June 14, 2009 in Features

Cigarette burns can be fixed

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SXC photo
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Q. Is there a way to fix a dime-sized cigarette burn in my wood coffee table?

A. There are several ways to repair blemishes like small burns, nicks and gouges in wood furniture. Do-it-yourself repairs generally improve the appearance but usually aren’t invisible.

Before attempting a repair, surround the burn area with masking tape. This will help prevent additional damage or staining from your repair efforts.

Scrape off burned finish and wood with a sharp knife. If only the finish and not the wood is burned, smoothing the cleaned area with very fine (4-0) steel wool and polishing with a little wax might improve the appearance.

If the burn extends into the wood, the hole must be filled. Colored wood putty is often used for filler. Minwax makes a line of these putties in common furniture colors such as walnut, cherry and pine.

Putty is sold in small containers priced at about $3 each. They are available at some home centers and paint stores, or you can view all the colors at www.lowes.com; enter Colored Wood Putty in the search space.

Use a knife or putty knife to pack putty into the burn hole and smooth it carefully to the level of the table. When the putty dries, and with the masking tape still in place, sand the repair with 150-grit sandpaper and polish with it with wax. Remove the masking tape.

Colored wax putty in stick form, called Fil-Stiks, is also available. The sticks are made in many colors and cost about $3 each. A color chart and order information is available at www.moffitt-smith.com; a link to the chart is on the opening page.

Furniture-repair experts generally use colored shellac sticks and an electric heating tool to apply and smooth the shellac. These repairs are often virtually invisible.

Q. Borer bees are chewing holes in the wood of our house. Insecticide keeps them away for awhile, but they keep coming back. Can you help?

A. These bees, called carpenter bees, usually prefer soft, unpainted or weathered wood such as cedar. They drill round holes for nests, but don’t eat wood so damage is sometimes slight.

Painting the wood, or having it clad with aluminum or vinyl, will usually put an end to their visits. The nesting holes can also be filled with a tough material such as a wood dowel, wood putty or caulk. Fill holes at night to avoid harassment by nesting bees.

Carpenter bees can be a nuisance around a building, but they usually do relatively little damage and are basically harmless to humans. Only female bees can sting, and they won’t sting unless threatened.

These bees are also major pollinators of flowers, trees and garden plants, so they serve a valuable purpose in an era when the number of pollinator bees is dwindling.

Q. I have a wicker hamper with a stain finish that has chipped off in places. The manufacturer is going to replace the hamper. Is there a coating I can put over the finish to prevent the chipping?

A. I wouldn’t put any additional finish on the new hamper for a couple of reasons.

First, if the original finish isn’t adhering well, it will probably chip off anyway. Second, the manufacturer is being cooperative in giving you a new hamper, but if you apply another finish it will probably void any future warranty.

This applies to almost any product – if it is in warranty and has a problem, don’t try to fix it yourself without contacting the manufacturer for help.

Questions and comments should be e-mailed to Gene Austin at doit861@aol.com. Send regular mail to 1730 Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422.

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