Do It Yourself: Fixing scratches in wood furniture and trim

Do It Yourself: Fixing scratches in wood furniture and trim

Scratches in wood can often be repaired easily with products found at home or at home improvement stores.
Scratches can happen all too easily to furniture and woodwork. Take heart! There are many things you can do to repair these unsightly marks.
First, determine if the scratch is into the wood, or only in the finish. If the scratch is not discolored, or can only be seen from certain angles, it is in the finish. This is good news with most finishes. There are several things that will restore your finish.

Wax - A fresh coat of paste wax is often all you need to repair these minor scratches. Spray polishes may work, but are less effective at concealing scratches.
Lemon - Mix equal parts lemon juice and vegetable oil or olive oil. Apply a generous amount on a clean lint free cloth, rubbing firmly in the direction of the scratch, until it disappears.
Oil Finish - Some companies, such as Old English, make a specific oil to use on scratched finishes.

If your surface is coated with urethane or polyurethane, scratches are more difficult to repair. Try carefully sanding the scratch with 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Moisten the sandpaper with water or lemon oil and sand gently. When you have removed the scratch, buff with 0000 steel wool and paste wax to bring back the shine.

If your woodwork or furniture is finished with shellac or lacquer, you can remove scratches by painting the area with an appropriate solvent. Use alcohol on shellac and lacquer thinner or nail polish remover on lacquer. Paint the thinner on with a brush until the finish softens and fills the cracks, and then let the piece sit overnight for the finish to harden again. Your scratches should be gone. This technique also works for cracking or alligatoring of the finish.

If the scratch appears lighter in color than the surrounding wood, it is through the finish and into the wood. In this case, you will need to color it to make it disappear. There are a number of items that you may have at home, which will do the job, as well as several commercial products.

Nuts - Nutmeats will often hide scratches. Rub the meat of a Brazil nut, a Walnut, a Pecan, or an Almond into the scratch. Be careful to rub in the direction of the scratch, and only in the scratch, as the nutmeat will darken the surrounding wood as well.
Eyebrow Pencil - Eyebrow pencil comes in many colors, and will often conceal small scratches. Match the color carefully, and follow the direction of the scratch.
Crayons - Children's crayons can also be used to fill a scratch, if you happen to have the right color. You have a bit more leeway with these, as they are wax, and can be removed if needed.
Shoe Dye or Shoe Polish - Shoe polish comes in a myriad of colors these days. Either the liquid, or the paste forms can be used to fill a scratch. If using liquid, use a fine brush to apply. If using the paste variety, a cotton swab can be useful.
Iodine - If you have mahogany woodwork or furniture, iodine often works well to hide scratches. For brown or cherry mahogany, use iodine that has turned dark. For lighter woods, such as maple you can dilute the iodine with an equal amount of denatured alcohol to cover scratches. In each case, paint the iodine carefully in the scratch with a fine brush and allow to dry. If it is too light, apply another coat. Always err on the side of lightness, as it is easy to darken an area further, but more difficult to lighten it!
On the commercial side, there are a number of different products available.
Stain - First of all, you can buy a small can of liquid stain to match your furniture and apply with a fine brush or cotton swab. Wait for it to dry, and add a second coat if needed.
Markers - Many companies, such as MinWax, sell wood stain packaged in a marker, especially for touch-ups. These are easy to use, simply color in the scratch and wait a minute for it to dry. If it is too light, repeat.
Pencils - Companies also sell special pencils or crayons which match wood colors and can be used to camouflage scratches. Ask at your local home improvement store.

Once you have darkened the scratch to match the surrounding wood, all you need to do is wax or polish the wood, and the scratch will be gone.

If all your efforts fail, do not give up hope! Contact a professional wood refinisher. Chances are, a professional can make your wood furniture look as good as new, sometimes even better.

A scratch in wood furniture or woodwork doesn't have to be a disaster. With these simple tips, you too can once again have beautiful wood in your home.

