Fixing Common Woodworking Mistakes

[@Fuzzykillian]

Great stuff....ever since I started using lacquer for my finishes, it's so much easier to blend in a fill....I get the color as close as I can with stain, then put a couple of coats of finish on it...after that, I can use common acrylic paint to do any necessary touchups (the paint must be thinned down with water and you apply very thin coats until you get the desired color...usually burnt sienna, raw umber and black are suitable either alone or in small combinations....) then apply the 'grain' with some diluted black paint and a small brush...after that, I just finish as normal...works like a charm....a bit more complicated than your method, but you can nearly always get a dead on match....:D

[@Motocicleiros]

"In fact if you didn't know that I did that you probably wouldn't know that it even happened." -- You absolutely nailed it and I kept talking it all the time to my students at the Photoshop photo touch classes.

[@richardhyman6981]

Saw this video some time back and thought pretty cool, but had no need of it. This weekend I’m building a bedside table for my son and blam ended up with a tear out on one of the légale and was stressing trying to think of what do to to repair and I remembered seeing this video. Putting your tips to work saved a project that was 80 percent complete! Thanks for posting these videos!!

[@richardhyman6981]

Legs. LoL dang autocorrect.

[@107retired]

Scranton you say Mike? My Dad was born and raised in Wilkes-Barre....I remember fondly old Wilkes-Barre when we'd go visit my grandmother. I go there today, and I barely recognize it. All the train yard I remembered is gone....did by chance find Big John at the Miners Union building when my son and I stopped in town on the way to Gettysburg many moons ago. Oh to be young again....great vids and most helpful in my progression of trying to learn now, all the things I wish I had paid more attention to my Dad when he was trying to teach me these things....wish more I had him back to show him the things I learned that he DIDN'T think I was listening to him about!!

[@StevEOnEShoT]

Considering this video is five years old, I can safely assume someone has already noted this tip-but a simple solution to using wood glue which doesn’t accept stain is to apply stain to the chip and damaged areas prior to the bonding application. I’ve been doing this for years with dowel plugs as a precaution for spill over and found that it creates a seamless transition.

[@TheRealMikeD]

I've had good results fixing light dents by steaming with a soldering iron. It allows you to really focus on the specific area of the dent. You can also steam the same dent more than once if it doesn't come out the first time. Thanks for the video!

[@ashraf61]

Thanks a lot for these informations and remedies. We certainly will use them.

[@runningwaters2200]

You "Guys" are GREAT. Thank You

[@rnbigfoot4943]

Thank you so much for your tip of using an iron. Never knew that....used it on some dents that I had as I'm redoing my kitchen with wainscoting and pine boards and it worked like a charm!! Thanks so much!!

[@dagwood1327]

I've always heard it is not a mistake unless you can't fix it. I have enjoyed your videos. Thanks for making them.

[@TheComputec]

Great video Just one little tip. If you want grainlines in your wood where you have used woodfiller, just bed some ribbons of woodshavings vertically into the woodfiller along the grain when the filler is still soft. Trim them off once it has dried with a craft knife and then When you sand, it will leave the grainlines in. It is more effective in darker woods and those woods with a more defined grain

[@yoyoweo]

the first

[@GuitarGuruLLC]

Light wood like Alder is impossible to hide. The glue, any glue, turns it dark.

[@philipcraig956]

Great information Marc. Thin CA is very good at wicking into a joint. So, if you have a small chip and you have the piece that came out, try positioning it and while it is held in position, run thin CA along the join. You will find the CA wicks into the joint. RC aviators use this method to attach hinges for ailerons, elevators and rudders. Thin CA also dries faster than medium CA so no need for the activator/kicker. I actually don't like activator because it weakens the bond. Yes, it speeds up the drying time but you end up with a weaker join.

[@TyMoser]

Thanks for all of the suggestions!

[@big1finger]

Great information, thanks. Have you ever tried saving the dust from random orbit sander's filter and add some stain that you are planning to use then mix with glue? I use this when filling pocket holes, really covers well.

[@shanemitchell3355]

Thank you! Saved me from starting from scratch

[@vivien4420]

your tip about drawing veins into the filler just blew my mind!! :D

[@citizenschallengeYT]

Had a boss who loved reminding us - "If you can fix it, it ain't a mistake" ; - )

[@Myname2663-w2z]

Very helpful. Thanks so much

[@MrWSM1]

Awesome video! Thank you for all the tips and tricks.

[@koithquiroz4772]

You did not discuss using a board stretcher for when you cut your board too small.

