Patching A Large Hole In Plywood (Coin Door)?

[javeryh]

What is the best way to go about patching a large hole in some plywood?  I want to raise the coin door on one of my cabs by about 3" - I can rough cut a panel the size of the hole and then patch the seam with bondo but how do you get it to sit flush?  Stupid question but I thought I'd ask before going down some ridiculous path...   I also assume cutting the new hole won't be an issue either after everything is patched up? 

[TopJimmyCooks]

lay out and cut the hole (enlarge the existing hole) high enough for the new location.  take the piece you cut out and rotate it 180 degrees and use it as the patch.  That way the thickness is exact. Put a larger piece of plywood inside the cab behind the patch area as blocking (using screws and or glue/clamps) then screw the cut out piece into it.  fill and sand with your fave plywood filler. 

[kahlid74]

lay out and cut the hole (enlarge the existing hole) high enough for the new location.  take the piece you cut out and rotate it 180 degrees and use it as the patch.  That way the thickness is exact. Put a larger piece of plywood inside the cab behind the patch area as blocking (using screws and or glue/clamps) then screw the cut out piece into it.  fill and sand with your fave plywood filler. 

This.  The best way to fill a large hole in wood from my experience is with another piece of wood close to the original size.  Then use Wood glue and maybe an anchor if a really big piece behind it.  Then fill with wood putty, sand and paint.

[Well Fed Games]

I went from a Midway style coin door to an over-under style on my cab and used the method TJC described. It worked well, and you can't tell that a major alteration was done... and my cutting was pretty poor.

[kahlid74]

I went from a Midway style coin door to an over-under style on my cab and used the method TJC described. It worked well, and you can't tell that a major alteration was done... and my cutting was pretty poor.

Wood Putty and Sanding work wonders.  Especially if you paint it with two coats paint/primer or use a vinyl overlay.  None the wiser!

[javeryh]

You guys are geniuses.  I would have patched and cut the entire hole!  I'm kind of asking for trouble with what I'm about to try.... I have a 3-sided cocktail cabinet that I HATE.  It has been sitting in my unfinished basement for years - unused.  I've gutted it for parts and now I'm about to take a hand saw to the third CP.  I'll have to patch the hole behind the CP and then raise the coin door underneath it (because proportionally it will look too low without the CP there anymore).  This cabinet has been stained, sanded and poly'd!  So... I'm going to make all of my alterations, sand the crap out of the entire side and then try veneering that side with some VERY thin birch plywood veneer.  Then stain/sand/poly.  Should be good as new, right?  Wish me luck!

EDIT:  Well, this cab hates me as much as I hate it.  I accidentally dropped the table top glass on the concrete floor of my basement so I just spent 1/2 hour vacuuming.  At least I was planning on buying another piece of glass or I'd be really annoyed (for some reason I ordered a 1/8" piece and you need 1/4").  Part of me wants to just throw this thing out and forget it ever existed but now maybe I'm determined to make something good out of it...