Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. However, if bubbles are present already, wait until the varnish is dry, then sand. Repairing varnish can be quite tricky, so keep the following in mind. A good, red sable brush that comes to a fine, sharp point allows you to control the color in thin lines. Some wooden objects have a few layers of wood in them. A solid wire fixed across the top of the supply can makes a great place to mop off the excess varnish from your brush prior to touching the wood surface because it keeps the bubbles to a minimum. After the filler has cured, sand it smooth with fine sandpaper, and youre ready to begin the touch-up process. Pouring fresh varnish into a 'slop jar' that can be used for repairs, etc. Varnish not flowing will lead to visible brush marks and uneven varnish surfaces. Work on the graining until you are satisfied with it. Voil! Avoid placing the varnish container directly over a fire, as varnish is very flammable, and remember not to heat it to extremely high temperatures, as this will cause the varnish to dry very quickly. Put mayo or petroleum oil on top of your water stain and let it rest for a few hours. Repairing dents in varnish is a fairly straightforward process. Begin by applying denatured alcohol. After cleaning, you may discover the damage really is just a light scuff. Don't worry about it at first, because you will learn as you go and you will apply the appropriate amount by the time you reach the final stages. You can use either balsamic vinegar or apple cider vinegar, depending on the color you prefer. Wood is a beautiful decor element, but it often needs a little TLC to truly reach its full potential. Let the finish harden overnight, then buff the repair with some paste wax. Water can spill in your wooden object or, Sunlight can be a huge threat to wooden objects. A quick way to see the color of the wood is to brush on thinner that will quickly evaporate and look directly down at the surface to see if there are any discernable water marks. Discard any unused varnish rather than pouring it back into the original can, or pour it into a "slop" jar so that it can be thinned down and used for a primer coat. Remove Watermarks With Mayo Or Petroleum Oil, Yes, you read that right - mayo! Dip the brush into whichever pigments you need and add them to the shellac until you have a thin but opaque paint, thinning it with alcohol as needed. Most of the tools to make these repairs are available at a paint store or home center. Therefore, we advise you only to take the step three route if steps one and two dont fix the dent in your table. However, a damaged wooden piece of furniture does not mean that you have to throw it away. You do not need to rub the surface hard at all, just a very light pass of the tack rag over the surface should be sufficient. This story originally appeared inAmerican Woodworker June 1999, issue #73. Ensure you apply only a single coat of varnish to the sanded area. Refinishing Wood Like A Pro Refinishing wood may seem simple; just buy the stain and apply -- but take it from the furniture makeover experts of Hometalk, much can be done to enhance the staining process. Using mineral spirits, clean the surface of the wood; this will remove wax and dirt. If the patch is too light, mix a color one shade lighter than the lightest background color in the area around the patch. Home Furniture DIY: How to Repair Table Top Varnish With Heat Damage? First, pour the varnish on the wood surface, then use a dry cloth to spread the varnish. The following tips on how to repair varnished wood can be applied to both varnish on boats and to other wooden items. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, Get the exact step by step tutorial from Finding Silver Pennies on Hometalk, See how Debbie applied the shallac to her water stain on Hometalk. First, you need to sand the wood with a sander along the wood grain. Cracks are easily filled with dust, but any dust that cannot be gotten up in a vacuum cleaner can be covered up by filling in with varnish. Brush a thin, but opaque mix of powdered pigments and shellac to color the patch. First scrape away all the loose finish around the gouge. Even when wood gets damaged, unless it is completely broken, it can be repaired and reused. 7. If all goes well, finish the rest yourself and save. Mix up your Bondo, apply to the uneven, damaged section, then sand smooth. This technique is a natural fix to a common problem. Your wooden table has the tendency to be scratched, dented, and stained. Applying vinegar with a wire brush will ensure vinegar reaches every grain of the wood surface. A, below) and learn how to use them. If the shine is more than the old coating, you can use 0000 steel wool to dull the surface of the finish. Cracks can be filled up with 'slop' varnish in a very short time until the surface is level, and then a few coats can be put on top of the entire area to flush everything up. Application of varnish over a wet, greasy, or cold surface, Dirty fingers on the surface before vanishing, Applying new varnish on the old, hard, and dry previous coat. There are some pundits out there who suggest using up to 600 grit sandpaper (particularly before the final coat) but if you stop and think about it logically, this is really not necessary and can actually cause runs or sags because the surface is so highly polished that there is no tooth for the final coat to adhere to. If its correct, go directly to the graining step. To prevent that, you can use an opaque finish. Repair can be at the start of a season, when you need to apply varnish to an existing item that exhibits wear, or