Adam King Studio Fine Furniture & Antique Restoration

Throughout the life of your furniture, it will succumb to the rigors of living and serving its purpose. Whether it’s typical use or blatant abuse, at some point, even the finest of pieces could use a little help. Here are three very easy solutions to some of the most common problems that can plague your furniture.

Worn Edges and Corners

If you have kids, then you have this problem. Even if you don't have children this is inevitable in the life of your furniture. What do you do when the edges and/or corners have been worn through to the bare wood? Simple. Start coloring with markers!

Touch-up markers are a moving man's best friends. There are many different brands and a variety of colors. You'll find them at any hardware store or home center. They’re sold individually, or save money and buy a pack of three different shades for all of your furniture. The markers actually have stain in them, so you simply color the area a little heavy, then after two minutes just gently wipe off the excess with a clean cloth. PRESTO! No more worn edges, until Fido goes back to chewing the leg again! That's a problem I can't help with.

Dents

These are a very common problem. Most people think you have to sand the dent away. If you do this then you have just sanded a big crater into your table top! A dent is nothing more than wood fibers crushed below the flat surface. You just have to raise them back up.

Simply take a clean rag dampened with filtered water (tap water may cause mineral stains), place it on the dent, and then take a hot iron set to high (no steam), and gently place the iron on the cloth. You want to do it in short intervals because the heat could damage the surrounding finish if you leave it there too long.

All you're doing is swelling the crushed wood fibers back up flush with the surface. It may take several applications and if the rag dries out, just wet it again. Keep steaming until the dent is level or even a little higher than the surface. Let it dry and gently sand if needed. That's all there is to it. Now you can finish up with those khakis you've been putting off ironing!

White Rings

White rings are caused by moisture or heat penetrating the layers of finish.
"How do I remove this unsightly white ring?"This is a question I get asked a lot.

Prevention is the best solution, so the first to do is start using a coaster. Then, go to the pharmacy and buy a bottle of Mineral Oil for around a buck twenty.

Put a little oil on #0000 steel wool. Rub the wool in the direction of the grain back and forth until the ring is gone. It may take a few tries and a little elbow grease depending on how deep the moisture penetrated the layers of finish.

Quick Tip: One other solution is to open the fridge, make your favorite sandwich, and before you put away the mayonnaise, put a little on a clean rag and rub that back and forth over the white ring. The acid in the mayonnaise counteracts the damaged finish. Seriously. Try it and see.

If none of these solutions work, or if the ring is black, well, it's time to refinish the table top. Moisture or heat has gone all the way to the bare wood. No getting around it.

Well, I hope this has provided you with the necessary information and courage to wage war against those most vile of furniture flaws. Do you have your own creative solutions for fixing furniture flaws? I would love to hear them. Just leave a comment below and share your tips.