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Tip's and Trick's for Do It Yourself Woodworkers
Most Recently Modified: 05/06/2011 at 02:41 am
Handling Minor Scratches in Stained Wood
Most minor scratches in stained wood can be fixed with a color stick. Color sticks are available in a variety of colors and found in the wood stain section of home improvement stores. You will want to pick a color that is slightly lighter than the color you are trying to match it to, because it will darken when it comes into contact with the oils in your fingers. Also it is helpful to rub a small piece between your hands rapidly to heat it up before you fill the scratch. After the scratch is filled lightly use your fingernail to remove excess wax, and always keep your hands clean using mineral spirits. For deep gouges such as the one in this photo
follow these more complicated directions.
1) If you have experience using sandpaper by hand use 150 grit sandpaper
to sand the gouge completely out of the door.
2) Find a piece of wood that is the same material as the scratched wood to practice colors on.
Use a gel stain or a wiping stain as a base
not a penetrating stain.
Mixing the right color is the most difficult part of the repair. The stain base color should be a little lighter than the wood you are trying to fix. Separate a small amount of the base (2 oz.) and add a little penetrating stain to bring the color to the correct shade. It is normal to try 5 or 6 mixtures until the stain looks the same on the sample board. The reason you do not want to use pure penetrating stain is because it will simply wipe off from the sanded portion of wood. A wiping or gel stain is designed to float on top of the wood.
3) Use a cotton swab
to apply a generous portion of the stain to the sanded area. Let it sit for 3 minutes then very gently wipe it off form the outer edges toward the middle. Remember the stain is just floating there and will easily leave a streaked finish, so make sure the wiping cloth is lint free. You may need to repeat this step if the color does not appear uniform.
4) Once the coloring is right, use a clear bonding finish to spray over the new stain.
Again this is tricky to not get overspray on the rest of the wood, so practice on the sample board. The stronger the bond the easier it is to use.
5) After the second coat, lightly the rough spots until smooth. If you are satisfied with the color, finish with a
normal lacquor. If not, cautiously use a combination of tinted lacqours
to bring about the beauty you want.
Spray just a very light mist of these tinted lacquors because they are potent in color, and be extremely careful not to get a tinted lacquor on the old finish. I cannot stress that point enough- tinted lacqours will disolve an old finish! With these expert tips don't be shy to practice something that will be a good skill for the enhancement of all your beautiful wood furniture.
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