table with water damage

Hi peeps,
I have a table (pretty sure its pine) and while my better half and I were both at work the cat knocked over a vase which was on it. As a result the table has swelled up and cracked and rippled the finish.

I restored a hard wood table a while ago which was great, but the missus doesn’t want me to tackle this one, she wants to get a carpenter in to fix it.

Everyone keeps saying that it’s a veneer, but it looks like solid pine to me, and the bottom of the table looks like unfinished pine, it’s got routered edges which clearly show the grain and knots in the wood and doesn’t look like it’s an added piece just for the trim. The whole table has a medium varnish stain topped with a slight lacker.

Ive tried to iron the table with a towel to take some of the moisture out of it which helped a little bit but the cracks are still there, they look like they are around 5mm deep.

I will have to take a photo tonight so it’s a bit more clear what I’m talking about.

Does this sound like something i can just sand back and try to stain and lacker again or is it touch and go? I know if i stuff it up ill near about it for the rest of my life as we just bought it.

Apart from turning the cat into a table cloth to cover the damage does anyone have any advice for me?

Thanks heaps, James

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Originally Posted by nethergate

Apart from turning the cat into a table cloth to cover the damage does anyone have any advice for me?

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Yes a photo would be nice. Then advice can be given regarding what you can do. (Cat to be turned this way or that way:U)

It sounds like it is a veneer. Solid pine should not swell up as you have described but we'll see from the photos.

Here is a couple of pix of the table before it was damaged, Ill have to take a few of how it is now. Does it help at all?

Attachment 189568

Attachment 189569

I am amazed to think that solid pine would swell up with just one spilling of water on it. Before you try to carry out any repairs, it might be an idea to drill a small hole underneath the table. (don't drill all the way through the table though) to see if it is solid pine or not.
It would be better if you could post a pic of the damaged table.

I tried to take a picture but i couldnt get one to show the damage, ill try again tonight and see if i can get one to show it. You can only see it from about 10 meters away following the grain.

I might try and dry it out with a heat gun and see if i can get it to shrink back down. Underneath the table is definatly pine, but it might have a fake top on it but in my opinion it doesnt.

Ive refinished other tables but as i said the missus has no confidence in m fixing this even though im quite handy, i think ill just avoid the fight and let her pay a carpenter to fix it.

Thanks for the replies guys,
Cheers, James

p.s Does anyone want to buy a tabby rug! going cheap! lol

James,

Ok it looks like it's solid pine. Given it's been a week now, how bad is the swelling. Has the finish lifted at all as it looks like a high gloss poly which sould be reasonable water resistant.

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Originally Posted by The Bleeder

James,

Ok it looks like it's solid pine. Given it's been a week now, how bad is the swelling. Has the finish lifted at all as it looks like a high gloss poly which sould be reasonable water resistant.

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Hi Mr Bleeder,
the finish has lifted which is a shame but is an easy fix, the swelling has gone down considerably but its still corrigated and split slightly, the splits look like they are at least 3 - 5mm deep.

Thanks mate, James