How to Repair Cabinet Splinters

When splinters appear on your wooden cabinets, you must repair them quickly before they grow larger and you are forced to completely refinish the cabinets. Small splinters may not seem like much of a problem, but the gaps they leave in the wood often lead to further splintering. Apart from damaging the overall aesthetic quality of the cabinet, splinters may accidentally get lodged under your skin when you touch the cabinets. Wood surfaces that are handled often should always be perfectly smooth -- this is good for both you and the wood.

Wood glue
Scrap wood
Disposable container
Small blade or tweezers
Toothpick
Flat scrap wood
Wood clamp
Fine-grade sandpaper
Wood finish

Instructions

- 1
  Pour a small amount of wood glue on a piece of scrap wood or in a small disposable container.
- 2
  Lift the splinter up carefully with the tip of a blade or a pair of tweezers. Hold the splinter in place, but be careful not to pull it off of the cabinet.
- 3
  Dip the end of a toothpick in the wood glue. Spread the glue in the hole made by the splinter.
- 4
  Push the splinter back down against the cabinet. Hold the splinter in place while you wipe away any excess glue that comes out as the splinter refills the hole. Place a flat piece of scrap wood over the splintered area and clamp it down with a wood clamp.
- 5
  Allow the glue to dry completely. Some wood glues dry faster than others, so check the label for information specific to your product. Remove the clamp.
- 6
  Inspect the repaired area. If the splinter is perfectly flush with the rest of the wood and you can't tell the cabinet was damaged, leave it alone. Otherwise, sand the area with fine-grade sandpaper until it is perfectly smooth. Wipe the wood with a tack cloth and apply wood finish, such as varnish. Use the same product that was originally used to stain the cabinet.

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