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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/jun/30/how-to-mend-a-scratch-on-wooden-furniture
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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| How to mend ... a scratch on wooden furniture | How to mend ... a scratch on wooden furniture |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The only way to completely remove a | The only way to completely remove a |
| scratch in a piece of furniture is to sand the surrounding timber down to the | scratch in a piece of furniture is to sand the surrounding timber down to the |
| same level as the scratch, but this can destroy the finish, patina and | same level as the scratch, but this can destroy the finish, patina and |
| character of a piece of furniture and is hard, time-consuming work. So this is all about disguise. | character of a piece of furniture and is hard, time-consuming work. So this is all about disguise. |
| You will need:Wax filler stickColoured wood stainWhite spiritBeeswaxDuster or soft clothFine brush | You will need:Wax filler stickColoured wood stainWhite spiritBeeswaxDuster or soft clothFine brush |
| 1) If you have a fairly deep scratch on a | 1) If you have a fairly deep scratch on a |
| flat surface such as a table top, wax works best. Find a coloured wax filler | flat surface such as a table top, wax works best. Find a coloured wax filler |
| stick roughly the same colour as your damaged surface. Liberon and Rustin's are | stick roughly the same colour as your damaged surface. Liberon and Rustin's are |
| good brands, but there are plenty available on the internet. If you can't get | good brands, but there are plenty available on the internet. If you can't get |
| quite the colour you want, blend colours using the warmth of your hands to | quite the colour you want, blend colours using the warmth of your hands to |
| soften the wax. | soften the wax. |
| 2) Rub the stick across the scratch to | 2) Rub the stick across the scratch to |
| fill it. Remove any excess wax by wiping with a cloth and white spirit. Apply beeswax | fill it. Remove any excess wax by wiping with a cloth and white spirit. Apply beeswax |
| lightly to the scratch and the surrounding area and buff with a duster. | lightly to the scratch and the surrounding area and buff with a duster. |
| 3) If you want to repair a shallow scratch | 3) If you want to repair a shallow scratch |
| on an area that is less visible such as a chair leg then find a wood stain | on an area that is less visible such as a chair leg then find a wood stain |
| close in colour to your scratched surface. Again, blend colours if necessary to | close in colour to your scratched surface. Again, blend colours if necessary to |
| achieve the right tone. | achieve the right tone. |
| 4) Apply the stain to the scratch using a | 4) Apply the stain to the scratch using a |
| fine artist's brush. You can use watercolour or acrylic paint if you don’t want | fine artist's brush. You can use watercolour or acrylic paint if you don’t want |
| to buy wood stain, but be aware that the colour might look different when it | to buy wood stain, but be aware that the colour might look different when it |
| dries. | dries. |
| 5) Finally when your touch up is dry, | 5) Finally when your touch up is dry, |
| apply beeswax gently to the scratch and the surrounding area and buff with a | apply beeswax gently to the scratch and the surrounding area and buff with a |
| soft cloth. The scratch will still be there, but if you've matched your colours | soft cloth. The scratch will still be there, but if you've matched your colours |
| it won't jump out at you visually. | it won't jump out at you visually. |
| Fixing a dent | Fixing a dent |
| A fresh dent in wood can sometimes be | A fresh dent in wood can sometimes be |
| lifted out entirely by steaming it with an iron. This fix is best for | lifted out entirely by steaming it with an iron. This fix is best for |
| unfinished timber because steam will damage most finishes. | unfinished timber because steam will damage most finishes. |
| You will need:Damp clothIron | You will need:Damp clothIron |
| Place a thin, clean, damp cloth over | Place a thin, clean, damp cloth over |
| the damaged area, and apply a hot iron for a few seconds. The steam will swell | the damaged area, and apply a hot iron for a few seconds. The steam will swell |
| the crushed fibres, and might bring the dent right out – at the very least, it | the crushed fibres, and might bring the dent right out – at the very least, it |
| will make it less obvious. | will make it less obvious. |
| • Amanda Girling-Budd is founder of The School of Stuff in east London: it runs year-long, one-day-a-week | • Amanda Girling-Budd is founder of The School of Stuff in east London: it runs year-long, one-day-a-week |
| craft courses for career changers, five-day intensive courses, 12-week | craft courses for career changers, five-day intensive courses, 12-week |
| evening classes and one-off days and weekends. | evening classes and one-off days and weekends. |
| You can find more of Emma McGowan's work on her website. | |
| Interested in finding out more about how you can live better? Take a look at this month's Live Better challenge here. | Interested in finding out more about how you can live better? Take a look at this month's Live Better challenge here. |
| The | The |
| Live Better Challenge is funded by Unilever; its focus is sustainable | Live Better Challenge is funded by Unilever; its focus is sustainable |
| living. All content is editorially independent except for pieces | living. All content is editorially independent except for pieces |
| labelled advertisement feature. Find out more here. | labelled advertisement feature. Find out more here. |