Every so often we all have the problem of
having to putty a nail hole, dent or gouge in the project we are
working on. We soon discover during the finishing process that these
repairs, along with those pesky glue spots that get missed during
the sanding process, stick out like a sore thumb...and I've had
my fair share of these, both literally and figuratively!
Get in Touch with Your Inner Artist
Ways to hide these and other defects are to
touch them up with a small artist's brush and Behlen Furniture Powders (dry pigment touch-up powders) to blend together the patch and surrounding
areas before finishing. Or, if the holes are small enough, a wax
stick of the appropriate color will do the job.
When using the powders I start with the following: burnt and raw umber, burnt and raw sienna, medium yellow, white and black. Using these earth tones in different combinations and very thin shellac as a binder, with a little experimentation the artist hidden in all of us can usually figure out how to match most common cabinet woods if a natural finish is being applied or the wood is being stained.
Be sure to practice first on a piece of scrap wood. It's important to treat the scrap in the same way as the piece you're working on, such as sanding and staining it the same and yes, glue spots count too!
Seeing the Light
Working in the proper lighting is a must when
repairing or touching up a piece of furniture. The color match has
to be as close as possible to make the repair blend in. In my experience
the only way to be sure that you are on the right path is to work
only in natural or incandescent light. Fluorescent lights are what
we know as cool white, and unlike natural or "burning light" which
allow for the total spectrum, these seem to cast a bluish tint on
what we see and tend to kill the reds at the same time. Trying to
make a color match under these conditions is futile.
In my shop I have an old lamp that I use when a perfect match has to be achieved. I will turn off all of the lights in the shop and only have the lamp on, so the lighting will be the same as what we have in our homes or, if the piece will be used in a very bright room that has a lot of glass, I will take it next to a window or outdoors for the color match.
Patience is a Virtue
In the appropriate lighting, mix the powders
with very thin shellac or Behlen Qualasole and begin by matching the lightest color or
"background" color first. Seal this layer and each successive layer
of the mixed powders down with a very light coat of spray lacquer,
because the true color is only visible with some type of finish over
it. You will see that as the powders dry they become hazy and appear
lighter. Be sure to let each coat of the lacquer dry thoroughly before
moving on to the next layer, if one is necessary. When you are done,
stand back 6 feet and survey your work; if you can't see it, no one
else will either.
Since the binder is shellac and the colors have been "locked down" with spray lacquer, brushing a coat of varnish, shellac or spraying the piece with lacquer will not disturb the touch-up.
Tips to remember: