Touching in scratches

[Matthew Tucker]

nowadays I just touch in scratches with tinted shellac. I make up a few different shades, and clear, really thick (let the alcohol evaporate off till it's soupy), and keep them in those yellow lidded wee sample jars from the chemist.

Then I layer them with a good quality fine filbert brush until i match the shade and opacity i need. it takes a while to get good at it. i'm getting better.

I find a black shade is really useful, to darken without adding colour, as is one mixed with an ochre earth pigment to give some opacity. You need to look really closely at the varnish (with a loupe) to work out how to match it. A sprayed varnish is often speckled, and no matter how much you try to match it with painted on shellac colours, it just doesn't work! Oh and tint the bare wood if necessary first with a texta or strong tea or whatnot.

[Peter Koyander]

Thanks matthew - makes perfect sense and some really useful tips. Hows that fantastic restoration project coming on? - what a great thread!

[Matthew Tucker]

its a slow project. i'm now having to concentrate my limited time on a new build.