PVA is strong stuff and I am about to be killed

[dennis]

You have two options.. repair it or hide it. How about a nice granite/marble slab set into the worktop? Or just fit a new worktop.

[Peter Lynch]

Ouch, and with valentine's day coming up, too. (you hadn't forgotten, had you?).

Stil back to the immediate problem. Have you considered a plug cutter? What I'm thinking is this: Get a piece of worktop that's the same colour/pattern (maybe swipe it off the existing top, from somewhere that's unseen). Get an accessory like this

from Axminster, or elsewhere and cut a small circular piece from your worktop sample. Remove the particle board backing to just leave the laminate. Next, use a Forstner bit _of_ _the_ _same_ _diameter_ to cut a corresponding hole in the worktop, over the damage. Don't drill too deep into the board, you just want to remove the laminate. Once done, use your famous PVA glue to stick the circular piece from your plug-cutter into the hole. Be careful to align it with any patterns on the surface. One thing: practice on something else first - I've not tried this in a life-threatening situation. Don't blame me if it goes horribly wrong.

g'luck Pete

[mail]

Phil L is dead right PVA will re-emulsify in hot cold water and can be wiped off. That is why if you are using it for an serious purpose - such as sticking on plaster or render it is better to specify SBR which cannot. That of course does not help you in the slightest as you have pulled off the surface. My guess is that your best bet would be to get some resin suitable for the purpose - which is probably a marine epoxy (but I am no expert on this and others may find a much better material) and fill any actual hole with this product. Then get in an expert French Polisher type person to stain and or paint said area to match the original. How you do this with the kettle in situ and her not discovering is, clearly, a major task and it seems to me from reading the inventive suggestions on the rest of the posts not beyond the inventive skills of this group! Of course, it may be cheaper to bite the bullet, confess and put on a completely new surface. ~She will be impressed by your honest rectification of the problem and you will be setting a precedent should she accidentally drop your valuable skillsaw and bend the guide, or any similar damage to car etc etc Chris

[Adam Aglionby]

Under counter water boiler with the spout exiting through the area currently occupied by kettle?

Adam (another one)

[boltmail]

Hot cold water will emulsify anything if you can lay your hands on it. :p

Seriously, this is only true if its a bog-standard PVA. The cross- linked D3 stuff won't, and you can get D4 PVAs these days which won't even more, as it were.

[RobertL]

e

one trick to hide things like this: glue a nice quality metal plate onto the worktop for 'putting hot pans on'. This can look OK near the cooker.

R

[mogga]

Have you thought of staying single? :)

I assume you survived this morning, or she didn't notice.

[ARWadworth]

I have just done a DIY divorce to make me single. £365 all inc. The wife filled the forms in for me and my girlfriend took them to the court for me:)

She stopped at my house last night. When she gets home from work tonight is a different matter.

Adam

[Chris J Dixon]

Try Tupperware - it may pinch a little, but it will keep everything perfectly fresh ;-)

Chris

[Geo]

Ok - maybe that is a bit severe - but surely "work"tops should survive normal kitchen use - or do you have to cover them with something else first??

Geo

[itsmeinnit]

Momentarily un-lurk and snip amusing (Because it wasn't me!) tale.

Appointment made to look in here tonight and tomorrow morning. I'm sure there will be a queue, I'm first. Pictures of the wounds will be good, too.

[David in Normandy]

My sentiments entirely. It never occurred to me that such a pot could scratch a worktop. I've been a bit wary since then.

[ARWadworth]

She has phoned me and she has seen it. She seemed calm on the phone but when I visit later I expect trouble.

A new worktop is cheaper than plastic surgery.

Adam

[The Medway Handyman]

No, no, no. You don't tell her that - it's what you do. Put the blame on her, make her assume she did it. Go on the offensive.

[Appin]

The message from "ARWadworth" contains these words:

Or how poor-quality some worktops are?

[ARWadworth]

And I will be replacing it. The worktop was there when she moved in and it should not be too difficult a job.

Adam

[ARWadworth]

It is her fauly for not cleaning up for me. The be all and end all is I am replacing the top for her.

Adam

[Andy Hall]

You're a hero, Adam.

Has she started to slacken the handle on the vice holding your nuts? ;-)

[grumpyat]

In my experience they throw the vice handle out of the window, set fire to the shed and provide you with a blunt and rusty hacksaw blade.

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