How to Refinish a Desktop and Keep Initials

Cover the floor of your work area with a large drop cloth. Disassemble the desk, removing the screws holding the legs in place to allow you to work on the desktop only. Place the desktop in the center of the cloth to avoid any damage to your floor while refinishing the piece of furniture. Open any windows to the room to increase the ventilation then put on a face mask to prevent the inhalation of fumes from the refinishing chemicals, as well as rubber gloves to protect your hands.

Remove any existing finish from the desktop by spreading a thick, paste finish remover over the desktop surface. Use a natural bristle brush to apply the remover, covering the desktop with even strokes of the material while working along with the grain of the wood. Wait the manufacturer's suggested dwell time for the remover to penetrate the finish, then peel the finish with the remover off the desktop with a putty knife containing a rubber blade. Switch to medium-fine steel wool when you reach detail areas where the putty knife cannot move smoothly over the wood and to remove the finish from the area containing the initials.

Dip a piece of the steel wool into lacquer thinner, then run the wool over the surface of the desk to remove any residue left behind by the finish remover. Wipe the surface along the grain of the wood, then wait about five to 10 minutes for the thinner to evaporate.

Examine the desktop for any deep scratches in the wood besides those created by the initials you wish to keep in place. Sand the edges of the scratches, smoothing them down to the surface of the desktop using 220-grit sandpaper. Wipe with a tack cloth to remove any dust. Fill the scratches with wood putty the same color as that of the desktop wood using a putty knife to press the wood filler in place. Level the putty off with the rest of the desktop by scraping along the surface of the patched scratches with the putty knife edge. Wait two hours for the putty to dry.

Use the sandpaper to sand the repaired scratches as well as the rest of the surface of the desk smooth. Do not sand the section containing the initials that you wish to keep. Sand with the wood grain until the surface is clear of all scratches. Wipe the desktop surface with the tack cloth to clear it of dust.

Brush the surface of the wood with wood stain that matches the existing desktop color. Use a piece of cloth to apply the stain. Make sure you stain the initials as well. Wait 24 hours for the stain to dry.

Cover the stained desktop with three layers of polyurethane to protect the surface from damage. Use a foam applicator to apply the stain, placing the clear coat material onto the desktop in overlapping rows following the grain of the wood. Wait for each coat to dry after application. Check the manufacturer instructions for drying times. Sand each coat after it dries to smooth it out before placing the next coat, making sure not to sand all the way through the coat to the wood beneath. Wipe the sanded coat with tack cloth before applying the next.

Reassemble the desk and use normally.