How to repair a door that taped striped off the finish?
#1
12-06-11, 04:49 AM
How to repair a door that taped striped off the finish?
I was trying to replace the door knob on the bathroom door and for some reason the existing hole was too small so I enlarged the hole by clamping a piece of wood to the door and drilling though. I drilled through the board and then continued through the door and it almost worked perfect.
To prevent damage to the other side of the door, I taped the area near the hole but when I peeled off the tape it peeled off the finish of the door!
Can anybody please help me out?
Here is a picture of the door...
To prevent damage to the other side of the door, I taped the area near the hole but when I peeled off the tape it peeled off the finish of the door!
Can anybody please help me out?
Here is a picture of the door...
#2
12-06-11, 05:20 AM
Group Moderator
The first thing I would try is dome denatured alcohol on a cotton ball. Denatured alcohol is sold in the hardware store along with paint thinner and such. If the finish on the door would happen to be shellac, the denatured alcohol will soften the surrounding finish and you will be able to soften it and spread enough of it around to cover your spot.
The only other idea I would have, since your finish is colored due to age, is to actually buy some shellac (look for Bullseye amber shellac, which I know the Menards in our area still carries) and carefully apply it to just the repair. Add more coats until you match the tint of the rest. Clean the edges up with the alcohol and cotton ball. I don't think you will be able to make this repair completely disappear without completely stripping and refinishing the door.
The only other idea I would have, since your finish is colored due to age, is to actually buy some shellac (look for Bullseye amber shellac, which I know the Menards in our area still carries) and carefully apply it to just the repair. Add more coats until you match the tint of the rest. Clean the edges up with the alcohol and cotton ball. I don't think you will be able to make this repair completely disappear without completely stripping and refinishing the door.
#3
12-06-11, 05:52 AM
Hold old is the house/door? While shellac was used a lot prior to the 60's it isn't likely that any house built after the late 60's would have had shellac...... but the denatured alcohol test will tell for sure.
If the it isn't shellac, I doubt you'll have much luck trying to touch up although it won't be too big of a deal to strip and refinish the door.
If the it isn't shellac, I doubt you'll have much luck trying to touch up although it won't be too big of a deal to strip and refinish the door.
#4
12-06-11, 09:21 AM
The house was built in 1954 and I'd guess that the doors are original to the house.
I remember doing something else a while ago with a heat gun and when I pointed it towards a molding it started to melt (burn away?) that same coating that is now missing from the door.
Does that give you any more information?
I remember doing something else a while ago with a heat gun and when I pointed it towards a molding it started to melt (burn away?) that same coating that is now missing from the door.
Does that give you any more information?
#5
12-06-11, 09:39 AM
I don't know about the heat gun although most paints will melt given enough heat. The odds are fairly high that the doors were finished with shellac so you should be good to go with XSleeper's advice 
