How Can I Get Burns Out of a Wood Table?

For Light Burns

• 1

  Clean the entire surface of the furniture. Open the windows in and turn on fans for ventilation in the area you're working in.

• 2

  Dip an extra-fine steel wool pad in vegetable oil. Buff the area and go with the grain.

• 3

  Dampen a clean cloth with water. Dust the area lightly with flour. Blot the oil and flour to remove the excess. Flour helps absorb the oil.

• 4

  Buff and polish the surface with a polishing compound.

For Charred Burns

• 5

  Scrape out the char with a curved knife or sandpaper, avoiding the surrounding areas of the table. Work slowly to avoid mistakes. Brush away the char as you work with a clean cloth dampened with water.

• 6

  Remove the last layers of char from the table, using sandpaper. Once you see unaffected wood in the dent, remove the last bit of char and clean the area with a lightly dampened cloth. Allow the area to dry.

• 7

  Fill the dent in the wood with a wood filler, using a putty knife. Use light to medium pressure and work with the putty knife at an angle. Allow the filler to set.

• 8

  Sand down the area with an extra-fine steel-wool pad. Brush away dust with a damp cloth. Buff and polish the area.

• 9

  Stain the area to match the rest of the table, using a clean, soft brush. Use a feathering motion in the direction of the grain. Allow to dry.