Wood Touch-Up?

[bayoulife]

Greetings all- I have a 38 RE and I’d like to touch up some little blemishes on the wood. The counter below the tv (above fireplace) has some scratches on it. The previous owners had a candle that overflowed and you can see trail it took as it ran. Anybody have much luck making the wood look better?

[wintertree]

Touching up finished wood work is a real art....I have been a cabinet maker most of my adult life.....and I still have mixed results when I have some touch ups on something....first thing to remember is you will most probably never get it perfect....if thats what your after...your on your own....but making a big improvement is possible........most of the wood work in these units is either "pre-stained" then has a clear finish over that....or it is sprayed with a coloured finish...kind of a stain and clear coat all in one....The latter being a very common scenario these days where time is money on the shop floor.....If a scratch goes deep into the wood material below the finish surface you may be able to touch things up with some stain that is a similar colour....more often the scratch / blemish does not go thru the finish surface and just creates a defect that is visible.... especially when the gloss is interrupted when you look at the area slightly from the side.....I have had luck carefully touching things up with coloured high quality "felt pens" ...these are permanent type markers often used by artists....I carry around a quit an extensive kit(many colours) when I am installing cabinet work....sometimes things get a bump or nick in transit and a dab of the right colour saves the day....In regards to the candle stain....sounds like the heat of the hot wax may have taken some of the gloss from the finish at the surface level....for this type of blemish I would try a small amount of furniture polish and some "elbow grease" and try and get the finish back in that area....if that doesn't do it....a very light sanding with 600 grit or finer (800 grit) in the blemish area....DO NOT GO THRU THE STAIN ....your intent is just to sand the outer most part of the finish.....then some furniture polish and some elbow grease....If at all possible experiment somewhere not very visible till you are happy with the procedure and the results....before you tackle a spot in full view...
Good luck

Wes 2015 38RL / 2016 F-450

[travelin' texans]

Not sure about the candle mess, but for minor scraps/scratches there are felt pens with various colors of stain available at most home improvement stores, I've had good luck with them. Also Old English makes a product that also works well for minor stuff.

[bayoulife]

Thank you for the great information.