty bad, but the thought of replacing the original leg seemed like amputation!
Hot Stuff Special T, thick instant CA glue,
RotFix, penetrating wood sealer(by System 3),
SculpWood, epoxy putty(by System 3)
After all parts to be saved were cleaned of loose debris, the Special T, CA glue was used to patch the remaining pieces back together Next step was to strengthen what was left of the wood with the RotFix, brushed on, this solution penetrates and hardens and even waterproofs the wood fibers, preventing further damage. Things were looking pretty encouraging by now. The next part of the process was to mix the SculpWood epoxy and roughly fill the gaps in the leg and foot. When the SculpWood was cured (4-8 hours, we waited overnight), some sanding and shaping prior to staining. An initial base coat of spray paint(color was 'mahogany'), it seems too light, we'll see...
Again we used the SculpWood to mold and create the accent replacements for the base of the leg/foot.
Now to replicate the grain and stain the parts to match. All we used was a permanent black fine tip marker for grain lines and a mahogany stain pen. This is how it looks at this stage This is how the leg and foot looks now after staining and gluing on the accents. Can you spot the original? The repair? Hope you found this project helpful.
All the best,
We sought the input from a local merchant, Woodcrafters, and opted for the repair with these products:Hot Stuff Special T, thick instant CA glue,
RotFix, penetrating wood sealer(by System 3),
SculpWood, epoxy putty(by System 3)
After all parts to be saved were cleaned of loose debris, the Special T, CA glue was used to patch the remaining pieces back together Next step was to strengthen what was left of the wood with the RotFix, brushed on, this solution penetrates and hardens and even waterproofs the wood fibers, preventing further damage. Things were looking pretty encouraging by now. The next part of the process was to mix the SculpWood epoxy and roughly fill the gaps in the leg and foot. When the SculpWood was cured (4-8 hours, we waited overnight), some sanding and shaping prior to staining. An initial base coat of spray paint(color was 'mahogany'), it seems too light, we'll see...
Again we used the SculpWood to mold and create the accent replacements for the base of the leg/foot.
Now to replicate the grain and stain the parts to match. All we used was a permanent black fine tip marker for grain lines and a mahogany stain pen. This is how it looks at this stage This is how the leg and foot looks now after staining and gluing on the accents. Can you spot the original? The repair? Hope you found this project helpful.
All the best,