The best magazine
How to Repair a Scratched Formica Dining Table
- 1). Clean the Formica thoroughly in the area of the repair, using countertop cleanser for Formica, a nylon scrub brush and a cleaning rag. Scrub along the scratch with acetone to remove any additional oily deposits.
- 2). Mix a nickel-size amount of liquid abrasive cleanser with water until it is the consistency of thick cream. Sand the edges of the scratch with this mixture and 320-grit sandpaper. Do not sand in circles as this makes the scratch more visible.
- 3). Sand the scratch, using a micromesh sanding sheet. Start from 1.800-grit and go to progressively finer grits until you reach 4,000-grit. You may need to thin your paste mixture to a more milky state during this process.
- 4). Clean the Formica repair area a second time. Wipe the repair with acetone. At this point, the scratch may be virtually invisible. If your Formica finish is shiny, apply a small amount of auto body polishing glaze on terry cloth and polish the area to match the shine. If the scratch was very deep (like a knife cut), you may need to use a filler.
- 5). Apply seam filler that matches the color of your Formica to a piece of scrap cardboard and mix it with a putty knife. Pick up the filler and apply the filler along the scratch. Scrape off the excess. Clean around the edges with acetone. After the filler dries, sand lightly with 320-grit sandpaper and polish if necessary.
Source: ...