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Fixing a "chip" in Paper Laminate desk?
Good morning, all! I wasn't sure exactly where best to ask this, but I did a big oops the day before last with my crafting desk (which has also now become my work from home desk) - I placed a piece of scotch tape near the edge of it as a temporary holding spot while I folded what I was going to secure with it, and when I ripped it off a few seconds to perhaps a couple minutes later, it took a portion of the paper laminate "wood" with it.
 I kept the piece of tape with the paper laminate stuck to it, but I'm not sure how best to go about fixing this eyesore or, at the very least, making it look less displeasing. It's bothering me like nothing else. I like neat and clean and organized, and now I have this nearly 1" by approximately 1/2" white patch of ugliness glaring at me alllllll day every day and I'm going nuts!  I look forward to your suggestions! Warmly, Chrissy |
I doubt it would stick if you tried to re-adhere the whole piece of tape with the laminate still on it. However, if you can fit it into place you might be able to trim it carefully and then glue it down......really, really well.
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If you have Un-du you could use it to separate the paper from the tape, then glue the paper back in place. If it makes you feel any better (doubtful), I did the same thing. I just used a black marker to color the white so it was less noticeable. Who knew these things were so fragile? I guess you get what you pay for, and these desks were cheap. Just another word of caution: don't put anything with moisture directly on the surface, either. It will cause the paper to bubble up and you'll have another eyesore. Fortunately, the bubbling did go down as it dried, but I'm more careful now. I bought a Tim Holtz glass mat to put on my desk so I wouldn't have to worry so much. It has made a big difference!
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Thank you both!!! Sue, I haven't heard of that product before (Un-Du), but will have a look for it. I've been careful about not getting it wet, also, and am rather ticked at myself for this stupid move. Especially since this one has that rather pretty "woodgrain" print on it that's actually quite believable. Or was. Argh! LOL I am wondering if I can find one of those wood markers in a similar color to it, as the desk is a real "light stain" wood color, and everything I have for markers isn't even close to that shade nor tone. |
Do you have any Stazon inks on hand? Brown, purple and orange? My situation is not the same as yours but might be helpful. I ordered a pair of ballet slipper type summer shoes, thought I was getting a tan color, turned out to be rose gold, and maybe for the younger set that would be lovely, but not for this old fart, lol. Anyway, I used that combination of Stazon inks to get a decent shade of brown. And a dab of polyurethane over top should seal it I would think. (Best of luck! I managed to stain a nearly new dining room table with alcohol inks ... Argh!)
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My computer desk has the same issues. But not only did scotch tape take some of the "wood" off...so does my arm where it rubs on the edges. If I really wanted to fix it I think I would try copics in matching colors. At least it would be less obvious. |
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I've used my alcohol markers (Spectrums, Prismas and Bics) to "stain" any number of things, lol. Amazing what you can camouflage... I would test on cardstock to find which color/combination matches best if you go that route. |
Once you fix that boo-boo... I think this place will ship. https://www.ttplasticland.com/ Or a faster inexpensive way is to get a heavy clear shower curtain liner and use it like a table cloth you cut down to size. Might get two out of one depending on your table size. Do not attach it to the table directly to tighten it if you want to-tape to itself at the corners. Use clear packing tape. |
Thank you, everyone! I truly appreciate all the ideas! I think to start, I'll get out my alcohol markers and see if I have anything close (and if not, watch the Hobby Lobby ad 'til they go on sale again to pick up some that will
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If you have a dolllar tree you might find a small bottle of undo there. I use it to remove stickers from books that we purchase. |
Great tip to try the Dollar Tree! I'll keep that in mind next time I'm in that part of town and look if their parking lot isn't too busy. I did experiment with my alcohol markers this weekend and unfortunately I probably don't have an excuse to go buy more markers as the end result is pretty believable and I bet someone else in the room wouldn't even notice the patch unless they looked close! Now I'll have to "seal" it to make it smooth. Thank you all SO much for your awesome suggestions! Hugs, Chrissy |
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I agree... For one of my work tables, I picked up a small drop cloth from the hardware store and a clear shower curtain from the 99 cent store. Dollar Store shower curtains are not as heavy. I used small vise grips from the Dollar store as well to pinch the layers to the table in all four corners. The front grips work out great for hanging items. I'm pleased with the surface and it cleans up nicely with alcohol. |
As for a desk I would recover it. Give the top a light sanding, and repaint it a fun, lively color... cover with contact paper... add another layer of wood, tile, etc... |
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