Heresy Birch cabinets

[kg4guy]

I just purchased a pair of birch Heresy cabinets and they need some TLC.Is there a good wood putty to fill in deep scratches that will not sand out?

[G.Kennedy]

Did you get the ones in Oxnard???

[kg4guy]

No did not see the ones in Oxnard are they on ebay or criags L ? Anyway I have these and a bunch of extra drivers and crossovers so I am going to build another pair of Heresys.

[G.Kennedy]

They were at Ventura CL at a reallly high price ... then they showed up here and his price became more realistic.

Check out the Garage sale ... they are down to $250 or $300 at this point .... he has been moving the price around alot.

[Daddy Dee]

I've just ordinary wood putty with good results. I have heard some forum members recommending Bondo because of it's extraordinary durability.

[Guest " "]

a veneer scratch trick...works great for deep scratches that does not break the first veener layer...so if your scratch is just a long thin depression...try soak the scratched area with foam type furniture spray polish...don't let it sit under water...just enough to layer the top surface with a thin coat that dries in 15 minutes or less...wait a few hours and repeat the process...repeat in total about 4 times over at 24 hour period...waiting 2 hours between applications is probally the max I would wait.

What will happen is that the scratch will lift out as the compressed wood re-expands as it absorbs moisture...it will stay re-expanded...some dent type scratch will dissapear all together...even works for dents on edges of plywood corners.

Word of caution...make sure that the surface veneer is not cut, cracked, sliced or broken....if the top layer is broken in any way the process will make matters worse since these broken areas will expand both in hieght and in width.

[Groomlakearea51]

If the repair is for surface nicks and scratches on the HBR's, you should probably first consider a natural oil based wood putty and carefully experiment with a light stain to get the hue right. Either by hand, or a random orbital sander and 220 grit is good to final finish the repair. Then say about a 400 or 600 grit and then you can stain, poly, etc. to suit. If they are going to be refinished, or veneered, the factory actually used bondo for minor nicks, etc before finishing, etc. I use "gold bondo", applied in several thin coats, sanded between each coat. I've also used CPE (epoxy resin mixed with birch sawdust for "big" spots, and in particular, corner areas. Can also be used to "paint" and soak into birch plywood that got wet, etc. Dries like a rock and can be shaped and sanded, etc. Neither of the two methods have any problems with veneer glue or the black/clear laquer. Hope that helps.

[kg4guy]

Thanks will check that out.

[Marvel]

I pulled this out some time ago from the Lansing Heritage forums. The use of 'I" in the following text does not mean me personally, but the chemist who used the technique.

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Dents can be steamed out using a wet washcloth and iron.

Make sure the washcloth is clean, use distilled water and don't expect it to swell out all at once. Depending on the dent you may have to work at it. Remember to keep the cloth rather wet. Don't let it dry out. You can also pre-wet the area to get things started.

OR, you can use MeOH (methanol)

In a properly ventilated area, with latex gloves, its soooo easy to swell the veneer. I assumed everyone would have the proper respect for solvents and treat them accordingly. Should work very well, and much quicker than steaming it for sure, The reason it works better is MeOH, which lowers the surface tension of the wood surface, allowing the mixture to wet the wood quicker. The natural resins in the veneer act as sizing agents, preventing water from rapidly wetting the wood cellular structure. You can use larger amounts of water to increase the swelling speed, and perhaps even the iron method (if needed) to help accelerate the swelling.

However on the tech side, while yes you have to be careful, I used methanol-water (about 10% water/90% meoh) and light swipes to swell the wood grain prior to sanding this week. You just have to avoid dangerous vapor concentrations/conditions.

You should be able to get pure methanol at your local Walgreen's. It does not work as a solvent on veneer adhesives the way other solvents like acetone.

You MUST be careful though, as the fumes are VERY TOXIC and it burns with NO visible flame.

[kg4guy]

Thanks for the info I have filled in the damaged areas from shipping stained and will apply Polyurethane coat next. They look OK and I think I am being kind to myself about that OK anyway they will be surrounded by a case I built so I can put my KG4's on them. The 3 pair of Heresy"s with KG4 's on top of each Heresy has a nice sound the bass in the KG4's is a nice complement to the Heresys. Thanks Again