I contacted LP on the same matter a while ago but never got a reply.
Well, I mended some nicks by carefully sanding the area´s fringes, removing the chipped-off coating.
I then applied several layers of a high-gloss varnish. It never bacame like the original varnish, but I knew
from the start it was purely cosmetic

A stage ain´t no dollhouse, and congas are made to be played on.
Of course the first scratch in a brand new conga really hurts, but time after time you get used to them
- pretty much the same way u get used to your own wear and tear (ouch, the shoulder, oh, my back... etc.)
Sound & soul is what counts.