Making a repair look more seamless

[KingwoodFan1989]

Recently I posted pictures of a frame I had completed, and I was very happy overall. The problem is, a crack grew from where one of the mounting brackets was installed, and it actually pushed part of the wood above the surface on the side. I tried to pry it open with a utility knife as it was a narrow crack. I was hoping to be able to pry it open just enough to get some glue inside it and then hold it down until the glue set. Thus, after a bit of sanding, I would have been able to achieve a fairly seamless repair. However, prying it open proved difficult (especially since it's Kingwood), and a piece of the knife blade actually broke off and got stuck in the crack! The only thing I could think to do was pry a small piece of the wood off with a chisel and reglue it. It worked, but the repair is FAR from seamless, as you can see in the picture below.

   

I was just wondering...is there any cosmetic work I could do to make those cracks blend in better? I tried to get over this blunder, but I honestly can't. I'm NOT pleased with how it looks, especially since this is the best frame I've made so far, by far. It's not perfect, but it was close enough before this happened, and now I have this ugly repair that sticks out like a sore thumb. Is there any way to get those cracks to blend in more? I'm talking more about color than about how it feels when you run your hand over it, although if I could get an even surface again that'd be ideal. 

Also, what better routes could I take in the future to repair unexpected mishaps like these?

Thanks!

[jteneyck]

One option would be to rip off the edge and glue on a piece of veneer from the same wood, then finish it the same as the original.  If that doesn't appeal to you, then sand that edge and use a toner to match the surrounding wood, using dye in shellac and a small artist's brush.  Then refinish the edge.  

It's a picture frame. Who's going to touch it? Fix it the best you can and move on.

John

[Harold O.]

Don't you just hate it when that happens? As it is a small break, flow a bit of thin super glue over the affected area. Once it dries (or use activator) you can lightly sand and add some finish over it.

Not that this has ever happened to me...

[BrokenOlMarine]

Paint...
No.. seriously. I watched a vid where an old man used model paints mixed and blended on a pallet to cover a damaged section somewhat similar to that. Then finish over the paint.
Mix colors to match the various grains and paint to match.

[BrokenOlMarine]

Rather than prying the wood open...
Try a feed store.. they sell disposable syringes for inoculation of farm animals. Pull the plunger out of the barrel, put glue in the syringe and inject it into the crack. Toss the syringe when done.
I repaired a small crack today by inserting the glue into only the area I wanted using a long thin scalpel blade, then clamping. Either works well, allowing you to avoid widening the damaged area making the repair.

[barryvabeach]

King,  first,  can you get someone else to look at it?  Don't tell them there is a problem and see if they spot it.  I have made pieces with tons of mistakes - and while to me they stick out like a sore thumb, most observers don't even see it.  Assuming that a casual observer does notice it, and remembering the wise adage - " Perfect is the enemy of good "   and the corollary   " when you get to good,  STOP" ,  I would proceed as follows.

You have 3 different issues, height, color, and sheen.  While you say the glued on piece sticks up when you run your hand over it,  how often do you expect anyone to run their hand over that area, my guess is never.  So I probably would leave that part alone.  If you think they will, or the height issue is causing a shadow, wrap some sandpaper around a block, and go back and forth until the repair is level with the surrounding area.  You will then need to restain and add finish.

Color - the photo shows that parts of the wood around the repair are lighter in color.  If you have a really well equipped store nearby, you might find markers that will let you apply dabs of color that are close.  Best would be a WW store or finishing store that sells markers designed for wood, in a pinch I would go to an art supply store and try to find a few markers that are close.    I don't have a good eye for color, but I see some black, some walnut brown, and some tan brown. Remember there is a pretty wide variation in color in most woods, and even more in that little area, so you don't want one marker, you will need a few and do dabs so that there is color variation, and then smudge the dabs in the direction of the grain.

Sheen,  when you have the color close, you need to apply another layer of finish, probably to that entire side, so you get the same level of reflection on that side.  In general, the lower the sheen, the less visible the repair, and in general sheen and color matching is only limited to a single plane of a piece -  whenever you change the plane, such as the front versus the side, there is always a difference appearance in sheen and color, even if they were treated identically, due to differences in shadow and light.

How to repair mishaps in the future.   Do the first step listed above - make sure it is obvious to others before you do anything.  Second, if it is obvious, consider all your options,  and if any are easily reversible, try that first.   Say you made a scratch on a finished surface, and you weren't sure if adding just a little color would help,  try some brown paste wax on it,  if it doesn't make it better, you can remove the wax with a little mineral spirits.  As you consider non reversible options, like chipping it out and regluing, sleep on it first, and keep your mind open to design changes that either accentuate the mistake, or make it appear a part of a design.  Say you miscut a slight groove in one face of a picture frame.  If you make the groove go the full length of that piece, and add a similar one to the other 3 pieces, it will look like you designed the groove as an accent feature.  I just finished a podium where I misjudged the angle of the two sides and the front, and now there is a gap along the front.  By the time it is done, there will be a molding that covers that gap, though the molding was never in the original plan.  Also, think about reorienting a piece.  When I make picture frames,  I know that no one will ever see the top of the top rail, so if there is a bad spot on a piece of wood, I make sure I make that the top of the top rail.  Finally, at some point you just have to say that a mistake is part of the nature of handwork.  I recently finished a full sized secretary, with a fully fitted gallery.  According to the plans, each one of the gallery openings were identical, by  the time I was done, the eight or so galleries were all different widths, some by as much as a quarter inch.  While I know it, because I separately fitted each of the pieces, no one that sees it ever notices that series of mistakes, they just see the overall piece.

[Steve N]

I would delicately remove the piece that extends with a paring motion and a VERY sharp chisel. Once done if you have some dust still from the project mix it 50/50 with TBIII glue, and make a slurry, paste that on, let it dry out, and then ROS it smooth. You won't be able to find one that small. Not that I have any personal history of ever needing a fix like that




Seems to me when you mounted the hardware you got your outer screw toooooo close to the edge. It will cause that blowout quite often, also DAMHIKT


Some old fart once told me if I wasn't making mistakes I wasn't learning anything. I did what I always did when that old guy blessed me with his wisdoms. I said Yes Dad........

[AgGEM]

Colored wax from a vendor such as Lee Valley. Rub and buff.
Ag
...Home Depot has some Minwax colored pencils too.

[Steve N]

Colored wax from a vendor such as Lee Valley. Rub and buff.
Ag
...Home Depot has some Minwax colored pencils too.

I'd agree on a face repair. On an edge repair such as this it will constantly swell out with seasonal changes in Rh.

[KingwoodFan1989]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I forgot to clarify something about the "feel" of this repair...it's sanded even with the surface. The issue with the feel is the cracks. I think I'll look at the options for coloring that were mentioned. That's really my main issue. I just want the crack lines to be darker so they blend in.