[@richardsolomon5375]

Or the wood magnets for helping hold the workpiece together.

[@Colaaah]

@Les Brown Just cut your tape measure to suit, all fixed ;P

[@sharit7970]

lol!!

[@johnroth8275]

Awesome. Thank you for all your so helpful tips.

[@peterbrownwastaken]

I love CA glue! I also love bonding myself to my work with a spray of activator...

[@livingwoodcreations-woodtu6540]

Me to

[@armandogonzalez6822]

Hey Peter Brown

[@thenickdude]

Protip: Buy a bottle of CA debonder at the same time as the activator! It works wonders for getting fingers unstuck

[@paulsigmon7263]

Omg I’ve left skin and dna on most projects.. several times from ca glue activation, the burn... peroxide helps to get blood stains out.

[@jimmybob7364]

CA glue is an adhesive with terrible sheer strength. Next time, I recommend rotating your finger parallel to the glue. Don't just lift your finger up. That tip has gotten me out of many sticky situations.

[@ach2935]

Thanks for taking the time to do your presentations they are appreciated.

[@AlWheelin]

Thanks for this info, always great to find this type of help that is difficult to find. I also have found that the Birch plywood I'm buying has scratches across it and I realize it is caused by the way we took it off the lift in the box store, pulling the top one off leaving the back edge to drag on the next one, which is usually significant enough to be unable to repair or sand without starting to go through the veneer.

[@Skogula]

I've used the steaming method before, but I've taken it one step farther. I had a brass stamp made with my initials, and I will use it to dent the wood before I sand. After you finish the sanding, you steam the wood, this raises the dented initials proud leaving them raised.

[@PSCThrillSeeker]

Wow! awesome tips for correcting mistakes!

[@IsaacGaetz]

That tip using an oversized piece with CA glue is great! It makes so much more sense than trying to fashion some perfectly shaped patch. I never thought of it before, but just tried it and had a very respectable repair in a couple minutes. Just a few passes with plane, a little quick curing glue, and a few cuts on the bandsaw. Wonderful!

[@jansailor76]

just don't do it like he did, you need to try and match up the grains on both pieces, so make a square cutout, that way you have more gluing area and almost impossible to see

[@davismize]

@@jansailor76 I have a hardwood but jointed with the grain with softwood. How do you sand them smooth? I had then smooth until I used picking stain and poly. Now the softwood seams to have swelled slightly

[@viviannedelavega605]

Great demo! You have beautiful hands and a nice voice. Thank you.

[@acehighdan]

+The Wood Whisperer i like how you didnt edit out the compressor going off in mid take, it just feels more real, and adds even more character to your content. im not a wood worker, i have no area to work on wood even if i wanted to, but i still enjoy watching your content, and who knows, one day i may be in a position where i can try out wood working, and if so... i know illl be using a lot of what i have learned from watching your content. thanks for sharing have a great day/night.

[@grantmarshall9448]

Appreciate you advertising The Flight of the Concords.......we are very proud of our Kiwi comedians doing so well on the international stage

[@Bradyvilleboy]

Very good advice. Thank you.

[@Joestacemazjojo]

HELP Wood Whisperer. I’m just starting out, came up with some horrible swirl marks from sander, noticing after I stained, glue marks too. I was going to try and sand areas back down by hand and restain. Now I used wood conditioner before staining as I’m working with poplar( didn’t do my research before purchasing) . Is this the best way to go about a fix? Also after I sanded areas, should I again add conditioner before restaining?

[@TheShavingWoodWorkshop]

Great Information and video, thanks Mark.

[@paularoper6243]

Lots of great tips. My 14-year-old son and I are attempting to make a slim table to go behind our outdoor couch. Unfortunately, it was his first time using a circular saw on 2x2 and his cuts were not very even or straight. I sanded them to where I thought they were much better but when we put them together there is a big gap. We are not staining but painting with flat matt paint. What do you suggest we do to fix this?

[@AsianBIHP]

Another great video Marc - never would have though about ironing the work piece. As a side note - I like using hide glue + sawdust to match the work piece perfectly, and take a stain.

[@lancelootzee5244]

It's wood!! You did amazing. Thank you for the perspective!!

[@bartestes2587]

Good tips, thank you. Re drawing grain lines with a colored pencil, sometime I extend the drawn lines past the edge of the repair onto the original wood, fading them as I go. I find it helps the eye travel smoothly form patch to unpatched areas. Additionally, if the pencil is not an exact color match for the grain around the patch, I have found that, if I judiciously draw a few light lines on the wood surrounding the patch, things seem to match after all.

