Ask the Staff
Question:
I need advice! I have this cedar chest and the top finish is aged, but it has weathered beautifully. I don't know what stain or finish was originally used and the salt air has changed it too much to guess.
My daughter made a light burn mark on the top and I don't know how to fix it without ruining the aged look of the wood!
Please help!
Amber
Answer:
Amber,
You you may need to take the piece to be evaluated by a professional furniture restorer. A burn that has penetrated through any existing finish and scorched the wood below is a deep mark and would be a tough defect to spot repair for someone without prior knowledge of furniture finish repair. It may be a challenging repair to do even for a skilled technician with experience. It may take some faux finishing to hide the repair and blend it in to the aged wood/finish that gives the piece its charm (and that you don't want to disturb). Unless you have some experience doing that sort of repair - well, as we say around here to customers concerning performing finishing techniques on both new and old furniture for the first time, it is not wise to practice or use a finishing product or technique for the first time on your mother-in-law's piano bench!
You can Google around for "fixing cigarette burns wood furniture" There are plenty of postings for methods to attempt. You can take a chance and if the repairs looks worse than the defect before you started, take it to a professional restorer.
Regards,
Ed Scent
Highland Woodworking
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