it can be right after damage occurs. Some defects common to varnish finish include cracks, bubbles, lap marks, or drips. If you wait too long between coats it is best to sand a little so there is some tooth. When the filler has started to harden, but before it has completely cured, shave it flat to the surface with a sharp chisel (Photo 3). Bleach can be used to lighten darkened areas, but it must be used with care because it can leave unsightly 'edges' that are impossible to hide. Add a little oil to 4 tablespoons of salt and mix the two ingredients together. If you are in a hurry to build up the finish and know that you will be able to apply several coatings in a very short time, these can be great. Leave the stripper for 30 minutes, then scrape away, following the wood grain. So, once you notice a defect, identify and classify the error or defect. Colored compounds rarely match the wood, so you'll need to stain them. Note: Product availability and prices are subject to change. We would also show DIYers, pros, and enthusiasts how they can fix scratches and other visible imperfections on wood during use. To fix mistakes made while applying varnish on wood, start with using mineral oil to clean the surface of the wood. Many old remedies specify cigarette ashes, but any fine ash from burnt paper or leaves will work, as will baking soda or nongel toothpaste all serve as mild abrasives. Lastly, to solve sagging problems, first, remove the sagging layer, allow it to dry, then use a cutter to remove the defect until you obtain a flat surface. But as time goes on, these wooden objects may seem dull. This is Martin, the person behind Wood is Wood. These wooden boards come in pretty handy once glued Hi there! Sadly, thats not the case. Oversanding is a significant problem here, but you can also avoid this by simply sanding lightly, reapplying the varnish, and checking to see if there are still bubbles. This removes built-up dirt and wax and gives you a clearer idea of what the finish actually looks like. It is always best to pour the varnish into a supply can rather than to varnish directly from an open can. Damage like this can be touched up. To remedy this issue, place the vanish container on water and heat the water slowly. Hanging your work is ideal but you need to make sure that you have enough supports to keep your work from swinging around as you try to press your brush against it. Anyone who has ever had a varnished or lacquered tabletop has probably experienced the sheer horror of picking up a hot dish to find a ghostly white image appear like magic beneath it. Repeat as needed until there is no further white or cloudy area. Let the natural beauty of the wood elements in your home shine through! These basic concepts can be applied to all of your varnish projects, so please read them carefully. Quick Dry varnishes can be very useful in the repair of damaged areas, despite their lack of UV blockers, so do not disregard them for the initial stages of repair. Defender Home Modern spar varnishes also have UV inhibitors added to block the damaging effects of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. If you notice that the drips and runs have started to set up, allow it to dry. You need to "flow" the varnish out of your supply can and onto the surface of the wood, but having to stop and fish out loose brush bristles can slow this process down. This is a very cheap and time-efficient method. Ideally, you should perform touch-up work in the same lighting (fluorescent, incandescent, direct, indirect, etc.) You will want to minimize the brush strokes that you use in order to keep bubbles to a minimum, so don't mop the finish around, and always plan to keep a "wet edge" in your work. Note, sanding should only be done lightly. Depending on the size of the problem area you can sand it down (small) or use a liquid paint stripper (large). Keep doing this until the dent is gone. Once you have a jar of baking soda and a bottle of coconut oil, you are good to go. To reduce the possibility of the defects, use a wet/dry 600grit sized sandpaper lubricated with water to sand off possible bubbles and nibs on the surface of the first coat. Wipe with a slightly damp cloth and dry the area occasionally to check progress. 6. Most professionals and homeowners have wood fillers in their woodworking toolkit as a must-have item and use them to make their wooden surface or wooden projects look brand new. Since the choice of varnish brands can be such a personal one, we offer all of the brands that you might want. Spread the salt/oil mixture over the damaged area and let it sit for a full 24 hours. You can do this because you sealed the previous color coat. Since varnish mistakes affect the integrity of the wood wrongly, you need to learn how to fix varnish mistakes. A shallac coating, like Zinsser Bulls Eye Spray, will seal the mark and prevent any bleed through so you can paint in peace. In that case, you can peel off the upper layer and use the under layered wood instead. There is always a temptation to quickly build up varnish, but the first coat should always be thinned with the appropriate thinner so it is absorbed by the wood and bonds deeply into the surface of the wood. Boating Specials A finer grit can be used, but it will take longer to achieve the same results, and may not be as effective in creating a good bond between coats of varnish. For impact damage, the tip of a steam iron and a rag that is dipped into a little bit of water can be used to raise the dents out of wood, but beware that too much water can lead to staining the wood surface below the layer of spar varnish (especially if the water