The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

As part of some restoration I need to fill in a gouge on the top of a fairly dark mahogany cabinet. Any words of wisdom about what to use for an unobtrusive result?

Clay

If it is a deep gouge, I use plastic wood. Allow it to dry thoroughly and carefully sand using 150 grit sandpaper. Work you way to 200 grit. I can never get stains with wood filler, so I paint it Testers hull red. I mix a little black until I get the desired color.Then I touch it up with Bullseye orange shellac, and feather it with my finger.
Good luck,
Harvey Kravitz

Hi,
I use a method close to Harvey's but I mix plastic wood of different colors to get as close as possible to the base color. I sand with 150 and than use a black grain filler to fill the sanding pattern to act as wood grain. I use oil based art paints the same that an artist uses mixed with a dryer. Once it has set up a bit I use a light spray of Deft semi gloss to seal. Once it has dried for a couple of days I use Mohawk toned lacquers to finial coat and I use 400 wet with oil to blend and level. A single coat of padded shellac is applied over that and we are done. Yah I know. But I just finished a top of a victor XVI that had a corner knocked off the upper right side and my worst critic (my Wife) could not figure out where the repair started and ended.

Abe

need4art wrote:Hi,
...my worst critic (my Wife).... Abe

Worst, or best?

Thanks guys!

Clay

Well if it passes my wife's inspection than I am good to go-so she is my critic-and she must give a good review before it goes out of the studio-so depending... she is both the best and worst.
Abe