furniturerepairwood
I left a can of Raid insect spray on top of a piece of furniture and unbeknown to me there was some sort of chemical goo that dripped off the can overnight and it seemingly ate through the surface and lightened the finish.
So I'd like to know how to go about fixing this. I did a quick search and read something about using a stain marker and then following up by applying some lacquer but I want to make sure I do the right thing. I'd appreciate any constructive feedback.
Thanks!
You took the wind out of my sails with that last paragraph. I was going to suggest using a nut/bolt.
As far as it causing problems when the tabletop is lowered, you can recess the bolt head. Yeah, you could make the cavity in which the bolt will stay on the underside of the tabletop, but maybe you'll drill too far or crack/scratch the tabletop if you chisel it out. It could end badly... which is why you should instead house the bolt head on the top-side of the cross member.
Brown = table top
Black = underlying cross member
The one on the left is what you were talking about. The one on the right is what you want to do.
Also, use a washer under the bolt head, etc.
It's a little difficult to say that it will be a definite fix but a great start would be refinishing the inside of the cabinet. While I'm sure its possible to re-stain and seal the inside of a cabinet that just seems like way too much work so I'd stick with painting.
I found this nice article about painting cabinets if you want some design ideas. The process shouldn't be all that involved. You'll probably want to sand first and clean the shavings out well then give it a nice coat of whatever color you decide to go with and let it dry. Pretty much like painting any other piece of furniture, just a little bit more of a pain to get inside there.
I once stripped and painted all the drawers and cabinets on a work truck and that was a real pain. Luckily I was able to use a paint sprayer so that made it a heck of a lot easier. If you know someone with a paint spraying system beg them to use it and the finish and coverage in the tight areas will be wonderful.
Just my $0.02 and I can't say that this will be a definite solution but I can't imagine a wood smell getting through a through coating of paint. If your really worried you could use some thick outdoor paint that's designed to work as a sealer too. Best of luck with your project, post pictures if your need help along the way!
Best Answer
This looks like solvent peeled up the urethane. I don't think you will have great success coloring it.
The best way to do this is to re-finish the entire top of the table. It's not as bad as it sounds, but if you haven't done anything like that before, then get a professional to do it. Experience is necessary.
The first thing I would do is sand the rings and use a little oil based polyurethane to "fill-in" the rings. If the color matches (it should), then lightly sand the area (make it all level). Then lightly sand the whole surface with 220 grit paper (not to remove the varnish, just prep it for a new coat). Keeping the old layer of varnish is usually better for making a smoother finish. Tape the unsanded edges and protect the other areas with news paper or plastic and recoat the (entire) top of the table with urethane. A spray-on clear coat might work.
If the oil based polyurethane did not match the color (the rings were lighter or darker) then you will need to sand off the old layer of varnish (on the top) and then refinish it. Matching the old varnish (on the sides and legs) may or may not be important. If the color is close and only different where it changes from the top to the sides, it will probably not be noticed.