[@caitididnt]

Invaluable! Thanks Marc!

[@garydelder]

Thanks Marc, This video came in handy for me.

[@kscamara123]

Thank you once again for a great video!

[@karl_alan]

Hello, I noticed at the end, you were talking about mixing glues with sawdust, and discouraged the practice. I did notice that you didn't talk about mixing regular yellow wood glue with sawdust though. I have had good results with that on minor mistakes where I repaired the mistake by mixing those two together. I have found that different brands stain differently, so I recommend doing a test stain with the wood glue on a piece of scrap, but with the right brand I have a hard time finding my mistakes in the finished product. I also wanted to mention that ironing also works really well for bubbles in real wood veneer from improper adhesion. I have also used an iron before to flatten out warped real wood veneers. Overall, I loved this video. It had a few tips that I have used, and many I would not have thought of.

[@rickbodick6812]

he mentioned "Titebond", which is regular yellow wood glue

[@braulioperez181]

Thanks much. Excellent lecture on repairs.

[@jimcallery4863]

That "Wooder" instead of "water" and Trenton call out made me lose it. As a dude born and raised in the 609, I heard that way too often! Amazing video, even if I am way late on it!

[@Kusunoky]

thank you for your teaching. I really enjoy it. I didnt know about it, this tips could save entire wood. Thanks again have nice day!.

[@bidbudy6061]

Hello Marc, it's very rare that i'am able to give you a advise! I own a cabinet shop in Canada and we use the Timbermate wood filler. You should use a plastic putty knife wen applying the filler because a metal one reacts with the Timbermate and make black stick around the wood. Keep on the good work! Alain

[@woodwhisperer]

Cool tip. Thanks Alain!

[@brokenwave6125]

Just make your own filler using dust from the type of wood you're using...

[@boethius61]

Right at the end you just breezed over one of my favorites. On the right repair, like a long thin split maybe, I take epoxy and tint it. The key is to tint it with the stain you will finish with. I just take a stick and scrape the bottom of the can for a little pigment, mix it into the epoxy and use that in the gouge. Works great on knots too. Best used when going for a dark stain.

[@jackjkantrowitz50kantrowit12]

Really informative. Good video and easy to understand.

[@davidnarvaez8648]

Buenos días saludos les felicito son muy útiles las enseñanzas prácticas Que llevan hacavo me hayudan en lo que hago muchas gracias les felicito son muy creativos sigan creciendo en todas las ideas que hagan so geniales

[@evermore8888]

I really like "Timber Mate" BUT... having used Timber Mate many times I would advise you NOT to use a METAL spatula (why? stop vid at 3:30 and see that the steel and the product react and create dark grey/black smug lines at the edges after you scrap - believe me they will remain once dry) INSTEAD...USE plastic or your bare fingers to push it to fill the gap you're working on and then once in place you can lightly smooth over the excess (reduces sanding) but leave enough for a little bit of shrinkage as it dries....Timber Mate is great but`you've got to use it right, cheers

[@tjemory9122]

Check out Gork's Goodfilla... it's the improved version of Timbermate. No bad smell and none of the metal problem... plus now it comes in a bag which is the only thing we use in our shop now due to no waste.

[@joes2318]

TJ Emory I love the smell of timbermate? Hardly a bad smell

[@MichaelRusso]

Boy oh boy, I can remember doing many of these type pf repairs back when I had a picture framing business.

[@linic99]

Love your videos. I finished a candy apple red guitar using your finishing techniques and it came out beautiful. I dropped some solder on it and now I'm having to refinish, but that's another story.

[@Zepheriah]

If I have a slight split or crack along the grain, I often don't bother to match the colour of the wood. I just fill it with a mixture of wood glue and black printmaker's ink (I'm sure black filler would be a better solution, but that's what I have lying around). It looks like spalting!

[@ronhaefner7833]

Wooder, a nod to Chris Fix... Great tips

[@ericreeve3461]

I just discovered you and subscribed. I have something to add to your tricks and techniques for wood repairs if you're still looking at comments that is. I've worked in wood most of my adult life and for the last 20 years I've made my living as a home repair contractor, commonly known as a handyman. Something that I discovered that helps me in the situation that you demonstrated in your video where the steaming process didn't help the deep indentation with broken fibers, is little trick I learned repairing screw and nail holes. Those kinds of repairs can show up plainly because of their shape. When the damage crosses the grain or is a round hole it can still be quite visible even after a successful color match. I use a sharp blade and carve small, tapering striations radiating out from the repair in the direction of the wood grain. Then fill the voids as usual. I have found that with a little patience you can turn a round hole into what looks like a normal pattern of wood grain. The eye is not drawn to the repair as it would be with a round hole or cross-grain wound.

