How to Repair a Scratch in Mahogany
Mahogany is the most valuable source of timber in Latin America, to the point that is actually extinct in some areas. If you are lucky enough to own authentic mahogany furniture, you probably take excellent care of it. Even so, accidents happen. Not to worry. Fixing mahogany scratches isn’t all that hard. Mahogany is one of the easier wood colors to match and it responds well to treatment. It’s best to repair scratched mahogany as soon as possible, but you can fix mahogany scratches that have been there for a while, too. Does this Spark an idea?
Other People Are Reading
Things You'll Need
- Super-fine sandpaper
- Soft, lint-free cloth
- Furniture repair marker
- Small watercolor brush
- Iodine
- Tinted wax stick; mahogany-colored
- Crushed almonds (optional)
Instructions
-
-
1
Use super-fine sandpaper to gently remove any rough edges in the scratch. Always work with the grain, and apply very little pressure. Let the sandpaper do the work, or you risk causing more scratches.
-
2
Wipe away the sanding dust with a soft, lint-free cloth.
-
-
3
Color in the scratch with a furniture repair marker made for mahogany.
-
4
Fill in shallow scratches on very dark mahogany by dipping a small watercolor brush in iodine and painting in the scratch. Let each coat dry completely before applying the next one and add as many coats as necessary to camouflage the scratch.
-
5
Treat deeper scratches by gently sanding the edges, wiping them down, and then filling in the scratch with a mahogany-tinted wax stick. Buff the filled-in area with a soft, lint-free cloth to blend the wax into the rest of the piece.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Rub freshly-crushed almonds into lighter-colored mahogany and let the juices tint the wood to match the rest of the piece.
Keep iodine out of the reach of small children.
