# touch up conversion varnish?



## hosbourn (Jun 22, 2016)

I have a table that was professionally finished with conversion varnish. I recently scratched through to the wood and tried to touch up the area by brushing on an additional layer over the scratch.

After the varnish dried, it was quite a bit more glossy than the rest of the table, so I brushed the area with steel wool to dull it to match the rest of the table. What happened next was that the area around where I painted has become too dull making a sort of donut around where I did the touching up. 

Is there a way to fix this problem? I'm hesitant to paint more varnish on as I fear that may make the situation worse. I have attached some pictures for your reference.


----------



## m.n.j.chell (May 12, 2016)

Sorry ... other than taking that mat in the background, and putting it over the spot, I can't help you.
Matching varnish is harder than matching paint on a car. Not impossible, probably, but well beyond my capabilities.
Strip it down and refinish the whole top is the only way I'd know to fix it.


----------



## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

The varnish you brushed on, was it conversion varnish too? If not you better attempt to sand off what is on the surface. In any case you can't touch up conversion varnish. You can level a scratch with more of the varnish but to not have a spot show you have to scuff sand the entire top and recoat the entire top.


----------



## RandyReed (Jul 30, 2014)

"Varnish" and "Conversion Varnish" are 2 different animals........

You can not repair CV unless you scuff sand and recoat the entire area, in this case, the entire table top. Even if you decided to do 1/2 the table top you will notice a slight difference in sheen/gloss when the table top ends are butted together.


----------



## hosbourn (Jun 22, 2016)

thanks for the advice. What I tried to touch up the table with was the same conversion varnish (I got a touch up bottle from the professional finisher who originally did the table for me). 

It's sounding like I will need to redo the entire table top in order to get a uniform sheen...


----------



## RandyReed (Jul 30, 2014)

hosbourn said:


> thanks for the advice. What I tried to touch up the table with was the same conversion varnish (I got a touch up bottle from the professional finisher who originally did the table for me).
> 
> It's sounding like I will need to redo the entire table top in order to get a uniform sheen...


Yes.

CV is extremely hard to repair and touchup for that very reason.


----------

