While acting with wood and woodworking in general , you’ll face a very common situation that will may cause you a small “headache” and this is the several types of dents , your surface may have .
These small dents sometimes are very tiny and small and you may deside to leave them as they are , or maybe sand then a little , but many times they’ll need to be fixed by you .
No matter what dent you have , big or small , dents are errors – disformities for a wooden surface and in many cases they apear very bad in the eyesight .
They affect badly to your final woodcraft result and design , but there are very simple and easy for anyone techniques , to fix them with great effectiveness .
What Causes dent in wood ?
Light or heavier direct hits above a wooden surface , heavy elements placed above a wooden surface , continuous pressure to a specific spot above a wooden surface , internal fiber failure and weakness of wood and generally more pressure than the fibers of wood can handle , are the most common reasons for wood dents .
If all the above will be combined with high moisture , water and fluids that soften the wooden surface and molecule bonds , then the posibilities for serious dents are very high .
How to fix Dent on wood ?
1) If your dent isn’t very deep and it’s a small one , put some water drops inside the dent , let it for one night and the next morning , the dent will be straighten . This is one of the most classical and old technique , the “old school” woodworkers did .
2) If you dent is more big and it needs more effort , the most classical technique is to get a wet cloth ( i suggest cotton ) , put it above the dent , take your hot iron and iron the dent till it’s fully straight .
It’s very effective and with zero damage to wood . It can straighten big enough dents , of any shape and leaves no trace at all .
Some use a small piece of dry ice and a hair dryer to warm the area and let the melted dry ise to penetrate the wood’s fibers and straighten then , but it’s the same approach with the iron and wet towel i think .
In here you need soMething to cover the area and protect it from the direct heat and a thin fabric , would be fine .
I highly suggest you to use cotton clothes , fabric and no naylon , polyester and this type of fabric , because the danger of melting it with the iron of the hair dryer , is very high .
3) If your dent damage is above the iron technique level , you need the help of wood putty or a wax stick , in order to fill the big dent gap , let it dry and then sand it and finish it .
This is a more difficult job , but it can be done by anyone .
How do you fix an Indentation in wood ?
In here the water drops and the iron aren’t working and the most suitable solution is the use of wood putty , in order to fill the indentation spots , make them uniform as a flat and straight surface , let it dry and then sand it , to make it perfect .
In here the wood fillers aren’t helping much , because we’re talking for big gaps a filler cannot fill and straighten . A wax stick can help also , but the wood putty has way more adaptable form , to fill whatever gap shape you’ll have .
These kind of “scars” in your wood , are damaging the fibers of wood big .
You’ll need to fill and cover these big gaps with wood putty , with wood dust along with glue maybe , with wood fillers combined with wood dust , in order ro make the filler more thick to cover the gap .
You’ll need to restore the surface’s uniformity and straightness and then proceed to your detail finishing techniques .
See in HERE some nice wood putty suggestion to get .
How do you fill a Small dent in wood ?
If you don’t want to us the heat of the iron and the water , to fill and straighten a wooden spot in your surface , the solution of the wood crayons , wood fillers and the wax sticks are the most suitable in order to fill a small dent .
The most “surgical” job can be done with the wax sticks and the crayons , because you can intervene very slighty and targeted , exploiting they solid mass and not mess around the other surface .
If you want an ides of what wax sticks to buy , go HERE .
How do you fix Deformed wood ?
If the deformation is very big and extended to a large area in your surface , you cannot do anything with heat and water , but you’ll need to use fillers , wood putty and extended sanding to straighten back the deformed area .
The iron , water drops , steam , dry ice and “tricks” like that are only usefull for smaller damages and damages that aren’t affecting badly to the generic wood shape .
If you hit a wooden surface with a 6 pound sledgehammer and you make a dent like a swimming pool , ripping away also wood “flesh” , you’ll do zero with irons , water drops and tricks like that .
Can you get dents Out of Hardwood ?
Yes surely you can , but in here you may need to apply the water drops and the hot iron with the wet cloth many more times , compared with a softer type of wood .
You’ll need to insist more to the hardwood spot , because the fibers are more dense and the general density of the hardwood is bigger . In order to let the water penetrate and straighten the surface , you’ll need more repetitions to your technique .
How to straighten Water damaged wood ?
If you have a damaged dent area caused by the extended presence of water and pressure of course , which made the wood softer and easier to dent , you need to let it dry and then use your hot iron with a dry cloth .
You don’t need to use a wet cloth , the area has prenty of water already .
Of course if the damage caused by water is extended and very big , you cannot do anything effective but to search for other solutions .
Can you Sand dents out of wood ?
No , sanding isn’t a woodworking method to straighten dents in wood , but to shape and smoothen a wooden surface make it uniform , before the finishing stage .
Can you Soak wood to straighten it ?
Many times you can use more water than the “surgical” water drops , to soak into the mass of wood , making it softer in a larger scale , so you can let it dry , heat it and see if you can straighten it this way .
In a majority of cases , you can succeed to straighten it , if you be gentle with your moves and the use of heat , straighten the surface slowly and carefully .
Keep woodworking and your happiness will never dent .