Possible to hide nicks and scratches on furniture?

[Em]

What can be done to hide, rub out, or poilsh some minor scratches on my wooden dining room set? There's a nice glossy/shiney surface that I don't want to ruin. Advice?

[Joe]

Lock the the dining room door and only allow selected adults in there. Use a tablecloth, chair covers, etc. Try a quality furniture wax, but sparingly. Keep in mind that after 20 years or so the distressed areas all blend together and add character which no one will particularly notice. In other words, if your goal is show room quality, keep it in a showroom. Otherwise, enjoy the furniture and just grow old together.

[aemeijers]

I'm no wood finishing expert, but I've had real good luck doing an all-over wipedown with Minwax gel stain in the appropriate color. It doesn't really fix the scratches, but it makes them mostly vanish unless you look with a bright light and a magnifying glass. It made some pieces I was going to set out by the street look 'good enough' that I went ahead moved them inside here at the new (to me) place, to tide me over till I trip across a better replacement at a price I can stand. (Almost all my wood pieces come from auctions or garage sales- new good quality Real Wood pieces are something that I didn't have the cash flow for until recently, and I buy chipboard or fake woodgrain.)

Just wipe it on with a rag or paper towel, wait ten minutes, and rub out hard with an old disposable bath towel. It doesn't take much, other than on bare wood. One suntan-oil sized bottle can do several pieces. Best to do it in garage or outside- they will stink for a couple hours. Buy a box of rubber gloves- the Minwax stains hands bad. Also does real good on sun-faded dried out wood pieces, like those that sat by a window for years without getting waxed. The usual disclaimer applies about DIY refinish jobs on any pieces that are actual capital-A 'Antiques'- it will kill any collector value.

aem sends...

[RobertPatrick]

"Em" wrote in news:47a61207$0$30008$ [e-mail]:

I found some scratch repair in the same aisle as the furniture polish. It does a decent job. After some time goes by you reapply the stuff.

[Phisherman]

Briwax is a very good product. It comes in 6 or more colors. It hides scratches, cleans, and polishes. A can is about $16.

[cshenk]

Grin, having dealt with a house with 4 cats, I feel your pain!

You didnt define 'nice glossy surface' (Urythane? Something like that?) but if it' a real wood with a wax finish I got a winner for ya. Got an eyebrow or eyelid liner pencil thats like a crayon and kinda soft? Run that lightly along the scratch in the right color for the wood, and it will then wax in neatly.

This is also harmless to try on other 'coated' wood surfaces and if it doesnt work, you can take it back off again neatly with just hot water and a sponge, or facial cold-cream, or mineral oil.

[DerbyDad03]

Try peanut butter. I'm being serious.