Here are some clever tips to keep in mind when repairing cracks and gouges in floors or furniture:
- The deeper the scar, the more substantial the repair work will be. Shallow flaws can be handled with fillers, but serious wounds may need solid timber plugs.
- Children's crayons make a fast-setting filler. Melt the crayon in a spoon over a candle, then trickle the molten wax into gouges, scratches and wood-worm holes, smoothing with a knife dipped in hot water. For a perfect colour match, blend two or more crayons.
- To artfully conceal nicks and gouges on a table leg or cabinet side, use a wax or putty furniture filler stick teamed with some dark furniture wax (both are available at specialist wood-finishing suppliers). First clean the area with mineral spirits, then take a filler stick in a shade to match the lightest tone in the wood and use it to fill the larger gouges. Smooth the filler with a craft stick and buff lightly with superfine steel wool. Now use the dark wax to fill the smaller scratches and nicks. This treatment looks wonderfully natural, but it's not durable enough to withstand hard use, so don't try it on a tabletop.
- Shellac sticks are sold for repairing damage and stopping up holes in furniture finished with French polish. But if you're not experienced at working with shellac sticks, you'll be better off fixing the problem with liquid shellac (which French polish usually comes as). If you're using a liquid, pour your shellac into a saucer and leave it for 30 minutes or so to thicken. Pick up some of the viscous shellac on the end of a matchstick and trickle it into the damage. Build up the repair layer by layer if necessary, then carefully scrape off the excess with a sharp blade before rubbing down with superfine-grade wet-and-dry sandpaper and a little bit of baby oil. Practice your technique before trying this on a valuable piece of furniture.
- Here's a tricky fix for small nicks. Paint on some PVA glue, let it dry until it's tacky, then sand. The sanding dust will combine with the glue to make an invisible patch. After the glue dries, re-sand for a smooth finish. But beware: some woods turn black on contact with PVA glue, so test first.
Keep these clever tips in mind when you're repairing cracks in wood and you'll be able to work smarter.
