[Andy Graves]

I had a two sheet job a week or so ago that included a peninsula that was more than 30 sq. ft. I had one sheet in stock from a previous job so I only ordered one additional sheet. Usually I can place a seam where it won’t show up too much but the customer added a 10 inch overhang on the end of the peninsula and that made it require just over one sheet for that section.

After placing the sheets together it appeared as though they would be acceptable. After seaming, it was clear that the color match would never fly. I called the distributor and found a half sheet that was within about 3000 numbers from the original sheet. I didn’t have much choice so I decided to order it and give it a try. when it arrived I made a more diligent effort to determine if it would match. It wasn’t dead on but it was closer than what I was trying to fix. I made a male-female jig so that I could make a serpentine seam along two sides, 15″ X 34″. This made a seam that made it difficult for your eye to focus on it instead of a straight line. I used matched bevel bits to cut the patch. when it was done I had a difficult time finding the color change. I got an objective opinion from a tenant next to me and he couldn’t tell that there was anything suspect. Then I showed him what I had done and only then could he tell, in a couple of places that there was a difference in color match.

It was about a three hour process to do the fix. The customer never had a clue and I didn’t have to re-order material or remake the entire job.

John C

[Karl Crooks]

Andy, great work, very smart, good details and photos of how it was done ! We try to do the same type of thing, make a step by step PHOTO GUIDE of the odd repairs that we do. Then we put that photo guide on our web based data base so that all at our company can see it. It would be cool to start building a best practice photo guide on the Fab Net.

[Andy Graves]

I posted this for another fabricator because he was having trouble with the pictures. Fabricator is Johnny C.

[Tony Russo]

BTW, nice BESSEY clamps in the pic.

The things I notice…

[Andy Graves]

Did you cut the template with a CNC or did you freehand it?

[Jeff Brand]

Andy,

Nice job! We did something similar last year and for the same reason. Ours was a bit simpler, though,

for others to consider also. We created a wavy-edge template (similar to the long side of yours)

and clamped it at 45 dgress to the two sheets. Virtually impossible to see the inherent mismatch (in our

case, aggregate size, not color).

Jeff

[Shane Barker]

I am going to have to make me up one of those templates and give it a try. I have heard of using these for veined material but not for color or particulate problems. Good idea.

Shane

[John Christensen]

I am Johnny C. I had previously signed on as John C. I now realize that John Christina also signs on as John C. I am willing to go to Johnny C.

This template was cut free hand because I am an old school fabricator and don’t have a CNC. As long as you don’t have any radii tighter than 9/16″ and you use a 1/4″ bit to cut it. the matched bevel bits will work.

Sometimes I have to make an odd shaped patch on site because I don’t have a template that will utilize tha available patch piece or encompass the defect. I do this by starting my router against a straight edge and then go into free hand and return to the traight edge when I near completion. This assures that the 1/4″ kurf starts and ends at the same place.
John C

[John Christensen]

Andy,
Thanks for thaking the time to post this fix for me. I have got to learn how to get there myself. Your time is precious I am sure. Thanks for running this site!!
Johnny C

[Tom M]

Johnny C,
That was a good way out of a tight spot.

And don’t worry about making Andy work. He eats abuse and we feed him good.

Tom

[Andy Graves]

Tom M wrote

Johnny C,
That was a good way out of a tight spot.

And don’t worry about making Andy work. He eats abuse and we feed him good.

Tom

I wash it down with KOOL-AID (inside joke)

[KCWOOD]

I wash it down with KOOL-AID (inside joke)

See, we told you it had something in it, just glad the effects didn’t last long or we would not have the FabNet!!(Funnier Inside Joke)

[jeff barbieri]

John C, I’ve never had to do much repair so I’m a little lost on this. Bevel bits instead of a straight bit like a set of plug repair cutters? Lower the bit on the plug till it fits a few thousandths high? What kind of bushings are you using? We used to use inlay bushings on laminate, same thing?

Are you free handing the template, or the mirror cut?

Pretty cool, looks impossible to me!

[John Christensen]

Al,
The bevel bits I am refering to a matched set. I think that it is about a 10 degree bevel on both bits. One has an up bevel and one has a down bevel. Both have a 1 1/8″ top bearing that allows you to run the bit around a male and female template that are exactly 1/4″ different. I like to cut the female portion of the repair first and then raise the bit on the male patch, as you mentioned, until it fits within a comfortable margin for sanding.

Using a CNC would make creating templates much quicker. Since I don’t have one, I have to cut it freehand. Not that big of deal.
Johnny C.

[Author]

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