Windsor chairmaker Elia Bizzarri shares his technique to fix dents in wood using a simple household iron.
Elia demonstrates that if the fibers of the wood are not broken (cut by the impact of the hammer or striking object), then you should be able to fix the dent with steam.
Wet a rag and set it on top of the dent. Then place a household iron on top of the wet rag. Check the progress every 5 seconds. Elia says that the dent will raise up about 90% quickly and the last 10% will take longer to raise.
If you dent the wood and plane it without fixing the dent first, you will have a raised spot where the dent was after planning. This happens when the fibers are compressed in the dent and then are released after the surrounding material is planned. You will be able to feel the raised spot with your hand.
It is harder to fix a dent in hardwood. Elia says "the harder it is to dent, the harder it is to fix."
