OOPS! Need help with melamine repair!!!

[1UP]

Can anyone tell me how I can touch up the surface of black melamine? I almost had my basic cabinet frame done today.  Things were going smoothly until I went to do a cutout in one of the sides with my hole saw...and ended up cutting about a millimeter into the surface of the other side panel!!!    I was sure I had moved  the other one out of harms way, but in the fury of burning sawdust, I guess things shifted a little...

I've seen black touch-up pencils for wood, and tubes of stuff used for filling cracks in laminated countertops.  Are any of these any good?  Are they permanent?  How invisible would the repair be?  Are there other alternatives?  Wood filler and spray paint?  Anything would look better than the big beige arc that is marring my finish!  It just happens to be in the one spot that's visible from the outside (monitor bezel area.)

HEEEELP!  

[1UP]

Also, I knocked one corner off the marquee area.  Actually broke off on one side when the somewhat large cutout piece dropped off at the end of the cut!  Took out a triangular piece about an inch across, on one side of the board.  This is not my day...    Any suggestions?

[jelloslug]

Unless it would cost too much I would just toss them and make new pieces.  You will be much happier with the final product.  If you want to fix the scratched one try this: fill the groove with bondo or wood filler, sand smooth, paint ENTIRE surface.  If you did the correctly you will not be able to see the groove.  As for the broken corner, you could try to patch it by cutting the broken part smooth and making a piece that fills in the broken corner but the seam will show.  I would just make a new one though.  

[1-up]

Unless it would cost too much I would just toss them and make new pieces.  You will be much happier with the final product.  If you want to fix the scratched one try this: fill the groove with bondo or wood filler, sand smooth, paint ENTIRE surface.  If you did the correctly you will not be able to see the groove.  As for the broken corner, you could try to patch it by cutting the broken part smooth and making a piece that fills in the broken corner but the seam will show.  I would just make a new one though.  

Sorry, this time it's not the money, it's the time.  I spent hours sanding and finishing that sucker, I'm not going to start over for one scratch.  Filling and painting sounds better to me.  I was thinking maybe I could get away with only painting that spot if I copied part of the melamine texture with some brushed-on latex (have that already) which I could peel off and lay it over the paint while it's still curing to give it the same pattern...   Dunno if this will work, but I could test it on scrap...  Any better ideas?

Fortunately, the broken corner is on the side that will be laminated, so no seam would show if I just repair that side.  I just need to make sure it's strong enough to not get knocked off again.  Maybe I'll just screw a metal strip flush with the surface (routered into the surface), laminate over it, and pack in wood filler from the other side.  Put on the t-molding and maybe you'll never see it...

[jelloslug]

Somthing you might want to try on the groove is to tint the filler to match the melamine first. Since you are going to reproduce the surface texture you might be able to skip the painting step ( I reproduced the grain on some damaged plastic parts from my coin door like that).  As for the corner there is this marine grade wood filler (can't rember the name right now) that cures very hard that might work better.  If you use it don't cut of the broken corner, just remove any loose pieces.  The bond will be better if you have a rough surface.  I saw the stuff a Home Depot.  If you can't find it almost any 2 part epoxy putty would make a good patch.

[1UP]

Interesting...how would I tint the filler?

[1UP]

Never mind.  I guess I'll just get the black filler so i don't have to muss with painting or tinting.

[1UP]

Okay, I got the filler.  It's called SeamFil.  Got it at the lumberyard where I bought the melamine.  I tried it on a test piece by filling a chipped corner.  The trick is to put in quite a bit more than needed, since it shrinks a little when dry.  I used a long blade from a utilty knife to shave down most of the large bumps left over, then sanded down the rest with a very fine grit sandpaper.  It's very hard to detect without close inspection.  Yay!  No painting needed!  

[shmokes]

Also, I knocked one corner off the marquee area.  Actually broke off on one side when the somewhat large cutout piece dropped off at the end of the cut!  Took out a triangular piece about an inch across, on one side of the board.  This is not my day...    Any suggestions?

I'm an idiot.  I just did the same thing to a corner in my marquee area about an hour ago.  I remembered reading a thread regarding melamine repair which led me here only to find out that I should have been paying closer attention when I read it the first time  

I almost deserve it, though.  When I was about a foot away from finishing my cut I thought about it breaking off as the scrap was pretty big and I veered away from my line a bit more to give it some room to break rather than putting a support under the scrap (laziness - it never pays).  Then about an inch away from finishing my cut it broke -- a lot more than I had calculated for.  Damn it.  

I cut the corner out of the scrap and woodglued it back to my side panel.  Tomorrow I'll fill the cracks (with what?  Wood filler?  Bondo?) and track down some of that Seamfil to fix the laminate.  

The funny thing is, I'm working off of your plans (thanks, btw, they're great).  And it happened in the same place.  Black melamine and everything.  I think there's a conspiracy going on.  

[str1der]

Just a suggestion to prevent breaks when cutting and blade binding. Instead fo using saw horses or other support go buy a 4X8 1.5 " thick piece of that pink foam insulation foam board. Just lay it on the ground and put your MDF right on top. Then set your circular saw depth to just a little deeper that your MDF thickness. It makes cutting a breeze and you wood is supported completly.

[shmokes]

That's a pretty good idea.  I'll have to think of that the next time I start a project.  Do lumber yards sell that stuff?

That would also help alleviate the problem that many of us have where on just one cut we forget to be careful land end up cutting into our saw horse.  

[ErikRuud]

Yes, they do, in the insulation aisle.  But if you live too far south, it is hard to find the thicker sheets.

[str1der]

I picked mine up at Home Depot. For a 4X8X1.5" it was around $14. You can go cheaper with the polystyrene but you end up with little white styro balls everywhere. this has worked out great for me.