DIY Scratched Wood Table

Wood tables can be delicate and easy to scratch. Over the years countless dishes, pots, pans or objects may be slid across the table. The lacquer wears off and the top of the table seems becomes hopelessly scratched. You can make it look like new again with sandpaper and some elbow grease. After you get it sanded down to bare wood, you can get a professional finish on your table with aerosol lacquer without using complicated spray guns.

Instructions

1

Sand the top of the table by hand with 100-grit sandpaper attached to a hand block. Sand parallel with the grain in a straight line moving the block forward 4 inches and then back 3 inches in a regular pattern across the table.

2

Start another sanding pattern when you reach the end of the table. Overlap the first pattern by 1 inch as you move across the table. Repeat overlapping sanding patterns until the top of the table is down to bare wood.

3

Brush off the sanding dust with a soft cloth. Lean down so that light reflects off the surface of the table. If you can see any scratches or patches of lacquer that you missed, resand the top until you can see nothing but bare wood without any inconsistencies. Brush the dust off the table with a soft cloth.

4

Hold an aerosol lacquer can 8 inches from the surface of the table. Spray a wet band of lacquer across the table. Repeat with consecutive bands overlapping each previous band by 1 inch until the top of the table is wet with lacquer. Let the lacquer dry for 30 minutes.

5

Sand the top by hand with a folded piece of 180-grit sandpaper. Sand until the top of the table is covered in a fine, white powder. Don't wipe the powder off; it aids in curing the next coat.

6

Repeat Step 4. Let the lacquer dry for 24 hours before using the table.