How to salvage this scratched desk?

[DrewL]

I got an IKEA Galant desk off Craigslist. Unfortunately the seller was a douche and completely misrepresented the item - it had giant scratches across the table top. I definitely had the option of walking away, but ended up talking him down to a price I accepted and took it. (Other than the scratches, the frame is in solid condition and I like everything else about it.)

What would you recommend as the best approach to mitigate it, without spending too much time and money? I've done light DIY but never aesthetic wood paint work like that... but I don't have much to lose

I'm thinking of getting a brush and similarly-colored stain and having a go at it. You can see that I already tried sanding (320 grit) around one of the scratches (picture #2). As far as I can tell the veneer cooperated with the sanding, no odd peeling etc.

1. Will stain adhere properly to these surfaces - both the veneer and the exposed MDF? According to IKEA, this top is made out of particleboard, Foil, Ash veneer, Stain, Clear acrylic lacquer, and solid beech. There were some debates over this, with some people claiming the veneer must be plastic. Based on this info and the pictures, what do you think?

2. Following on the above, is there "enough" wood grain in the veneer for the stain to actually keep the wood look?

3. Is stain translucent? Will it mask the bright MDF in the recessed scratch areas?

4. Is there some kind of (affordable and easy) more viscous "repair" material I should paint into the scratched areas to make it smoother?

5. Which type of stain should I ask for at my Lowe's? Dye?

6. Is there some kind of finish lacquer I should use? I don't want the table to look or "feel" painted, have a weird, wavy, rough or sticky texture, etc.

High resolution pictures attached.

Thanks!

Untitled

• DrewL
• 19 Jan 2015
• 1

Untitled

• DrewL
• 19 Jan 2015
• 1

Untitled

• DrewL
• 19 Jan 2015
• 1

Untitled

• DrewL
• 19 Jan 2015
• 1

 

[DrewL]

Hmm... 50 views and no advice?

 

[blightymam]

I'd sand the whole top down if I was that keen in keeping it. The reasons I say this are... money you saved on this desk would probably be wasted trying to find a wood stain that matches the colour of the desk. Those things are about £7 a pop. The next reason is ikea stuff is heavily lacquered and any traditional wood stain will more than likely just sit on top (and not stain) unless sanded back to the wood. The only way to me to make that look half decent is to start again. You could try patching up with varnishes etc, but it will more than likely will look exactly that - patchy.

Am sure other people will know more and hopefully have better tips than I. The above is how I'd deal with it as my second choice, the first would've been to throw it away - it looks knackered. Too much work involved for just ikea stuff which isn't the best.