Indian wooden furniture, like any other furniture, is prone to damage. In general, wooden furniture often suffers from nicks, cracks, minor cracks, and broken or chipped sections. Many times, porous wood like maple can crack and dry out. Maple, however, is not used much in the making of Indian furniture. In southern India, where the climate is tropical and the temperature humid, wooden furniture can easily warp. In addition, cosmetic defects can also damage Indian furniture. These include peeling off the paint and melting the varnish. It is not impossible to repair your damaged Indian wooden furniture and restore it in good condition. It just requires a little care.
Before beginning the actual restoration process, transport the furniture to a dry outdoor section if weather permits. Open all windows to ensure ventilation if you find the furniture is too large to move outside. Put some old newspapers on the floor to protect it from wood dust and chemical spills. Before starting your work, put on disposable rubber gloves and wear a safety mask.
To begin restoration work on your damaged Indian wooden furniture, use any of the chemical stripping agents available to remove old varnish or paint. Take a clean brush, dip it in the stripping agent, and then spread the agent over the Indian wooden furniture. Wait at least seven minutes for the agent to oxidize. Then begin scraping off the top layers of paint or varnish with a putty knife or scraping tool.
Now put on a new pair of gloves to protect your hands from splinters. First, scrub the surface of your Indian furniture using electric sanding equipment to smooth it evenly and bring out the grain. Use sandpaper to gently rub remote sections of furniture by hand. After that, remove all the dust with a clean brush.
Use some wood glue to re-glue any of the raised pieces of wood. Now, look at the furniture and carefully examine the joints. Reattach the loose legs of a table or chair. As usual, first rub the surface with the sandpaper inside the joints to remove any old glue residue. Then apply glue to the inside surface of the joints and put the legs back on. Apply clamps to secure parts in place. Remove the clamps only after six to eight hours when the glue dries.
Apply a wood sealer to any cracks or crevices. Let the sealer dry. When both the glue and sealer dry, rub the surface gently again. Next, clean the wood dust from your Indian furniture.
Having done all of the above, stain your Indian wooden furniture. You can use a water-based coloring agent for your wooden furniture in a wet or dry environment. You can also choose latex enamel based paint if you want to paint your furniture. A couple of coats would do. Finally, apply an insect-proof, waterproof gloss finish to the wood.