This is a what would you use question. Thanks in advance for offering advice.
I have been asked (as a favor for friends) to remove a mid rail from 2- 49" tall X 17" wide red oak cabinet door. The placement is at the 1/2 way mark and now that the owners see it they would prefer it to be more a 1/3rd:2/3rd. They don't want to buy 2 new doors. The company built them, as asked - owners now just don't care for it.
A production shop product so I wasn't certain if it was an true mid rail or simply applied to the face front and back between the stiles. There was enough of a gap in the panel slot to leave the question and the back has pins though the stile obviously locating the rail. I couldn't tell, therefore, if the panel was one piece or 2.
SO - I removed the face mid rail and discovered that in fact it was a true rail and that the panel (1/4" veneered MDF) is in two pieces. My plan is to apply some paper backed 10ml veneer to the full height face and leave the rail only on the back of the panel. Adding a new mid rail at the preferred height is obviously out of the question as the 2 piece panel won't allow it.
BUT - to my question. The rail was slotted for the panel and now I have the slot on both edges that needs to be filled and smoothed flat before applying veneer. WHAT TO USE to fill the gaps? Bondo is too hard (difficult to sand smooth without compromising the flatness of the adding panels, still in the door). Spackling too soft.
Is there a wood filler product, that you could recommend, that would bond well and permanently to the wood in the gap and that will sand better than bondo or spackling and perform well as a substrate for the veneer?
I'm into it now
Thanks for your help.
Sam