[@dennisshoemaker2789]

Ooops I have to turn off my compressor..... SUBSCRIBED! I like that you left that in.

[@paulschmidt19]

I use blendal powders on a daily basis excellent for graining and touch ups. Enjoyed your video thanks

[@gdcat777]

This is very helpful. Thanks. Is there any instruction on how to blend or repair finished wood damage, edge nicks, scratches, etc.?

[@rockanthems]

Really thanks for giving the tip on wetting wood and paper towels and iron hoping the scratch gouge comes mostly out of my guitar. It's a natural ash and I thought of sanding and using wood glue and the sand dust but you say it won't take stain or even varnish we'll...yikes that sucks. But I'll try to use the water and iron method thumbs up !

[@mikecourteau6567]

Excellent video. Well done and very informative!

[@CaptTPT]

Hi Marc. Love your work. I just tried Timbermate wood filler on a project. I had some surface tear out from my planer on a giant slab of Bubinga. The color wasn’t perfect but I went with it. I filled the very small defects and left the filler proud of the surface. Then sanded from 80 through 180, water popping with each grit. Everything looked perfect at that point. Then I wiped down with acetone and after drying I applied Rubio Monocoat. After rubbing out the Rubio I notice significant shrinkage of the Timbermate filler. Looks terrible. Definitely not happy about that. Suggestions for why that happened and how to fix? I’m guessing with small defects like these I should have gone with sanding dust and CA glue.

[@beccaadolph]

Great Video with excellent tips and some comedy and Nicole back comments made it real! I was a little confused at the end about glue and coloring. You mentioned die, but not really how to repair the problem once it happens. I didn't know about CA clue and have been using stuff from the BigBox stores. I have a glue spots that will not stain properly, what should I do? Thank.

[@DreadPirateRobbo]

Even though I never make any mistakes, I appreciate your well made and educational video. Thanks, Marc!!

[@sm3296]

Great advice, thanks so much. Sure enjoying the comments and laughter from I think you wife? Also whoever handles the camera does a great job.

[@melissaweiss6028]

I have an antique small table with a deep burn on the top of it. This is my very first time to do a refinish on anything, removing several layers of paint/lacquer. The burn was on top of this paint job and into the surface of the wood. Any ideas how to repair and patch? Your video was very informative, thank you!

[@florianhammers6466]

Hi Marc have you ever tried to use sawdust together with hide glue or fish glue ? That never made trouble together with the finish.. Also mixing bleached shellac with sawdust worked for me..

[@MM-ob8ti]

Very nice repair tips.

[@corujariousa]

Nice tricks. I recently found your channel and subscribed. I have lots to learn.

[@bootsboots6449]

*Yes....Flight of The Concords. Excellent!*

[@ayl18]

Flight of the Conchords!! You were already a legend but now you're bonafide.

[@jackhammer8439]

Had a bad glue up with a roasted maple coffee table top. Ended up with glue showing in finished product. After trying a few tricks unsuccessfully. Ended up using a wood burner to make the joints ready stand out and give it a rustic look. Ended up really liking the look of it

[@dennismyles8450]

Thanks for the tips, very useful.

[@MrSteveieM]

Great ideas. Thanks for all you do

[@greghermangreg8140]

Came by your show by chance . I do floor sanding and what I found to be the best wood filler is your common garden variety of topping compound ( yes the same used in plaster walls ) mix with oxides for color and approx 10 % PVA glue ... MAGIC

[@huffyshuffle]

Hi Marc - Beginning woodworker here and am very happy I've found your channel. This video specifically is encouraging as I know I'm going to make tons of mistakes...especially early on. I've subscribed and am enjoying learning from your videos. Thanks!

[@rbfriesen]

Thanks for the advice. I heard my router take a piece off. So I put my headlamp on and looked all over for it. Found it and you can’t tell it was ever gone.

[@MS-of2vd]

Great video thanks

[@geedubb2005]

great stuff! I love that baby brass hammer.......thanks for sharing

[@cardenasfishingracingteam6545]

GREAT PRESENTATION...

