Recently, an accident left a dent about the size of a tennis ball in our veneer-plaster wall, much like the damage left by doorknobs bumped into walls unprotected by doorstops. The plasterboard underneath was damaged enough that it was too weak to support a plaster patch without cracking again. The gypsum core was shattered but with minimal damage to the paper surfaces. I wanted to repair the existing material without cutting out the damaged piece and did not want to tape and plaster the areas because that would have required a large, feathered patch for a relatively small area of damage. I needed to restore some structural integrity to the core.
I began by drilling a series of holes about 1/2-in. apart. I used a 3/16-in. bit, a diameter that corresponded to the tip of a medical syringe with its needle removed. I drilled holes about half to three-quarters of the way into the core of the drywall and injected each hole with yellow glue until it oozed out of the neighboring holes. After the glue dried, the damaged area became as solid as the original wall.
Syringes can be tough to get if you aren’t somehow involved in the medical profession. But most woodworking-supply stores and catalogs have syringes specifically designed for injecting glue. The Woodworker’s Store (21801 Industrial Blvd., Rogers, Minn. 55374-9514) is one source.
David O. Hasek, Stevensville, MD
