Asked on Aug 22, 2013
Can someone advise me on how to restore an old oak desk ?
by
Brenda Smith
+15
i brought this oak desk at a garage sale it has a drawer and a storage compartment on it but the top has some burns on it the owner said they were cigarettes burns i bought the desk to use in my office ,but i don't know how to get the burns out or if i should try and cover it with something help!
this photo was taken when i was out with family
12 answers
-
Do you have a photo of the desk showing the burns on it?? How deep the burns go may depend how you tackle this. If you are trying to restore the wood rather than paint it or make it over you should seek some professional advice.
Carole
on Aug 22, 2013
-
@Brenda Smith: we really need to see the desk. However, there was a good receipe on hometalk (I believe) for restoring older furniture: mix canola oil and vinegar (3/1 ratio) shake well to mix and apply to the wood. It IS real wood not laminate? Good luck!
Patricia Cleveland
on Aug 22, 2013
- See 1 previous
-
Just one word of warning. Be wary about applying any food based oil to furniture as it can turn rancid with time. I cannot imagine that would smell very pleasant.
Carole
on Aug 22, 2013
-
Try using a circular power sander to get below the burn marks-assuming there's no veneer- you might sand thru' it.otherwise you might try a dark penetrating stain followed by a sealer good luck.
Louis Lieberman
on Aug 23, 2013
-
thank you all for your advice i'm gonna take a photo of the desk and upload it later :)
Brenda Smith
on Aug 23, 2013
- See 2 previous
-
@No search results.Carole Australia here is a DIY to help you repair your desk there are video's to help you. http://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?p=DIY+Repairing+old+desks+with+burn+marks
Tammy EL Shafey
on Aug 24, 2013
-
I would paint it, I know its oak, but I have painted a lot of wood and have no regrets. You can paint the desk in any colour and keep the drawers in the oak, or paint the whole thing. I use Anne Sloan paints and I paint everything now. good luck
Tobey McCool
on Aug 24, 2013
-
I have used steel wool to remove cigarette burns from various woods with good luck. Just make sure to go with the grain of the wood. You will probably end up with an indentation where the burn was and depending on how much that bothers you, you could fill with a wood filler and stain it all to match. Good luck
Leona G
on Aug 24, 2013
-
i refinished an oak desk by simply sanding down to raw wood and then applying a matte finish polyethylene. It darkened the wood just a bit, left the grain of the wood to show, came out quite nicely. There were some deep gouges that didn't come out completely, but those just gave it a slightly distressed look that I liked. I'm thinking those burn marks might do the same?
Debra Peters
on Aug 24, 2013
-
@Debra Peters : Sounds really nice -post a photo!
Patricia Cleveland
on Aug 30, 2013
-
I restored an oak table that had a bullet hole on top. I did not seal the hole. I ignored it. I first pickled it and did not like that so I went back to natural, leaving a slight pickle look to the finish. I sealed with a water base polyethylene .If I were you I would not look for perfection; realize you will have a functional piece of furniture.
Gloria tulip
on Jul 14, 2015
-
Picture would help...do not paint...sand, clean, stain, poly. Imperfections add to character...or for a initially perfect look - buy a crap screw-together desk from Wal-Mart.
UpState
on Mar 22, 2016
Sign Up to Answer
