How to recondition varnished furniture with deep scratches or dents

I get a lot of questions with this topic - refurbishing furniture. What are the steps? What is applied first, primer or bath? What is the primer used for? Which varnish to choose? - are just some of these questions. Because it is a topic of interest I thought I would cover it in more detail. Besides, I admit that it will also be much easier when more questions come up. I'll put a link and I'm off. 😉 But I have to tell you up front that it's not a simple thing and if you haven't done this before, start small and unimportant. That way it won't be a problem if you don't succeed or worse, if you ruin the object. Requests usually come from those who want to refurbish old pieces of furniture and most likely want to do this for their soul furniture. If they are valuable pieces it is much better to call in a specialist.

When refurbishment is necessary

No matter how good the lake was and how well maintained the furniture, over time, fine scratches or small flaws still appear. We've talked about this kind of superficial and discrete "damage" before and you can find some simple remedies here.

When the scratches are deep, when the lake is leaking because water has puddled on the surface, or when there is discoloration of the wood or berries, the intervention is more difficult and involves more work. The end result depends not only on the quality of the products used. The way in which each stage is carried out is very important, and the final quality of the work depends primarily on the correctness of the work done, not on the fact that you have bought a very good varnish.

Because scratches or stains most often appear on table tops I will refer to such a reconditioning, but the steps are valid for any kind of furniture or wooden object. I will choose the most demanding intervention, the one in which the finish layer is removed down to the wood and rebuilt. Flooring also has its share of aggressive demands, but about the patching and finishing of we've already talked.

Tools and materials needed

If you start such work you should have a sanding machine because removing the old varnish or paint layer is not easy to do by hand sanding alone. You need to have higher grit sandpaper for wood, i.e. 150-180, even 220, and fine paper to sand between the layers of varnish applied. If you are going to apply a gloss varnish, the paper used should be 400 grit so that the fine sanding curls are not visible. For matt varnish a 280 or 320 grit is sufficient. You can also use sanding sponges - medium for wood and fine for varnish.

You will also need brushes/trap, cotton cloths, stain (if you want to stain the wood), primer and varnish. Choose water-based products for less hassle. Keep packaging covered when you're not working with it so you don't risk getting impurities in it or speeding up drying. Don't mix large quantities of material to avoid spillage. This advice does not apply to baths or paints (if you are preparing a particular colour), in which case prepare the full quantity needed to avoid colour differences.

Also useful are wooden sticks to mix the products in the packaging, pots to put the materials in if you need to make mixtures, thinner for cleaning the brushes or diluting the varnish, protective gloves (solvent resistant).

Stages of the finish reconditioning

Removing old varnish or paint. In order not to exert too much effort, use the sanding machine on which you mount sandpaper for sanding wood. Be careful not to sand too much when you get to the wood. Furniture is often veneered and the layer can be very thin. Even very old furniture can have veneer. In this case, however, the veneer is a little thicker. If you don't have machine safety, when you get to the wood, sand by hand. This will give you more control. After sanding remove dust with a cotton cloth. Check by hand for roughness.

Another way to remove the old varnish coating is with paint stripper. With a brush, apply paint stripper, leave it on for the time recommended by the manufacturer, then remove the soaked layer with a tickling (a metal blade). The operation can be repeated several times. After complete removal of the varnish, the surface is washed with thinner and sanded.

This is the stage when any repairs are made. If the furniture is veneered and the veneer has peeled off or it broke glue it with contact adhesive so you don't have to catch it in the presses. Wipe off the excess immediately and sand the area. If any glue stains remain they will be very visible when you apply the bath. If the wood has cracks or small holes that you want to repair use wood putty. Apply a slightly larger amount because the volume of putty decreases as it dries. After drying sand to bring it level.

Application of the bath. If you want the furniture to be stained but the wood grain to be visible, use a stain and varnish finish. If you use water-based varnish, the wood grain will rise a little and the surface will become rough to the touch. Don't panic. You will solve the problem after the primer or first coat of varnish. Apply the wood stain with a cloth or a trowel because you can control the amount better and reduce the risk of staining. With a paintbrush, the amount applied may be more at first. If the paint is solvent-based, use a solvent-resistant sponge pad. To avoid getting too dark a colour, use a lighter colour than the desired colour and apply 2 coats. This also solves the problem of uniformity.

Primer application. Normally, after the bath dries, a coat of primer is applied. This provides better adhesion to the wood and fills better (it has more resin and covers better). However, there are also varnishes that can be used as primer. They are generally DIY products, made specifically to be easy to apply. If you find it too thick dilute it with water, if it is water-soluble or solvent-based. For water-based ones don't go over 5% because it will lift the wood grain a lot. Apply with a brush or trowel. Do not dilute too much because there is a risk of dripping which is difficult to remove after drying. After applying the first coat allow to dry and sand lightly with fine sandpaper. This will remove the raised fibre and any imperfections from the primer application. After sanding, dust off with a cotton cloth.

Varnish application. The varnish is applied in the same way as the primer. If you also use varnish as primer, apply another coat under the same conditions as the first coat. Let it dry and see if it is sufficient. If you want a fuller film you can apply another coat, without sanding, after the first coat has set (1-2 hours). If you leave it until the next day it's best to sand beforehand for better adhesion. If the varnish is glossy, leave the object to dry in as dust-free a space as possible. Dust is the enemy of gloss varnish. It gets trapped in the film and the gloss accentuates the defect.

For a more pleasing appearance and better maintenance you can apply a thin layer of wax over the varnish after drying. Leave it on until the next day and polish. You will get a very nice silky sheen and the finish will be more resistant. Repeat the process every few months. This will prevent the surface from fine scratches or dents.

Painted furniture

If you don't want the wood grain to be visible or the defects are too big and you want to cover them (stains, staining) you can use paint. The wood grain will no longer be visible, but you won't lose the natural pattern because it will be outlined under the paint (you will see the pores, the flanges). The thinner the layer of paint, the more visible the design will be.

In this case you will not apply any more paint but only 2 coats of paint, with sanding in between. Do not apply more unless absolutely necessary (the paint has not covered the surface well and the defects are still visible). A thick coat of paint will make the wood "lose" and the surface will start to look like plastic.

In conclusion

Rebuilding furniture is not simple, but it is not impossible for a DIY enthusiast. It is good to know that this process is called reconditioning and not restoration. Restoration is much more than that, and it's what specialists do. If you have a valuable piece of furniture, don't go out of your way to repair small defects because its value will decrease. An old piece of furniture with a small scratch is more valuable than the same piece repaired clumsily with a coat of glossy varnish or other inappropriate intervention.

To those who venture into the adventure of refurbishing their furniture, I wish you good luck!