Repairs to Cedar Strip Hulls

[frostback]

I have noticed that if I have to sand down through the glass and epoxy to remove a deep scratch or ding, after the cedar is sanded and repaired, there is a noticable difference in the color of the cedar (lighter) than the surrounding areas that have not been repaired.

If the repaired area is larger than a toonie, the light spot jumps out at you, even from a distance. Is there any way to eliminate this? Is there anything I should do before applying the glass patch to help balance the color(s) of the repair so that it won't stand out?

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thank you.

[Noah's]

The reason for the difference in color is the sun darkens the wood surface over time. You can slow this down, by keeping the boat out of the sun when not in use and using lots of UV filter varnish. As for repair you can add Mohawk powdered pigments to your epoxy when doing the patch. It takes a little fiddling to get the shade right, and the pigment will obscure the grain of the wood slightly, but you can get it to blend.

[mrfxsit]

I personally have never tried this trick on a cedar boat....but.
I have done a fair bit of repairs on hardwood floors. One trick that I came up with to get the sanded spots or areas on the floor to blend with the older sections is to apply steeped tea to the spot before finishing.I allow the tea to become very strong or dark then apply it to the spots....allow it to dry thoroughly then apply my finish.All tho not a perfect match it does workout quite well.