Wood repair // Bondo

[dprush83]

Hi all,

I am fixing a side to an old cocktail cabinet.  It is a Defender and one side has a lot of damage that I will be using Bondo to repair.  My main question is, should I remove the laminate from that side entirely, then bondo everything, and then re-laminate?  If anybody can confirm that, it would be great--and if you know where i can find the same "wood grain pattern" laminate for the Defender cabinet that would be a huge bonus.

My other question, and the one I'm most curious about...is for the control panel.  It looks like it's been converted a time or two and the control panel boards are wrecked.  Everything is still sound, though, so I hate to start over.  Would it be too much to bondo all the joystick/button holes, allow it to dry, sand it down, and press new holes where I want them?

[Sparkolicious]

If it were my project I would remove the laminate and replace it.   For the holes.... if you aren't interested in making a new panel, I would fill the hole with a wood plug, cut it close to flush, sand, and then bondo. 

[kahlid74]

Spark has the same Idea I do:

• For the side I would completly remove the laminate.  If you don't, you're going to wind up like I do where you do it, look at it and then get pissed cause it doesn't look good enough and wind up removing the laminate anyways.  As far as wood grain laminate there's a boat load of it out there.  Dayton is the brand I use and they make it specifically for speaker boxes but you can use it for anything: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=dayton+laminate&x=0&y=0
• If you don't want to replace the whole CP I would follow Spark's advice.  Use wood plugs and wood glue to fill all holes back up.  Sand and then bondo.  Sand more until it looks like a solid piece of wood and then begin recutting holes.

[dprush83]

Exactly what I needed, thanks to you both!