How To

How to Remove Dents From Wooden Table Tops

Contributor
By eHow Contributing Writer
(4 Ratings)

A solid wooden tabletop can be beautiful, but sometimes, you may accidentally drop something on the surface and cause a dent in the wood. It could be something small, such as a cup, an ashtray or child's toy that hits the tabletop in just the wrong way and makes a dent. There are simple ways to remove dents from your hardwood furniture.

Difficulty: Moderate
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Artist brush
  • Water
  • Cloth
  • Iron
  • Pin
  • Sandpaper
  1. Step 1

    Clean the dented area of the tabletop with a soft cloth.

  2. Step 2

    Apply water to the crushed wooden fibers using an artist brush or your fingertip. Be very careful not to get the surrounding area wet at all.

  3. Step 3

    Place a wet cloth over the dented area after the water has been applied. Hold an iron, set on a low heat, against the area for 15 seconds.

  4. Step 4

    Check the dent, and if it still remains, repeat the steaming process again.

  5. Step 5

    Prick the dented area with a pin if the wood has not responded to the steaming process. Make holes to channel the steam from the iron into the wood fibers.

  6. Step 6

    Raise the crushed fibers with the pin or your fingertip, to a level slightly above the surrounding area.

  7. Step 7

    Allow the fibers that were raised to dry thoroughly. When they are completely dry, sand the area and refinish it as needed.

Tips & Warnings
  • If your table is made of a soft wood, repeat Step Three until the fibers rise on their own.
  • If the dent is near a glued joint, keep the steam away from that area. Cover the dent with a folded wet cloth, and place a bottlecap turned upside down on the cloth over the dent. Hold the iron to the edge of the bottlecap to focus the steam only on that area.

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