How to Steam Dings Out of Wood

It happens to almost everyone. You get a project finished and notice a small dent or "ding" in the finish, or something drops on a favorite table and creates a small dent in the wood. You don't want to sand the dent out -- it's just not worth it. Use a trick that craftsmen use to remove dings from wood; steam it out. When wood is exposed to moisture under heat, the wood swells, removing the dent. You can accomplish this trick with an ordinary household iron.

Instructions

1

Cut a piece of cloth into a 1-by-1 inch pad with scissors and fold it twice. Saturate the pad with water and then squeeze enough out so that it is not dripping.

2

Place the pad directly onto the ding. Place the tip of a hot iron directly on the damp pad.

3

Hold the pad there for three minutes or until steam quits raising from the pad.

4

Remove the iron and the pad. If the ding is not sufficiently gone, apply more water to the pad and steam it again. Repeat if necessary until the ding is gone.