Re: Steaming a stock to remove dings
I use the same type of Monokote iron, on top of folded paper toweling that's well soaked with rubbing alky. The deeper it soaks, the deeper the steam expansion gets applied. Yes, it takes a bit more time with the smaller iron.
Wood is composed of hollow tubular wood fibers bound together by natural lignin resin. Dents crush the tubes and distort the resin. Steam softens/liquifies the resin, and steam reinflates the tubes at least partially. Wood dents can be reduced using steam, and the steam can also soften (plasticize) the resin to permit bending.
Ammonia will also plasticize lignin. For ammonia bending try to find institutional ammonia, it's stronger. Bend individual laminates before bonding them. Ammonia will curdle aliphatic resin (Carpenter's/Titebond/etc.) glues, so the ammonia must be allowed to completely evaporate before gluing with these resins.
For 'immortal' dings (stuff that doesn't respond adequately to steaming), I do what I call 'mud sanding'
I put a dollop of finish (I use Birchwood Casey Tru-Oil) atop the ding, and then begin sanding right over the liquid finish until I get a 'mud' composed of stock sawdust and finishing oil. Keep sanding until there's a puddle of mud centered right in and atop the ding. Leave the stock, ding upright, where the mud can dry and harden thoroughly. Be patient, this can take anywhere from hours to weeks. It may crack some too, but subsequent applications will resolve this.
When it's hardened, sand on down to the wood. The ding should be at least partially filled in. If it's still not completely filled, repeat the process until it is.
Because the filler is the same material as the stock, bound by the same material as the finish; it should be about as perfect a match as you're ever gonna get. The grain isn't there, but everything else is.
This is comparable to a process involving sanding sealer when doing conventional wood finishing.
For balsa wood, I mix talc with clear lacquer and brush it on thick, let it dry, then sand it back on down to the grain. When I'm done repeating the process, I can produce a finish that's like polished glass.
This can also be done without the talc, but it takes more coats to fill the grain. If I'm using an opaque color lacquer on top for a finish, I use the talc. For a clear finish, I can omit the talc.
Greg