is high in mineral content). The stain can make the wooden object appear dirty and unattractive. if this is not an option, test a small area first to make sure that there are no problems, but do not try to put floor varnish over spar varnish (and vice versa) under any circumstances or you are bound to be unpleasantly surprised at some later point in time. Site Map. The best rule is to avoid bubbles, so buy the best brush that you can afford and take care of it, cleaning it completely between each coat so that dust specks and loose bristles are removed before you get to putting on that "final" coat. Here are eight of the easiest ways to repair and restore common wood issues. Now that you know how to fix varnish on wood, its time to talk about some of the most common varnish mistakes. After you buy the stain, you need to do a few things before applying the stain and refinishing the wood. Here is our step by step guide on how to Bleach wood with Oxalic acid. Those same marks are large enough to provide a "tooth" in the surface for the next coat of varnish to adhere. Coconut oil brings out the natural color and also moisturizes your dried-out wood. Oh, no! One final comment: The object of touch up is to fool the eye by camouflaging the repaired area. Add more to the center until the patch is over-filled. If so, you may be able to hide the scuff by applying paste wax or polish. It must be sufficiently hot to be able to its job. To do this, create a mixture of baking soda and coconut oil, apply the mixture on the affected portion and watch how the baking soda works to etch the finish while allowing the oil to absorb and replace the water causing the stain. Save up to 64% and get a free gift. Water damage - Any water that has leaked under the varnish is likely to change the color of the wood, which can show up as dark spots in repairs or even in total re-finishes. 3. Humidity can also cause problems. Both are available in a variety of wood colors. Bubbles formed on varnish finish arise when you apply a thick layer of varnish in a hot room. You can use natural restoration techniques, add vinegar, mayo, repair minor and major damages easily to restore your wooden object or surfaces. For both of these reasons, you should never use floor varnish outside on your boat and it is not recommended to use spar varnish on the floors of your house or on furniture that will be subjected to long periods of sitting unless you don't mind seeing the seat of your pants permanently imprinted in your priceless heirloom. Lacquer thinner will dissolve lacquer readily, but it will soften shellac. Once you successfully identify the defect, pour mineral spirit on a clean rag and use it to wipe off wax and dirt. It's best to refill the holes with wood, instead of glue, so that a wood stain will look even and natural. Here the varnish refuses to bond to the surface of the wood. Compare it to the existing surface of the wood and ensure they look the same. To ensure that they last a long time and maintain their natural wooden look, you need to take proper care of all the wooden objects. Ideally, you'll overcoat the repaired area with the same finish. Any comment with external website links will not be published. If you really want to build up the repair finish quickly, you can try to "double-coat" a standard varnish (after you have passed the primer coat stage and reached the full strength point) by applying a coat in the morning, and then applying a second coat later in the day without sanding in between. When youre touching up a glue spot or an area sanded through that still retains the grain lines and background color, this will be the only step you need to take. Dust can be a problem, but usually only in the final coat, so it is a good idea to "practice" setting up your varnishing environment with each coat that you apply and pretend that every coat is your last one. Hi! This cyclical shrinking and expansion can damage your wood's structure, even causing it to break apart. If you are not comfortable with a brush, most suppliers also sell fine-point felttip markers specifically for graining. Please avoid adding links in comments. Once mixed, use a paintbrush to apply the mixture to the affected section; this will fade out the burnt mark. Use a palette knife to drop auto body or wood filler into the center of the damaged area, then work it firmly to the edges. This is fundamental physics. One tip for keeping airborne dust down to a minimum is to wet the floor of your varnishing area and wait about a half hour before you start to varnish. Apply the stain with a rag for great control, and buff thoroughly at the end for a more durable and attractive end result! This wash should be a weak but fairly dark tint, since you are blending the color already there. After sanding, apply varnish. Blend the patch by rubbing it with 4-0 steel wool dampened by mineral spirits. 3. Ordinary use, abuse and the ravages of time can damage a furniture finish, but fortunately most of this damage is repaired easily. Auto body filler is well suited for use in wood repairs. You will need to support your work in a steady manner so you can push the brush against it without your work piece giving way and collapsing. Based on more than 15 years of personal, first-hand experience as a professional handyman and woodworker, Tom has authored over 1,000 articles about how to succeed in the handyman business. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality. As for discoloration, the leading cause behind it is sunlight. Sharper objects can even cause small holes in wood. For dent marks that are too deep, removing them with a rag might seem impossible.