Tripod member edoster1 asks:
I have an old oak chest with a top which has raised wood grain. It was caused by heat emanating from a stereo turntable. The "feet" of the turntable also left brown spots in the wood. Short of sanding it all the way down or painting it, how can I repair it?

Handy Girl Jennifer suggests:
There's no magic incantation you can perform to repair the damage. You gotta sand it. The wood grain was not damaged by the heat from a turn table. Come on, think about it. It even has feet. Unless you put a hot iron on the wood, it's not going to burn. The damage you describe (raised grain) was done by moisture that you didn't notice to clean up. Perhaps there was a plant next to the stereo or it's by an open window. The finish on the oak has worn thin or is non-existent, allowing the damage to take place. Sand the area with 400 grit then 220 grit sandpaper. If this doesn't take care of the brown spots, go to the wood workers store and buy some wood cleaning agent. Perhaps some type of bleach or astringent. When the chest is properly sanded and cleaned, urethane the sanded area. Make sure you don't get any where you didn't sand, because it will chip and crack off. This should do the trick.

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