Remove scratches to keep your dining room table looking its best.
Dining room tables get a lot of abuse. Kids do crafts or homework sitting at them, and dinners cause plates, utensils and other dishes to be dropped or slid across the wood surface. Over time, scratches develop that give the surface a dull look. If you have a couple of noticeable scratches, or the entire table is beat up, you can repair the damage with a little wood care.
Instructions
1. Sand the surface of the table. If you only have a few scratches, sand just the areas where the scratches are located. Move the paper with the grain of the wood and work several inches out from where the actual scratch is located. Sand lighter along the edges of the area so that smooths out and tapers the sanded area up to the surface of the table so that it doesn't create a dip. If the table is scratched all over, sand the entire table surface to remove the scratches. Start with a 300-grit paper to remove the finish, then change to a 400-grit to smooth it even more.
2. Wipe the tape down with a slightly damp rag to remove dust.
3. Brush on a wood stain that matches the rest of the wood. It is best to brush it on a scrap piece of wood to check the color before you apply it to the table top. Brush with the grain.
4. Let the stain dry, and apply a second coat if needed to darken it.
5. Brush on a clear coat when the stain is dry, following the grain of the wood. Let the clear coat dry for several hours. Sand the clear coat lightly after it is dry, and apply a second coat.
Tags: clear coat, apply second, apply second coat, entire table, grain wood