How to repair dings in your humi

[Humidor Minister]

Lately I've seen a few people that have come across used humi's that were dinged up. Here's a little guide to repairing dings.
First you will want a damp cotton towel. Make sure it's jsut damp and not soaked. Next place it over the ding, now apply a hot iron ove the damp towel. Get it to where it's slightly steaming then remove it and let it cool. Do this several times being careful not to damage any finish around the ding. This will expand the fibers in the wood that have been compressed from the impact. If you are doing raw wood you will want to go over the affected area with some 220 or finer sandpaper after it has recovered. This may not work on wood with a finish on it and may damage certain finishes. If you can test on an area where it is not visible I would recommend it. On spanish Cedar trays and humidor interiors this will work very well. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. Hope this helps in the care of your humi's over time.

 

[MadMonk]

How about scratches, either hairline, or a little heavier, on a poly finish over veneer? I have a Diamond Crown that my son had some fun with once. Caused a lot of scratches on the lid. He watered the cigars too. Saw dad adding water. He was so happy that he had "helped" me. :laugh:

I tried rubbing compound, automotive scratch remover, and some other polishes, but not effective. They did make the finish shine beautifully. My next idea was to see what is available for wood floor scratch removal.

 

[whopper]

Lately I've seen a few people that have come across used humi's that were dinged up. Here's a little guide to repairing dings.
First you will want a damp cotton towel. Make sure it's jsut damp and not soaked. Next place it over the ding, now apply a hot iron ove the damp towel. Get it to where it's slightly steaming then remove it and let it cool. Do this several times being careful not to damage any finish around the ding. This will expand the fibers in the wood that have been compressed from the impact. If you are doing raw wood you will want to go over the affected area with some 220 or finer sandpaper after it has recovered. This may not work on wood with a finish on it and may damage certain finishes. If you can test on an area where it is not visible I would recommend it. On spanish Cedar trays and humidor interiors this will work very well. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. Hope this helps in the care of your humi's over time.

Good advice. I've used this method to remove dings on a gunstock as well.

 

[RichYhlen]

I remember doing this trick in highschool woodshop. The added bonus, it raises the woodgrain and you get a smoother surface after sanding. I would wipe the wood piece using a damp cloth let it dry, sand smooth with 220 then rinse/repeat 2 more times. Maybe it is me, but I think I have seen a difference with the finished product.

 

[Humidor Minister]

Fixing a hi polished finish can be tricky. I just did a repair on a lacquer finish that had cracked due to something heavy on it. I mixed lacquer thinner with a retarder and carefully applied it to just the crack. Problem is, if it turns out to be a finish other than lacquer, it can wrinkle it up like a textured finish. When that happens, you have a real problem. Nice part about lacquer is that it melts to itself. After determining the finish, to get the hi polished look, you would still need to wet sand to about 2000 grit and rub out with a compuond. I use 3-M 06085 perfect-it compound. It isn't cheap though, about $45.00 for a 32 oz. bottle. It can be used by hand or with a buffer. When using a buffer i start with a wool pad to get the finish to its fine state, then I switch to a foam pad to get the shine. When done, I use an automotive wax. Don't use anything with silicone or you will never be able to repair it again. It will just fish eye. Hope this helps.

How about scratches, either hairline, or a little heavier, on a poly finish over veneer? I have a Diamond Crown that my son had some fun with once. Caused a lot of scratches on the lid. He watered the cigars too. Saw dad adding water. He was so happy that he had "helped" me. :laugh:

I tried rubbing compound, automotive scratch remover, and some other polishes, but not effective. They did make the finish shine beautifully. My next idea was to see what is available for wood floor scratch removal.

Can you post a pic or 2?