84 • Section 3 — Exterior & Interior Care Cayman 2006
Steel Wool:
Abrasive material composed of long steel fi bers of varying degrees of fi neness that are matted together. Coarser
grades are used to remove paint and other fi nishes; the fi ner grades for polishing or smoothing a fi nished surface.
Nail Holes and Small Cracks:
Fill nail holes and small cracks with wood putty or dough for unstained woods prior to any sanding. Stained
fi nishes require fi lling holes and cracks after the stain has been applied. Putty should match the stain closely in
color.
TIP:
A little sawdust and wood glue can be used to make putty for end grains.
Fixing scratches in stained woodwork:
“Quick and simple” rarely describes repairs to stained wood fi nishes. However, a few tricks can be tried.
When scratches appear lighter than the surrounding dark-stained woodwork, it usually means either that the
scratch goes through the stain into the wood or that the varnish is fl aking off.
Dents:
Small dents may be repaired by using steam. To raise a small dent, place a damp cloth over the area and hold
a medium-hot iron on it. The steam causes the wood fi bers to swell back into place. It may be necessary to repeat
this process until the dented area is level with the surface. Allow the area to dry.
Restoring the clear fi nish:
Check the scratches carefully. If fl aking varnish is visible with dark-stained wood underneath, only the clear
fi nish may need to be restored. Rub the loose varnish with fi ne steel wool or fi ne synthetic steel wool until you
have removed the fl aking varnish and slightly roughened a small area of the fi nish surrounding the scratch. With
the tip of a rag, a small brush, or even a cotton swab, apply a thin coat of wipe-on fi nish. Apply fi nish to the
damaged area only. Several coats may be needed to hide the scratch.
Re-staining the wood:
The wood will need to be re-stained if bare wood is exposed at the bottom of the scratch. To remove damaged
varnish, lightly roughen a small area around the scratch with sandpaper, steel wool or synthetic steel wool. Find a
stain that is a shade lighter than the wood fi nish. Stain the bare wood with a very small amount of stain on a rag,
brush or cotton swab. If the color is too light, apply several coats. Rub away excess stain with a dry rag. If the
wood becomes too dark, use a rag moistened in mineral sprits to lighten the wood. Select a lighter color stain
and continue.
Several companies have simplifi ed this repair process by designing oil-based wood stain into marker-like
containers to rub on to the scratch. Start with a stain color that is lighter than the original fi nish because torn
and scratched wood fi bers will absorb stain and darken quickly. A second coat can always be applied if the
color of the fi rst coat is too light. Once the color is blended, patch the clear fi nish as described above and apply
a wipe-on fi nish.
Scratches and Nicks:
Professional woodworkers use certain procedures on scratches and nicks for easy repair. Light scratches
will often disappear when carefully rubbed with furniture polish or paste wax. Deeper scratches can be hidden
by carefully rubbing with a piece of oily nutmeat such as Brazil nut, black walnut or pecan. Be careful to rub
the nutmeat directly into the scratch to avoid darkening of the surrounding wood. Color the scratch with brown
coloring crayon or liquid shoe dye (especially good on walnut). Always test a procedure on an inconspicuous area
on the wood to ensure no damages to the fi nish occurs.
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