heatgun damage

[thedoc]

So I was using a heatgun in the saloon and someone knocks on the saloon roof and says hello. I put the gun down and went up to be sociable, result is that I now have a black area on the beautifully varnished saloon table . Do I have to strip back the whole table surface (yikes!)or is there a clever way out of this?

 

[johnphilip]

Tablecloth, special non-slip so it looks a good idea not a cover-up

 

[pappaecho]

Have jsu repaired similar on an ash table which got burned in one corner.

If you use a power sander, you can get down to good unburned wood in a few minutes. Clearly you will have to remove all the varnish to bare wood. Put the first coat on with 50:50 varnish to thinner, and then neat varnish for the next two coats.

Last it will keep you off the streets!

 

[Stemar]

Try some paint stripper first - Nitomors would be my choice, but Dilunet may work if you've got it. You may find the burn is only in the varnish. If the wood is burnt, I fear that you've got problems & johnphilip's solution could have it's atttractions!

If it's solid wood, you may be able to sand the whole table down enough to get a good result, but it'll have to be the whole surface, or it'll be uneven.

I have a nasty feeling that it'll turn out to be ply, in which case you've most probably only got 0.5mm of surface veneer, which means you can't do any significant sanding, so you'll have to replace the top.

 

[DanTribe]

"I have a nasty feeling that it'll turn out to be ply, in which case you've most probably only got 0.5mm of surface veneer, which means you can't do any significant sanding, so you'll have to replace the top."

Or he could try some marquetry, perhaps a compass rose for example.

 

[sailorman]

might be worth a Ins claim if its a nice big table

 

[roger]

It is always possible to let in a matching piece of veneer or solid wood. The first problem is to find a good match to the rest of the table. You can buy a veneer cutter that will make an irregular (less obvious) piece of veneer and an exactly matching hole in the table surface. You will then need to cut out the damaged area to an exact depth for the matching veneer.
It will take a lot of time and a lot of careful work but it can be done.

 

[simonfraser]

put something over it for the time being, if in 6/12 you're still fussed, you'll then have the patience to sort it.

 

[saltwater_gypsy]

I had a soldering iron mark on the chart table. Gouged it out and put in a brass plate engraved with the boat particulars.
OR
as someone else suggested , put in a marquetry inlay
http://www.originalmarquetry.co.uk/
OR
Get flexi-veneer from Robbins timber
http://www.robbins.co.uk/Pdf%20Files/easiwood_info.pdf

"A moment of haste, a lifetime of regret"

 

[tcm]

I wdn't advise more-complex diy since you already used the heatgun on or near an unprotectd varnishd table for crissakes so nitromors er no.
Best option a new tabletop, 2nd a sign such "don't put heatguns here" but one other option mite be to treat the whole table with the heatgun for trendy black crackle effect which will be thereafter perfectly fine for heatguns, hot pans, blowtorches etc that, face it, you're just bound to put there again when anyone pops round.
Another approach is to sue yor mate - after all, he almost certainly came round on purpose and probably knew very well that his visit would cause you to bust something.