It doesn't take much to make a fine piece of furniture less than beautiful. Scratches, cigarette burns, white rings and dents all contribute to the de-beautifying process.

In the past, we provided advice on the removal of white rings from furniture. Now we'll share a few simple tips on repairing blemishes and other imperfections in fine wood furniture and cabinetry.

Believe it or not, wood is a most forgiving material. Far more so than the finest cloth natural or synthetic. Once a nylon, silk or wool seat cover is burned, it's done for. A patch may be a possibility, but the material cannot be otherwise repaired.

Wood, on the other hand, can be sanded, stained and varnished indefinitely. Damaged wood can be refinished, and the refinishing doesn't have to be a major undertaking.

Selective refinishing is the real key. A repair to wood doesn't have to mean painting the entire piece of furniture with stripping chemicals, sanding, restaining and varnishing.

Tools for selective refinishing can be as simple as a very small piece of steel wool, a few cotton swabs and your favorite brand of clear nail polish.

DENTS IN WOOD:
A dent in a piece of wood might not be the disaster you imagine it to be.

If the wood fibers have not been torn where the wood has been dented, there is a good chance a repair can be made with a damp cloth and a clothes iron. And you'll also need a pin or needle if the surface has varnish on it.

First, penetrate the varnished surface of the dent in one or two places with the tip of a pin. Next, lay a damp cloth over the dent. Finally, press a hot clothes iron over the damp cloth.

The iron will heat the water in the cloth and steam will be created. The steam will pass through the pin holes into the compressed wood causing the wood fibers to absorb moisture and expand. A light sanding or rubbing with steel wool will clean and smooth the newly raised surface. A small amount of diluted stain on a cotton swab can be used to bring color back, and nail polish, varnish or wax will create the desired final sheen.

Remember, stain should be applied in thin layers. It is easier to add more than to remove the stain after too much has been applied.

DEEP SCRATCHES:
Light surface scratches that haven't damaged wood can be fixed with a color stick or an eyebrow pencil, and in some cases even furniture wax will do the trick. One of our favorite scratch repair products is Old English Furniture Wax the dark one for scratches.

Deep scratches that tear wood fibers aren't quite as simple to fix and require a little more than just waxing.

In this event, putty, a putty knife, sandpaper and varnish will be needed. And even though these might sound like the ingredients for all repairs, there's a twist to our formula that will save you a headache or two.

First, clean the damaged area with a brief rough sanding. Next, fill the scratch with putty. This is where our trick comes in! If the finish is to be stained, do not use a synthetic putty. Natural wood putty contains wood fibers that will accept stain. Thus, with natural wood putty, a repair can be made that can be stained to match the original finish. Once the putty dries, selectively sand, stain and varnish, or wax the damaged area.

Synthetic putty comes in colors and is excellent for repairing surfaces that need to be painted. But, no matter how perfectly it matches, don't use it on surfaces that will be stained. It does not absorb stain and will show through a stained surface.

SANDING TRICKS:
Always sand in the direction of the wood grain. This reduces scratching. Use the finest grit sandpaper that can be used to remove the finish or the damaged wood. With sanding less is better.