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Member since 7/28/11
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Posted on: 10/26/14 4:25 PM ET
There is lots of stuff on the internet, videos and instructions but I wonder if anyone here, folks who know ironing best, have ever tried this?

I've inherited my Mum's dining room table but it has several whitish places where a too hot dish was set on it without a pad underneath. In my Mum's young housewife days this was not an expensive or valuable item but it is solid wood; birch stained walnut I think. So if I wreck it I can refinish it. But I'm also concerned about wrecking my iron. You are supposed to iron over some white cotton though so not likely to harm the iron.

Anybody tried this?
  
Member since 7/13/10
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Posted on: 10/26/14 7:39 PM ET
I tried this with my Mom's Ethan Allen dining room table a few years ago. Honestly, I don't think it worked; in fact, I might have made it a little worse. I also tried lightly sanding it with very very fine sandpaper and then used really good polish, and it looked better. But that has to be done frequently and I don't keep up with it like I should. It's still nice having Mom's table in our dining room for family holidays and celebrations.
  
Member since 5/2/09
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Posted on: 10/26/14 9:03 PM ET
You might want to try some of this stuff, just in a little place underneath the table as a test where it will not show. And see what happens. The idea would be not to take off all the finish in one place though, but instead to just soften and blend it a bit.

https://www.formbys.com/products/refinisher/

I don't know about heat making white marks, but water like glass condensation or plant pots might. Even if heat did, I don't get how more heat would make that better? Also check the real walk into them antique stores, I thought it was called "Formby" that I have seen and got there before, (a long time ago-but does not look the same as on that website now to me) but they often have some stuff in there, in the cans, that if you are real careful, and it's older furniture, you can just melt the finish a bit in just one place, (chemical wise not with heat) in even only in one place, and then you can very carefully try to slide some over from a close area even. I still would always test first though, even if you find that stuff, some place underneath were does not show, to see what happens first.

If instead it actually has much newer Polyethylene on it, I don't think that will work though.
  
Member since 7/28/04
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Posted on: 10/26/14 10:37 PM ET
The iron method involves steam....not iron on table. I would practice on another junk table first. I did get a vapor/heat mark out of my varnish.... It happened to be a good Ethan Allen breakfast table. It just sort of softens the varnish and then you buff. Easy going.
  
Member since 6/7/05
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Posted on: 10/27/14 0:16 AM ET
I've successfully ironed out white heat marks from my oak table. I just ironed over a piece of plain white printer paper until the area had faded away. This winter, I won't serve up too hot soup in Corning Ware bowls!
  
Member since 4/9/02
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Posted on: 10/27/14 8:26 AM ET
Recently, a grandson sat a glass containing Coke and ice onto our coffee table. It had several layers of napkin under it and I assume that he thought it wouldn't cause a problem. Well, it did. At Walmart a few days later. I was looking for something else and happened to see the product that I bought. It was in a plastic packet. I can't find it here now - my daughter used it and I don't know where she put it, but it can be used several times. The pad inside was sort of saturated with something like mineral spirits - but don't hang your hat on that - I may be remembering wrong. At any rate, you wiped it over the affected surface, buffing somewhat hard until you can't see the mark any longer. You follow it up with a few layers of good wax and buff well. I can't even see the spot any longer - it did a marvelous job.

According to what I learned while looking for a solution is that the white mark is from moisture trapped in the varnish. I would hate to try using an iron - I'd be afraid that I'd do more damage than what was there originally.

I'll call my daughter later today and see if she can tell me where she put it and report back later.
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Sewing in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia
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Member since 1/4/11
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Posted on: 10/28/14 5:40 PM ET
In reply to Longblades
If the white marks are due to hot items, I've done this on 2 different tables with good results. I used my silk organza press cloth to protect the table from my iron. I used the silk organza because it's see through and I had it handy. I ironed dry/no steam until the white marks disappeared. I'm not sure exactly what science is going on but it has something to do with moisture getting trapped in the clear layer and the ironing "dries" it. Test in a small spot, starting with a low heat and increase the heat. Good luck.
  
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