Glossary of Internet Terms (M-Z)

Glossary of Internet Terms (M-Z)

mail reflector : A mail reflector is a program that distributes information or files to a subscriber of a mailing list, Usenet group, or an IRC channel.
mailing list : A mailing list is a list of e-mail addresses used to have messages forwarded to groups of people.
MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) : Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions, or MIME, is the standard way to organize different file formats. For example, if you receive an e-mail, which is in a different format than yours, the file will be decoded so you can read it using MIME.
mirror site : A mirror site is usually set up due to overwhelming traffic on an existing web site. A mirror site is a site that is kept separate from the original site but contains the same information as that site. This is an alternative to users who attempt to go to a web site but cannot due to traffic problems.
moderator : A person who manages online discussion groups or mailing lists for services such as CompuServe, America Online, Prodigy or the Microsoft Network.
mosaic : A graphical browser that supports hypermedia on the World Wide Web (WWW).
Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) : Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions, or MIME, is the standard way to organize different file formats. For example, if you receive an e-mail, which is in a different format than yours, the file will be decoded so you can read it using MIME.

netiquette : Internet etiquette. This refers to proper behavior while using the Internet.
Network File System (NFS) : A Network File System allows a computer to access and use files over a network, just as if it were a local network.
Network News Transfer Protocol (NNTP) : A standard industry protocol for the inquiry, distribution, retrieval, and posting of news articles.
NFS (Network File System) : A Network File System allows a computer to access and use files over a network, just as if it were a local network.
NNTP (Network News Transfer Protocol) : A standard industry protocol for the inquiry, distribution, retrieval, and posting of news articles.

packet : A standard unit of data sent across a network.
Packet Internet Gopher (PING) : A Packet Internet Gopher, or PING, is a simple way to time or test the response of an Internet connection. A PING sends a request to an Internet host and waits for a reply message called, what else, a PONG.
PAP (Password Authentication Protocol) : A widely used method to log on to an ISP without using a terminal window.
Password Authentication Protocol (PAP) : A widely used method to log on to an ISP without using a terminal window.
PING (Packet Internet Gopher) : A Packet Internet Gopher, or PING, is a simple way to time or test the response of an Internet connection. A PING sends a request to an Internet host and waits for a reply message called, what else, a PONG.
Point of Presence (POP) : Installation of telecommunications equipment.
Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) : A PPP is a protocol that provides a method for sending and receiving packets over serial point-to-point links.
POP : Installation of telecommunications equipment (Point of Presence). A protocol that allows single users to read mail from a server (Post Office Protocol).
Post Office Protocol (POP) : A protocol that allows single users to read mail from a server.
posting : Sending an article to a BBS or a Usenet newsgroup.
PPP (Point-to-Point Protocol) : A PPP is a protocol that provides a method for sending and receiving packets over serial point-to-point links.
protocol : A language spoken between computers to assist each other in sending and receiving information.

router : A device that forwards traffic between networks.

Serial Line Internet Protocol (SLIP) : A standard protocol which is used to run TCP/IP over a serial line. SLIP, however, will not run on a Local Area Network (LAN) connection.
server : Any computer that can provide resources to another.
service provider (Internet Service Provider) : An organization or company that has a network with a direct link to the Internet. Using a dedicated line connection, usually through a link known as a T1 connection does this. Users can dial into to that network using their modem. Most ISP's now charge a monthly fee.
SIG (Special Interest Group) : A Special Interest Group, or SIG, sponsors different items such as IRC Channels, Listservs, and Internet Sites.
signature : Type that can be automatically added to the end of an e-mail message that will identify the sender. Signatures are usually ASCII text files.
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) : A standard protocol used to transfer e-mail messages.
Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) : A standard Internet protocol. It is commonly used to wire hubs.
SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol) : A standard protocol which is used to run TCP/IP over a serial line. SLIP, however, will not run on a Local Area Network (LAN) connection.
smiley : The use punctuation marks to show feelings and emotions. For example, a smiley face is :), and a sad face would be :(
SMTP (Simple Mail Transfer Protocol) : A standard protocol used to transfer e-mail messages.
SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) : A standard Internet protocol. It is commonly used to wire hubs.
Special Interest Group (SIG) : A Special Interest Group, or SIG, sponsors different items such as IRC Channels, Listservs, and Internet Sites.
subnet mask (Address Mask) : This is used to recognize the sections of an IP address that concur with the different parts. Also known as the "subnet mask".

