Update: Fixed the crushed PF corner with WEST system epoxy. This was done by using a very thin hobby saw to cut apart the plywood's laminates so I could clamp the board's corner straight while the epoxy sets up. The corner was then taped off just with masking tape, and WEST was allowed to penetrate completely down into all the saw cuts. 1" thick aluminum blocks were then clamped on each side and allowed to set up. Result: a perfectly straight and square corner thats super strong. This is under the bottom apron area, so all I wanted was a good structural repair. Done...
Today: Went to the wood working store today and obtained some excellent 1/32" maple veneer strips 6x48". Also bought some 1-1/4 square steel tubing - explanation to follow. The Createx paint set and frisket paper also arrived today; the airbrush and some other accessories will be here tomorrow.
I'll begin with some experiments on laminate replacement. I have a Bridgeport CNC mill with the large 9x48 table. The mill works quite nicely as a CNC wood router, so with that I plan on simply milling off the bad wood areas and replacing them with the new maple veneer. The new veneer will have to be made to look appropriate to the rest of the wood on the PF, so there will be additional testing to see what I can use and later 2PAC over it. Perhaps a thin application of shellac will work - we will see.
The 1-1/4 square tubing is to be fixed down to the mill table, and give me a way to mount the PF and use clamps to keep it dead flat while routing off the bad areas. Then the new veneer insert pieces can be CNC'ed to precisely fit; they'll then be "aged" to an appropriate look and a quick thin coat of 2PAC applied. Final step will be to take each piece of veneer and using WEST system epoxy, flush it in with the board so as to be perfectly flat. The edges of these replacement areas will all be located under paint lines to the max extent possible.
I plan on replacing basically ALL of the natural wood surface on this board (areas that aren't painted over). That includes the entire shooter lane, the upper apron area; the entire pop bumper area; all the rollover ovals, and (this will be the hard part) the entire lower board area that surrounds the King and Queen figure, under the flippers, and the lower ball return area.
This will be done by first scanning the entire board in good resolution. I have special software here that can use the scanned image to generate cut lines for the CNC mill to use. That will then make possible very very accurate cuts for removal of the old wood. Same program will be used to make the new veneer inserts.
Stand by for more.... in a couple weeks. With pictures, of course