Replies

1. 
   rob_ss | Nov 26, 2019 03:43am | #1

   Oh dear.
   Looks nasty.

   The item says it is cherry finish over birch veneer. The best way to find the exact finish is to ask the manufacturer - many will be happy to tell you what they used, though with cheaper furniture, it is often a foreign company.

   Assuming you can't do this, then you will need a test piece of birch ply (always handy) - sand it to 240 grit.

   The original finish was almost certainly sprayed on lacquer which is tough to match, but you can probably get close enough to pass muster with an oil based polyurethane varnish

   Buy a colour match as close as you can by eyeballing the swatches at your paint shop. You only need a small tin. Pour a bit out of the can (say 10ml) and thin it 20% with mineral turps. Put 3-4 coats on your piece of birch ply and see what it looks like. You will probably find that you can get it darker or lighter as required by applying more or fewer coats. Thinning will help it to behave more like lacquer.

   If you can't match the colour closely enough that way then you have to buy one or more colours to mix. Too red - buy a darker brown colour, too brown, buy a lighter redder colour. Mix and match until you get close enough then apply to fill in the damage. use 0000 grade steel wool after to feather your patch into the surrounding lacquer (very gently!) and buff with wax to finish.

   The most important thing here is to thin the varnish and to do multiple test pieces until you get a close enough match.

   Looking at the photos, there appears to be a bit of damage nearby. You may get a better result overall by sanding off the whole panel, but you have very little to lose by patching in first. It will probably pass muster. That birch veneer may be very thin and it is tough to get a really shiny finish all over a larger board. If you do sand it all down, be very careful as sanding can leave the surface less than flat, which will show dreadfully when you finish it.

   Good luck.

   Also, I'd wait and see if you get some better answers - this is just one way of doing it and I am not an expert, just someone with dog chewed furniture...

2. 
   user-6480500 | Nov 26, 2019 09:23am | #2

   Looks to me like the all the finish is removing itself. You need to decide if this night stand is worth keeping. Refinishing this piece of furniture would be time, knowledge and skill. However it would be a good piece to learn on.

3. 
   Thundercats | Nov 26, 2019 10:34am | #3

   Thanks for your responses. The nightstand is only 3 yrs old. Other than the surface scratches it is in very good shape. Also the scratches are water damage. I leave a bottle of water on the night stand and over a period of time it caused this damage. This sounds like a complicated fix. I thought if it was a simple touch up, I could do it. I might just end up getting a small mat or piece of cloth to cover it up.😀

4. 
   user-4622261 | Nov 26, 2019 06:42pm | #4

   I just retired from being a furniture repair tech and did a lot of touch up work. Agree with above -- this is nasty. Most likely, the finish is a colored lacquer (known as a toner). To match an irregular area like this is tough. I think the best approach for a novice is to sand the top, feathering out the area of damage to an "ovalish" area. See if there is a Mohawk distributor in your area and look for a close match in color. Apply LIGHT coats and let them dry for a few minutes (a hair dryer blown over the top will help). Then repeat. Lightly sand to level and even color ever few coats. You will likely have better success finishing off by doing the whole top in the new color. There are other suppliers such as Guardsman (that will have to be shipped) and a few colors at places like Rockler and Woodcraft. I would NOT recommend a product like Polyshades. https://www.mohawk-finishing.com/products/wood-touch-up-repair/aerosols/ultra-classic-toner/

5. 
   Thundercats | Nov 26, 2019 07:10pm | #5

   Thanks for the suggestion. I will try to see if I can find the Mohawk aerosol spray in this color. This seems to be an easier option. If I do use the toner is that all I need or do I need to apply clear coat on top of the toner? Also someone at my work suggested that I take a piece of the wood color to a Sherwin Williams and they will match the stain. Apply the stain and once that is done, to just use a polyurethane lacquer to finish it. Thoughts?

6. 
   user-4622261 | Nov 29, 2019 09:42pm | #6

   SW Match will most likely need stripping of entire top.

   You do not need to put a clear coat over a toner except to adjust the sheen. The place where you find the toner will probably have 5-6 different sheens available from virtually no sheen to high gloss. Glosses are rated on a 0-100 scale with lower numbers being flatter.