Holiday Navigator 2003 Owner's Manual page 117

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.
NOTE: A little sawdust and wood glue can be used to make
putty for end grains.
Fixing scratches in stained woodwork:
"Quick and simple" rarely describes repairs to stained wood finishes.
However, a few tricks can be tried. When scratches appear lighter than the
surrounding dark-stained woodwork, it usually means either that the scratch
goes through the stain into the wood or that the varnish is flaking off.
Dents:
Dents are the results of wood fibers being crushed and compressed. Dents
can be raised back to original level by steam. To raise a dent, place a damp
cloth over the dent and hold a medium-hot iron on it. The steam will cause 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:
Inspect the scratches carefully. If flaking varnish is visible with dark-
stained wood underneath, only the clear finish may need to be restored. Rub
the loose varnish with fine steel wool or fine synthetic steel wool until you
have removed the flaking varnish and slightly roughened a small area of the
finish surrounding the scratch. With the tip of rag, a small brush, or even a
cotton swab, apply a thin coat of a wipe-on finish. Apply finish to the dam-
aged area only. Several coats may be needed to hide the scratch.
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
several coats. Rub away excess stain with a dry rag. If the wood becomes too
dark, use a rag moistened in mineral sprits to lighten the wood. Select a lighter
color stain and continue.
Several companies have simplified this repair process by putting oil-based
wood stain into marker-like containers. Just rub the stain marker on the
scratch. Start with a stain color that is lighter than the original finish, because
torn and scratched wood fibers will absorb stain and darken quickly. A second
coat can always be applied if the color of the first coat is too light.
Once the color is blended, patch the clear finish as described above and
apply a wipe-on finish.
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