What to Do with Old Holes in Cabinetry

[SV Demeter]

In the process of my rewire and removal of a generator I wont be using anymore I am left with several holes where display panels were mounted. I need to figure out what to do to fill these holes. Im reusing as many as I can with the new distribution panles and AC breaker panels but there are still a number that need filling. They are all in varnished teak plywood and square. Do I try to get teak ply and make a plug and match or revarnish? Do I cover up with pieces of thin starboard, lexan, solid teak?

[Bash]

Perfect spot for a new barometer & ship's clock. The only ones who will know you're using them to cover up old holes are the ones who have already done this trick on their own boats.

[SV Demeter]

Not sure that would work where these holes are but maybe. Was thiking of covering one with some white acrylic material that could become a dry erase board for notes and such as one is right near the companionway ladder.

[senormechanico]

How about a small framed picture of your boat or sweetie?

[islander28capt]

could be a great conversation piece for guests......"say whats this hole for".......and the STORIE begins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[SV Demeter]

Yeah maybe. The holes are all between the walkthrough cabin and the engine room so I would prefer to fill or cover. I guess thats what is comes down to, fill or cover.

[Sailmonkey]

Buy some old oscilloscopes and mount them in the holes.......when asked you can say it's part of the command center.

[zopi]

plywood dutchmen. razor knife and chisel the veneer off the pretty side in an area larger than the hole, use gorilla glue to attach a thinner plug, then apply teak veneer back to the pretty side..

[SV Demeter]

I like this idea. So I trim the veneer off say a 1/2 ring around the existing hole. Then fill the hole with plywood setting it flush with the trimmed plywood. Then carefully cut and fit a piece of veneer. This way the joint is only on the veneer and not the the whole thickness of plywood? Going to work on boat tonight and will take a look at trying this.

Thanks,.

[islander28capt]

more seriously, i agree with zopi. Have done some repairs the same way. The best way i have found to fit the veneer is to first cut it slightly larger than the veneer patch dimentions then tape it in place with a bit of masking tape, then cut through the patch and the veneer layer on the cabinet making an exact match. If you take care to match the grain this type of repair can be made to disappear! good luck!

[Charlie]

+1 for Zopi's idea. I think Islander's method is important. You need to cut the existing and the new veneer with the same cut or it will not be a perfect fit.

[ozskipper]

How about a sign saying "remember to turn the gas off." or "remember to close the seacocks" basically, something that looks like it is mean to be there.

Patched timber will always look like patched timber!

Cheers
Oz

[FrankZ]

When I redid the electrical panel I pulled down the old wood and used it as a template to make a new one. Then cut in for the new panel and monitors.

[zopi]

and when you fill the sight joint left, clean out your sanders catch bag and make a little dust from the wood you are filling..you'll have to sand it anyway, and wet the dust just a tiny bit with some teak oil, to make it doughy, and squeegee it into the void...instant color matched filler.

[sobraon]

When we refitted the interior of Spirit of Sobraon we had to cope with the same problem. We striped nearly 30 years of bad ideas and old technology out of the boat leaving a lot of holes and scars in the interior timber work .
We found trying to match grain with timber veneer was very difficult and the results were not very satisfactory.
We developed a number of different techniques to overcome the damaged areas and give the appearance that noting was a cover up.
The size of the damage dictated the technique we used. In the main Saloon bulkhead we had large holes where an old 8 track stereo had been threw mounted and numerous other holes where pictures, mirrors and other things had been hung.
The holes were patched and faired level with ply and epoxy. Then we cut a piece of laminex (formica) to cover the area and framed it with timber to make it look like an original fit. On smaller areas we sliced solid timber that matched the veneer type about 1/8th" thick to glue over the patch. These areas tend to look like they are there for a reason and no one has ever commented on them.
Below is a photo of the laminex panels on the saloon bulkhead. We pained the deckhead and cabin panel to match and the end result is a lighter colored interior that doesn't show any of the old damage.



Think outside the square to make the repair look like it is supposed to be there. A repair that tries to match normally always looks like a repair.

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