If you are looking to repair and restore wooden furniture and are quite not intent to refinish the whole thing then you shall find the following tips quite useful. From home brews to commercial preparations there are lots of products available for the purpose of simple restoration of wood furniture.
Polishes that blend:
There are lots of companies producing wood polishes that blend in the surface deleting away stains and minor scratches form wood furniture bodies. These polishes are available in various wood shades. Choose the polish colour that resembles the furniture body colour closely and get rid of minor scratches, dings and blemishes from your wooden furniture.
Crayons:
Using crayons is fast and convenient way to get rid of minor blemishes, scratches and dings on wood furniture surfaces. Choose a shade that resembles the colour of the furniture, melt it, and rub it on the damaged surface.
Filling:
If there are certain deep and serious blemishes on the furniture body then in order to remove it you need to sand and fill it properly. First use a putty knife to fill in the dents with wood fillers. Smoothen up the excess of wood filler using fine grit sand paper. Allow it harden up a little bit. Next apply a layer of polyurethane or sealer that would protect the area and match with the rest of wood surface.
Homemade scratch removers:
Other than the commercially made polish product there are lots other homemade things that would serve your purpose of repairing wooden furniture surfaces quite well:
- Iodine that is used for medical purposes can be a great option to heal scratches and blemishes form wood furniture. Add as many coats of iodine necessary to match with the body colour of the wooden furniture.
- Drain out the oil of walnut or Brazil nut and rub the nut flesh over the lightly scratched portion of the furniture surface. You are sure to get excellent result specially for repairing light scratches on wood furniture.
- To match the colour of a recently repaired area on the furniture to the other non blemished areas you can use vegetable oil and Tung oil. This works best on pines and other similar type of woods. With a dry soft cotton cloth rub the oil on the wool, let it dry and apply the oil again. Continue this process till the desired darkness is reached. However after applying three layers of oil it is better to let it dry overnight and then continue with the process the next day till you get the desired shade.
Polishing and Cleansing:
It is important that you polish and cleanse your wood furniture at regular interval in order to maintain their original gloss; it is also crucial to maintain the health of the furniture piece. There are lots of commercial cleansers available in the market which is readymade to apply directly on the furniture.
However you may also try homemade cleansers. These are not that tough to prepare or apply. Here are some tips to prepare some homemade furniture cleansers.
- Take 2 pints of warm water and mix two tablespoon of ammonia. It woks excellently over sealed and painted surface. You may also use two tablespoons of vinegar instead of ammonia.
- For mild abrasive cleansing you may use baking soda mixed in water. Use a soft and damp cotton cloth for removing off the residue.
- For polishing and cleansing make a solution of olive oil, denatured alcohol, turpentine, and filtered lemon juice in equal portions. Amply shake the mixture. Now apply this solution with a soft clean cloth. Towel-dry excess polish with a soft, lint free cloth and buff to shine with another. You may also use linseed oil instead of olive oil.
It is advisable that before you apply the cleanser on the whole furniture test it on a small portion of the furniture to make sure that the wood polish can stand up to the effect of the cleanser.
