Repairing water damage on wooden table

[Brooklin]

I had some water sitting on an oak dining table. The water sat for a day and the finish lifted exposing the unprotected grain of the wood.

How can I repair this? Spot repair with varnish?

Thanks in advance

[m Ransley]

To make the repair unnoticeable you will have to strip the table and refinish, touching up the pealed area can be done but you will see it

[dadiOH]

Ramsley is right, if the finish is varnish a spot repair will probably show. With time - as the fresh wood area changes in color - it may blend pretty well. If you do it you *have* to remove any lifted varnish. Normally, one sands (which is what changes the wood color) but I wonder what would happen if you removed it chemically just in the bad area? (I'm assuming the wood hasn't been stained.) Never done it, might work.

However, do you *know* the finish is varnish? If it is a store bought table it probably isn't, most likely its lacquer. Especially since it was water that caused the damage. You can check by applying some lacquer thinner somewhere that doesn't show - if the finish dissolves without alligatoring it is lacquer and *that* you can repair, done it many times. A new coat on the bad area will dissolve what's there and blend with it.

Depending on the extent of the damage, a light spray coat rubbed out with

0000 steel wool after drying may be all that is necessary. However if you need more than one coat you'll have to rub down the repaired area to the same height and sheen as the rest of the table. DEFT makes a brushing lacquer that is easy to use and which sands very nicely...they don't call it lacquer though - Clear Coat maybe? Has blue writing on the can, comes in spray cans too. Fine (0000) steel wool is good for buffing and smoothing after using a fine paper - #240 at least.

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[Phisherman]

Put a dab of mayonnaise on a cotton rag and rub the water spot stain. Then wax and buff the entire table.

If this doesn't work, you'll probably need to sand and ref>I had some water sitting on an oak dining table. The water sat for a