Fleetwood Discovery Owner's Manual page 71

Steel Wool:
Abrasive material composed of
long steel fibers. Coarser grades
are used to remove paint and other
finishes; finer grades for polishing
or smoothing a finished surface.
Nail Holes and Small Cracks:
Fill nail holes and small cracks
with wood putty or dough for
unstained woods prior to any
sanding. Stained finishes require
filling holes and cracks after the
stain has been applied. Putty should
match the stain closely in color.
TIP:
A little sawdust and wood
glue can be used to make
putty for end grains.
Scratches and Nicks:
"Quick and simple" rarely
describes repairs to stained wood
finishes; however, a few tricks
used by professional woodworkers
can be tried to repair nicks and
scratches.
Fixing Scratches in Stained
Woodwork:
Light scratches will often
disappear when carefully rubbed
with furniture polish or paste wax.
When scratches appear lighter
than the surrounding dark-stained
woodwork, it usually means either
the scratch goes through the stain
into the wood or that the varnish is
flaking off. Deeper scratches can
be hidden by carefully rubbing
with a piece of oily nut meat such
as Brazil nut, black walnut or
pecan. Be careful to rub the nut
meat directly into the scratch to
avoid darkening of the surrounding
wood. Color the scratch with
brown coloring crayon or liquid
shoe dye (especially good on
walnut).
Always test a procedure on an
inconspicuous area on the wood
to ensure no damage to the finish
occurs.
Staining a Scratch with Iodine:
Mahogany - Use new iodine.
Brown or Cherry Mahogany -
Use iodine that has turned dark
brown.
Maple - Dilute one part iodine
with one part denatured alcohol.
Commercial scratch removers,
or stick wax to match the wood
finish, can also be used. After the
scratch has been hidden, polish or
wax the entire area. Deep scratches
should be repaired and finished by
a professional.
Dents:
Small dents may be repaired by
using steam. To raise a small dent,
place a damp cloth over the area
and hold a medium-hot iron on it.
The steam causes the wood fibers
to swell back into place. It may be
necessary to repeat this process
until the dented area is level with
the surface. Allow the area to dry.
Restoring the Clear Finish:
The finished surface on the
wood is a clear lacquer coating.
The lacquer finish can be repaired
should the finish become dulled
or scratched. Scratches extending
into the wood will require wood
repair by filling the damaged area.
If there is light damage, the wood
can be steamed to bring the wood
surface level.
Discovery, Discovery LXE, Pace Arrow, and
Lacquer finish sheen can be
restored by carefully using
0000 steel wool or equivalent.
Sand damaged lacquer with fine
sandpaper. Once the scratched
surface is smooth, apply a clear
lacquer coating using an aerosol.
Lacquer can be applied by cloth or
brush, but best results are obtained
from an aerosol. If necessary, use
0000 steel wool or equivalent to
bring out the luster and smooth
overspray.
CAUTION:
Use top coats and finishes
in accordance with the
manufacturer's safety
instructions. Use only in
well ventilated areas with
proper respiratory filters
and masks.
Re-staining the Wood:
If bare wood is visible at the
bottom of the scratch, the wood will
need to be re-stained. To remove
damaged varnish, lightly roughen a
small area around the scratch with
sandpaper, steel wool or synthetic
steel wool. Find a stain that is a
shade lighter than the wood finish.
Stain the bare wood with a very
small amount of stain on a rag,
brush or cotton swab. If the color
is too light, apply additional coats.
Rub away excess stain with a dry
rag. If the wood becomes too dark,
use a rag moistened in mineral
spirits to lighten the wood. Select
a lighter color stain and continue.
Several companies have simplified
this repair process by designing
oil-based wood stain into marker-
like containers to rub on the
scratch. Torn and scratched wood
fibers will absorb stain and darken
quickly. Start with a stain color
that is lighter than the original
finish.
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