Repairing the Bottom Shelf - Part 3

Now it is time to get rid of the deep scratches on the top side of the shelf.  

First I gave Howard Mahogany Restor-A-Finish a try.  I applied per the directions and wiped it off.  While it did color the scratches, I was left with a very visible colored scratch.  I knew there must be a better way.

I will add that I did not have much luck with the Restor-A-Finish on any part of the A100 restoration.

So I went old school...an orbital sander and 220 grit paper. I took the old finish off and took the veneer down enough to remove the scratch.  The veneer was pretty thick, so andong was not an issue.

In the above picture you can see the sanded down finish and some Mahawk epoxy being used to fill a gouge.

 The final problem with the shelf is the dowel and dowel hole at the end with the severe seperation was broken.  First I filled the broken dowel hole with Mohawk epoxy and let it set up overnight.  The next day I used a 3/8 inch dowel (Home Depot), a 3/8 inch drill bit, and a Dowel Jig (Harbor Freight). I drilled a new dowel hole using the jig and glued a new dowel in with the hide glue.  I also checked that all the original dowels were secure and cleaned the old hide glue out of the original dowel mating holes

Repairing the Bottom Shelf - Part 2

I started out by repairing the separated layers of wood in the corner.

My first thought was to simply buy a new piece of wood and cut it to the same dimensions.  However, when I went to Home Depot, I found that a nice piece of wood would cost $25-$30.  I decided to give the repair a try.

The items I used were Titebond Hide Glue, a set of syringes, and Mohawk Epoxy Stick.  I bought all of these items from Amazon.  I also used a couple of C clamps for clamping after I glued.

Using the syringe I apply the hide glue down into the separating layers.  After the glue is placed I clamp the area

with the C clamps (with a piece of cardboard between the wood and clamp for protection)  The shelf is made out a core piece of wood with mahogany veneer on both sides.   The veneerwas separating   in many places.  Wipe away any excess glue with a damp rag.

I also repaired a edge where the veneer had chipped.  Using the Mohawk Epoxy I filled the area, leveled it out, and then used the edge of a knife to press in some very small grain lines

The repair went great!

Repairing the Bottom Shelf - Part 1

These are problems with the lower shelf:  deep scratches, separating veneer, chipped edges, and missing/loose dowels.

 

The Tootsie Roll!

This stuff is good....

Mohawk Epoxy Putty Stick.  It looks like a big tootsie roll.  The great thing is you cut off only the amount you require, kneed it in you hands for a few minutes, and then apply it.  It hardens in a few minutes and is sandable.  The only downside is it does not accept stain very well.  You will need to "paint" the stain on.

I used this to fill in a large gouge in the lid, the edge of the lower shelf, and best of all I used it to fix three missing turns from the legs, which I bet is a common problem on the A100....

After applying and shaping the epoxy as shown, I let it set 24 hours and then sanded it to the final shape.  I then applied stain but did not wipe it off, I just let it dry over the epoxy.

Places that needed grain lines needed to be added with a black permanent marker. 

The epoxy is available on Amazon.

Refinishing the Inside of the Lid

Finish is dull

spotty and dirty...

However the color and grain looks good.

To start I take the hinges and soak them for 20 minutes in denatured alcohol to loosen up the black residue.  Then I use an old toothbrush to remove the residue, nice and clean!

For the inside of the lid I used 0000 steelwool and Homer Formby's Lemon Oil.  Making sure I stayed away from the Edison Decal I soaked the steelwool with the oil and began rubbing everthing down with small circular motions.  Stopping every few minutes to check my progess and and more oil, I rub the lid for about half an hour.  Everything came pretty clean.  Not perfect, but much better than it was.