T1 : A connection of a host to the Internet where data is transferred at 1.544 megabits per second.
T3 : A connection of a host to the Internet where data is transferred at 44.746 megabits per second.
TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) : Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, or TCP/IP, is the basic communications protocol required for computers that use the Internet.
TCP/IP Stack : This is needed to properly run a TCP/IP protocol. It is made up of TCP/IP software, hardware drivers, and sockets software.
Telnet : This is the standard Internet protocol to connect to remote terminals.
TN3270 : A slightly different protocol than Telnet, TN3270 is used to connect users to an IBM mainframe.
token ring : A token ring is a kind of LAN that consists of computers that are wired into a ring. Each computer is constantly in direct contact with the next node in the ring. A token, which is a type of control message, is sent from one node to another, allowing messages to be sent throughout the network. A Token Ring network cannot communicate within itself if one ring is broken.
topology : The arrangement of all the computers on a network and the links that join them.
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) : Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, or TCP/IP, is the basic communications protocol required for computers that use the Internet.

B27 Universal Resource Locator (URL) : An example of a URL would be http://www.computer.com. A Universal Resource Locator refers to the universal address of an Internet web page. A URL consists of three things. First, it starts with letters such as http, ftp, or gopher that identify the resource type, followed by a colon and two forward slashes. Next, the computer's name is listed. And finally, the filename and directory of the remote resource is listed as well.
UNIX to UNIX Copy (UUCP) : A protocol that passes e-mail and news through the Internet. Originally, UUCP allowed UNIX systems to send and receive files over phone lines.
URL (Universal Resource Locator) : An example of a URL would be http://www.computer.com. A Universal Resource Locator refers to the universal address of an Internet web page. A URL consists of three things. First, it starts with letters such as http, ftp, or gopher that identify the resource type, followed by a colon and two forward slashes. Next, the computer's name is listed. And finally, the filename and directory of the remote resource is listed as well.
Usenet : A.K.A. newsgroups. There are a vast number of different newsgroups worldwide on the Internet, available to almost anyone.
UUCP (UNIX to UNIX Copy) : A protocol that passes e-mail and news through the Internet. Originally, UUCP allowed UNIX systems to send and receive files over phone lines.

Veronica : Allows searches of all gopher sites for directories, files, and other resources. Veronica is a search engine that is built into Gopher.

W3 (World Wide Web) : A collection of online documents on Internet servers worldwide. World Wide Web documents are written in HTML. In order to use the World Wide Web, you must have a World Wide Web browser.
WAIS (Wide Area Information Service) : A search engine and distributed information service that allows indexed searching and natural language input.
White Pages : Databases containing postal addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of users on the Internet.
Wide Area Information Service (WAIS) : A search engine and distributed information service that allows indexed searching and natural language input.
Winsocks : Acronym for Windows Sockets. A set of standards and specifications for programmers who are programming a TCP/IP application to use in Windows.
World Wide Web (W3, WWW) : A collection of online documents on Internet servers worldwide. World Wide Web documents are written in HTML. In order to use the World Wide Web, you must have a World Wide Web browser.
WWW (World Wide Web, W3) : A collection of online documents on Internet servers worldwide. World Wide Web documents are written in HTML. In order to use the World Wide Web, you must have a World Wide Web browser.