I’ve been asked to repair (for now) and eventually refinish a director’s table.  It is approximately 4′ x 15′, and the guy who bought it thinks it is mahogany.  The table itself appears to be an off the shelf, factory made piece.  It has an open grain and looks like mahogany with the grain filled.  It has a thick, high gloss finish, and the damaged area has been scratched through to the wood, about an inch in length.  If it matters the actual damage occurred when someone dropped a laptop that was being passed across the table, and a lady picked at the dent with a fingernail.  Now the dent is almost imperceptable.  There is a bit of other damage to the finish, probably in the finish would be a better description, in a couple of areas, but it is not scratched through.  I’m guessing the finish is lacquer.

They  just want the scratched through area repaired for now if it is possible.  How does one go about determining the type finish without damaging the rest of the top?  And is it necessary to build it to the depth of the remaining finish?  If this is a nearly impossible task, I’d rather tell them that before I make it more noticeable.