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How to repair a damaged top veneer/layer of a blade
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Author:  RoosterDragon [ 09 Aug 2010, 10:02 ]
Post subject:  How to repair a damaged top veneer/layer of a blade
Hello guys 8)
Long time no see lolz. I kinda left here to stop my EJing but I'm back... :lol:


I recently got hold of a TSP Balsa 6.5 which has been damaged on the blade's playing surface presumably from when the user was removing the rubbers.

I have heard/read of varnishing a blade but I have my doubts because I am afraid that it could cause an even more uneven surface, thus making things worse.

The blade still has glue on and I would appreciate it if someone could tell me how I should remove the glue from the blade. I have previously used nail varnish? remover (ya know, the stuff that has acetone in it) with a little bit of force...but...I'm worried that the stuff is going to seep in and get underneath the top layer where the wood has been torn off.

Would 70% concentration ispopropyl alcohol do the job better? The stuff is going to evaporate faster and I really don't think I need to consider all of those rules about VOCs because I'm not playing at such a high standard.



Umm...what are you normally meant to say here...I've forgotten :rofl:
Thanks in advance?
Author:  haggisv [ 09 Aug 2010, 11:34 ]
Post subject:  Re: How to repair a damaged top veneer/layer of a blade
Good to have you back RoosterDragon!

The removal really depends on what glue was used in the first place... any idea?
Author:  hookshot [ 09 Aug 2010, 11:41 ]
Post subject:  Re: How to repair a damaged top veneer/layer of a blade
Depends on the glue type. If it is rubber cement, take an old, unwanted rubber and use it like sandpaper. Put the blade flat on a table, handle off the edge so you do not crack the blade. Rub hard with the rubber sheet. It will take off the glue and leave the surface like new. I keep an old Energy sheet around just for this purpose. Wipe quickly with alcohol and it is ready to repair.
If there is chunks missing, use a wood filler. Can be had in small tins in hardware stores. Fill the holes and let dry "Completly".
Important! Use a HARD sanding block. Sand the surface with 220 or 320 grit wet/dry paper. Use a circular motion. If you use a soft block, it will conform to the shape already there and will sand the soft parts faster than the hard parts. Use a HARD block and it will come out flat. Keep the block on the face while sanding. Do not go over the side with the block or it will round the edges. When satisfied with it, "Seal with Poly". One or two light coats will not hurt a thing and it will be less likely to splinter again. The glue will come off better when sealed also.
I use Minwax, Quick dry Spray poly. Easy to apply a light, even coat. Poly will seal against water based glues. A light coat dries in one hour where you can glue again. :)
Author:  hookshot [ 09 Aug 2010, 11:44 ]
Post subject:  Re: How to repair a damaged top veneer/layer of a blade
Yes, depends on the glue type. If the glue dries hard, it can be sanded off with the block and fine paper, 220 or 320. If it does not dry hard, then you have to find a solvent to remove it or you could try the old rubber and see if it works. :)
Author:  RoosterDragon [ 12 Aug 2010, 06:31 ]
Post subject:  Re: How to repair a damaged top veneer/layer of a blade
Thanks for all the replies guys.



Thanks hookshot for the detail on how to fill in the damaged areas. However, I just can't understand how this would affect the blade positively.
I mean, how is filling up gaps on a wooden surface with cement going to affect the blade's playing characteristics better than just slapping on a new rubber over the damaged area?

Sorry :oops: I'm just a little paranoid because wood filler is permanent after all....
Author:  hookshot [ 12 Aug 2010, 07:47 ]
Post subject:  Re: How to repair a damaged top veneer/layer of a blade
If you are talking about chunks of wood missing, use the wood filler. Chunks missing will show as low spots in the rubber. Ball will bounce different in this area if not filled.
If you are talking about the fine hairs and stuff coming off, that is different. That will not affect the play of the blade. A light seal will prevent fibers coming off with the rubber when you change. :)
Author:  jixiaolan [ 12 Aug 2010, 17:58 ]
Post subject:  Re: How to repair a damaged top veneer/layer of a blade
hookshot wrote:
........... When satisfied with it, "Seal with Poly". One or two light coats will not hurt a thing and it will be less likely to splinter again. The glue will come off better when sealed also.
I use Minwax, Quick dry Spray poly. Easy to apply a light, even coat. Poly will seal against water based glues. A light coat dries in one hour where you can glue again. :)


I am looking for a blade sealant also. What is the suitable type of Minwax ? Kindly state the full name of the chemical please, i.e polycrylic or polyurethan?
Thank you in advance.

