Connecting to Collections Care

One of our exhibit panels made of high-pressure laminate developed a crack during shipping. Due to the panel's large size, we anticipated that a replacement might also be damaged in transit. As a result, we accepted the panel and asked the fabricator for a repair solution.

The fabricator initially painted the crack, layering the paint to fill it in, but the repair was too noticeable. We then requested an alternative fix. Their next solution involved applying custom laminate shapes to the panel, incorporating one to cover the crack. This approach not only concealed the damage but also added visual interest, and we were very pleased with the result.

However, the crack has since extended beyond the original laminate shape. The fabricator has now recommended using oil pastels to color in the crack, pressing the pigment in with a plastic palette knife and removing any excess with mineral spirits. This is similar to their original repair method, but because the new crack is shorter and partially hidden by a design element, the fix is expected to be less noticeable. That said, does anyone have an alternative suggestion?

One of our exhibit panels made of high-pressure laminate developed a crack during shipping. Due to the panel's large size, we anticipated that a replacement might also be damaged in transit. As a result, we accepted the panel and asked the fabricator for a repair solution.

The fabricator initially painted the crack, layering the paint to fill it in, but the repair was too noticeable. We then requested an alternative fix. Their next solution involved applying custom laminate shapes to the panel, incorporating one to cover the crack. This approach not only concealed the damage but also added visual interest, and we were very pleased with the result.

However, the crack has since extended beyond the original laminate shape. The fabricator has now recommended using oil pastels to color in the crack, pressing the pigment in with a plastic palette knife and removing any excess with mineral spirits. This is similar to their original repair method, but because the new crack is shorter and partially hidden by a design element, the fix is expected to be less noticeable. That said, does anyone have an alternative suggestion?

One of our exhibit panels made of high-pressure laminate developed a crack during shipping. Due to the panel's large size, we anticipated that a replacement might also be damaged in transit. As a result, we accepted the panel and asked the fabricator for a repair solution.

The fabricator initially painted the crack, layering the paint to fill it in, but the repair was too noticeable. We then requested an alternative fix. Their next solution involved applying custom laminate shapes to the panel, incorporating one to cover the crack. This approach not only concealed the damage but also added visual interest, and we were very pleased with the result.

However, the crack has since extended beyond the original laminate shape. The fabricator has now recommended using oil pastels to color in the crack, pressing the pigment in with a plastic palette knife and removing any excess with mineral spirits. This is similar to their original repair method, but because the new crack is shorter and partially hidden by a design element, the fix is expected to be less noticeable. That said, does anyone have an alternative suggestion?

Hi Rebecca,

I just verified the crack is in plane/level, so I plan to try the modostuc and acrylic paints.

Thank you for your recommendations!

Rhonda

One of our exhibit panels made of high-pressure laminate developed a crack during shipping. Due to the panel's large size, we anticipated that a replacement might also be damaged in transit. As a result, we accepted the panel and asked the fabricator for a repair solution.

The fabricator initially painted the crack, layering the paint to fill it in, but the repair was too noticeable. We then requested an alternative fix. Their next solution involved applying custom laminate shapes to the panel, incorporating one to cover the crack. This approach not only concealed the damage but also added visual interest, and we were very pleased with the result.

However, the crack has since extended beyond the original laminate shape. The fabricator has now recommended using oil pastels to color in the crack, pressing the pigment in with a plastic palette knife and removing any excess with mineral spirits. This is similar to their original repair method, but because the new crack is shorter and partially hidden by a design element, the fix is expected to be less noticeable. That said, does anyone have an alternative suggestion?