[@kylepollard7416]

I have a question about drawing the grain back on. If you were planning on using oil to stain the wood. Would you put the shellac on the fill first? And then would the oil not stain over that area well?

[@r.s.grantwoodworking7691]

Your techniques are simple and easy to understand. I work with Eastern Red Cedar often, I can use all the repair tips anyone can dream of. Do you think plug cutters make good repairs even though they are round, just for the small stuff? Thanks for sharing!

[@woodwhisperer]

Sure do. Depends on the repair, but a nice tapered face grain plug could certainly come in handy for a number of flaws.

[@alfonsocorzas8395]

God bless your parents, as I understand most of what esplicas by the way you express yourself with your hands, Mexico.

[@eugenespearman6164]

Thanks for the info

[@johnpoole3319]

Very helpfull, thanks.

[@TentativeDan]

This is REALLY useful stuff! Awesome and thank you for sharing this all!

[@JC-cr5ty]

Gotta remember the steaming dents thing. I use pine in almost all of my projects. Thanks!

[@puffinlittle]

Greetings, Really like the taper on the gap filler. GOOD IDEA. Thanks.

[@blackfender100]

Very cool tips thanks so much.

[@aleksbubyr5698]

Thank you for sharing your experience It's a big deal for whole world If everyone gonna open and show to everyone his knowledge,like you World is gonna change

[@Smalltime]

Looking at your shop, I can tell that you are the most beautiful woodworker in the shop. In the whole wide shop.

[@kuhmpashun]

Got it. The shirt. Very nicely done!

[@NOTNOTJON]

and third-best looking woodworker on the block. It's a very good looking block.

[@morherr]

Do you have videos for beginners who have close to no experience in woodwork? For someone like me who have a deep interest in it and would like to build a passion on woodworking. I would like to know the types of tools needed/used and their specific jobs for its tools and having you demonstrate it, from how to make simple beginner tabletops or desks and drawers for bedrooms to explaining the vocabularies used in woodwork so we can be familiar with those words, etc. I’m sorry if I don’t make sense but thank you for reading my comment!

[@woodwhisperer]

In a word, no. But all of my projects and videos are intended to be viewable by woodworkers at all levels. Here's the thing, they're all free and they are all there just waiting for you to watch them. And while you might not understand every detail, you can learn an immense amount by simply watching a woodworker build things while explaining what they are doing. I guarantee that if you watch all of my videos, you'll have a very good idea of what the various tools do, how they work, and which ones you'll need to get started. All that said, we have collected our more beginner-friendly videos in this playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLUPWL5TWdx4tqSRo_E7S1I1a38FmFGjww

[@morherr]

The Wood Whisperer thank you!

[@supertroop78]

Thank you for these tips, I didn't even know about all except the sawdust

[@benmeyer731]

I think this was a very interesting video. I do a lot of wood turning and the thin CA glue is very good at helping to make spalted wood a bit stronger.

[@paulsamarin4988]

Hi, Marc! Great video. I just want to point out the reason that you re-chipped out your first repair at the leg bottom. (The one where you used the original chipped-out piece glued back in.) The zoomed-in camera shows that the replaced piece wasn't seated perfectly; I'm sure this wasn't visible to the naked eye. It was not seated all the way to the bottom of the leg. Therefore, at the top end of the piece, the piece was sitting just slightly proud of the workpiece. Therefore, when you planed or sanded it, you caught the edge on the down stroke, tearing out another small piece. You'll see all this just before the 10 min mark. Thanks for the tips!

[@AbouzarKaboudian]

Great tips! Thanks for sharing!

[@JacobWinkle]

9:48 Love your reaction to that repair. Thanks for the video and tips. I'm getting into woodworking so it helps a lot. Thanks

[@makaria2079]

You got my sub just for the shirt!

[@Mr_Chuckles]

My grandad used to mix the sawdust from the piece he was cutting with wood glue to make filler ;) Can't beat that colour match!

[@lxrrxl]

Great information on the video. Question: How do you remove "stamped letters" pressed and burned into wood?

[@anthonyd2923]

Awesome , man. Really informative. One question , a friend bought an antique dresser, the delivery knuckleheads chipped a piece where its very visible. I do have the piece. which CA glue should I use, the thin or thick type, and if I spray it with the accelerator, will it affect the stain?

[@zoomustard]

Great tips and I liked your "warning" about resin/sawdust repairs with respect to stain and finish. About dents........I remember watching my dad in the early 1960's dab alcohol on minor dents in antique furniture, then hold his Zippo lighter near the surface. It worked amazingly well.