I dont thindk nail varnish is appropriate. It most probably alters the top wood surface property, meaning affecting blade playing characteristics.
Author:  hookshot [ 12 Aug 2010, 21:52 ]
Post subject:  Re: How to repair a damaged top veneer/layer of a blade
I like "Minwax, Quick Dry, Spray on Poly Urethane". Same in a can works well but eaiser to get nice, even, thin coat with spray. The coat should be thin enough it will not run. I do hold the blade flat between some books by the handle until it is dry just incase I got too much on. That way it will not run.
The slow dry works well also but why wait?
I have done close to 100 blades now with 1 to 10 coats with many different finishes.
Many were done in pairs so I could compare sealed to unsealed.
A good method with the can, is to dip the corner of a soft, lint free rag and wipe it on.Then wipe almost all off. Wait 10 minutes and do it again. Can hardly see the finish but it seals very well.
Water based Verithane works well also but, it will raise the grain on some woods and will require light sanding with 320 grit and another coat. When dry, it is waterproof just like Poly-U. :)
Author:  jixiaolan [ 12 Aug 2010, 22:50 ]
Post subject:  Re: How to repair a damaged top veneer/layer of a blade
Very well illustration. Thank you.
Author:  hookshot [ 12 Aug 2010, 23:24 ]
Post subject:  Re: How to repair a damaged top veneer/layer of a blade
Another thing about sealing,,,Why anybody would use sealents made by table tennis companies is beyond me. They usually do not even tell you what kind of sealent it is or the properties. Some are not waterproof. They are EXPENSIVE. They are just rebottled stuff but you do not know what it is. A small can of Poly is about $4 to $6 dollors and will do dozens of blades. A spray can will do dozens for about the same $. Less that the can but still many blades. Some "table tennis sealers" are affected by rubber cement. Poly is not.
Poly-U is "The strongest, most scratch resistant finish" out there (per Wood Workers Magazine tests) unless you go to some kind of exotic formula not sold in stores. Being the strongest means you can use a thinner layer and still get a good seal. Two thin coats, rubbed or sprayed and you can wash the blade with a wet rag. The water just beads on the surface. :up:
Author:  jazzcomp [ 30 Jul 2019, 10:10 ]
Post subject:  Re: How to repair a damaged top veneer/layer of a blade
Any good repairer in Sydney?
Author:  iskandar taib [ 30 Jul 2019, 17:43 ]
Post subject:  Re: How to repair a damaged top veneer/layer of a blade
hookshot wrote:
Depends on the glue type. If it is rubber cement, take an old, unwanted rubber and use it like sandpaper. Put the blade flat on a table, handle off the edge so you do not crack the blade. Rub hard with the rubber sheet. It will take off the glue and leave the surface like new. I keep an old Energy sheet around just for this purpose.


I used to have people come to me with pre-mades, and they wanted me to remove the rubber and glue on new ones. After one of these I said - well, YOU remove the rubber first, and THEN I'll put new rubber on it for you. It literally takes HOURS, sometimes, because the glue they use on pre-mades was never meant to come off. I tried the old rubber sheet method, and then one of these people told me something better he'd read online. Use a rubber eraser (the kind that you use on paper to erase pencil marks). MUCH easier to grip. Just go to your bookstore and buy a large rubber eraser, something you can easily grip.

Incidentally, back in the hardbat days, a lot of table tennis bats had rounded edges. In fact, what they told you to do to trim the sheets of hard rubber was to use a rasp or file on the edges of the bat. I think this went out of style when sponge came along, but I don't think it's illegal to have a rounded edge on your blade, even if it means you can see wood beyond the rubber. Probably not esthetically pleasing for some, and of course the ball won't bounce off in an exactly perpendicular direction if you hit it with the edge of your bat... :lol: Igor will now probably claim it's illegal for some reason that only he, who reads secret Russian referee forums, would know about... :lol:

Iskandar
Author:  iskandar taib [ 30 Jul 2019, 17:55 ]
Post subject:  Re: How to repair a damaged top veneer/layer of a blade
jixiaolan wrote:
I am looking for a blade sealant also. What is the suitable type of Minwax ? Kindly state the full name of the chemical please, i.e polycrylic or polyurethan?
Thank you in advance.

I dont thindk nail varnish is appropriate. It most probably alters the top wood surface property, meaning affecting blade playing characteristics.


Oil-based polyurethane varnish. If you are in the US, Minwax works fine, but Red Devil Brand from Wal-Mart works just as well and costs less. "Polycrylic" is actually just the brand name for a certain water-based polyurethane varnish (made by Minwax, IIRC). I'd bet nail varnish would work just fine, it's just that, er, do you really want a red colored blade? :lol:

Lots of posts many years ago by people who thought varnishing "ruined" blades - or rather, ruined their feel. I haven't seen any such claims for years. You really don't need to apply much. Wipe on with a paper towel (i.e. "kitchen roll", not "toilet roll" :lol: ), and then immediately wipe off again. Get all the edges and corners.

Iskandar
Author:  iskandar taib [ 30 Jul 2019, 18:03 ]
Post subject:  Re: How to repair a damaged top veneer/layer of a blade
hookshot wrote:
A small can of Poly is about $4 to $6 dollors and will do dozens of blades. A spray can will do dozens for about the same $. Less that the can but still many blades. Some "table tennis sealers" are affected by rubber cement. Poly is not.


If it doesn't dry up on you... :lol: And it will. You seal one blade, and then six months later, you want to do a second one and discover your can of varnish has dried up. It actually polymerizes in reaction with air. To prevent this - drill two small holes in opposite sides of the can, near the top. Screw in a pair of sheet metal screws, tip the can slightly so the varnish works its way into the threads. The next time you want to use some, unscrew the screws, pour out some into a dixie cup or plastic lid, and then replace the screws (don't forget to tip the can slightly again so the varnish gets into the threads, again). Then your can will last for months and years.

Iskandar
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