Wife left a candle burning all night

Mike Olson

Member
Messages
41
Location
Western, NY
So I get up this morning and go downstairs to see a large candle was still burning on the Livingroom coffee table. I mention it to my wife as I let the dog out, she says she's going to just let it burn out since it was almost gone. About 20min later I here a PFFFFFFT!. I go into the Livingroom and it looks like a fog machine turned on. Rolling white fog was pooring out from under the candle. After I grab a pot holder and take the glass candle jar off the table, below is what I saw. :doh:
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The spot is raised about 1mm.

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Note: The candle jar did not break so this is not wax. Also, this is a fake wood grain top, the finish it totally applied. From tapping on the top, I'm guessing it's 3/8" particleboard with the finish colored onto it.

Anybody have a suggestion for how to get rid of this?

Thanks,
Mike
 
Wow - that top's a goner for sure. I'll be watching to see if anyone has a fix - should be interesting. I don't see how a patch could work, other than putting a new veneer on the entire top. Maybe cut it out and put in a cup holder? :D
 
Yep I think that top is well...............finished.

Maybe it time for that famous line...I can make one of those :eek: out of real wood :thumb: I just need these tools :):D:rofl::rofl::wave::doh:

Yep! Sorry to say it. :(

I may borrow that picture to show to our minister at church. She loves having candles burning and has left one burning in the sanctaury one time when she left. I happened in to check on a plumbing repair and noticed an unusual light emanating from the alter.
 
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Mike I like Bart's idea too!

BTW I left a candle burning in my bedroom once in college, my neighbor, and good friend, saw it through my window as it caught my shelf on fire and broke into the house and put out the flames....yes I bought him a beer or two that night. :eek:
 
maybe it was your wifes way of letting you know she wanted a new coffee table.

Yep I think that top is well...............finished.

Maybe it time for that famous line...I can make one of those :eek: out of real wood :thumb: I just need these tools :):D:rofl::rofl::wave::doh:

or better yet, it was her way to let you know that you needed new tools to Build a new coffee table!
 
Seriously, how about routing in for an inlay ed cork or porcelain drink coaster.
You would need to evenly route in several, evenly around the top of the table
to make it look like they were meant to be there.
 
Ok. Here's the easy joke: just put something of your liking on top of it.

Seriously: I would sand it down or scrape it with a chisel to have more precision and not damage the surrounding material/finish.

This sanding/scraping would show you the extents of the damage both is surface ( that you know already) and in depth.

Then fill the depression with white poliester resin filler, or similar one. Use one of those that can be sanded easily and that take dyes.

Once you have patched and have a surface even with the rest, first dye it to match as much as you can the background colour.

Then try to match the grain using very fine brushes.

Finally give it a layer or two of laquer blending it with the rest.

This is time consuming and the results might be frustrating so take it as a challenge and not as a punishment.

An easier approach is sand aways the varnish of the whole top and veneer it completely.

It depends very much on the value (real or added) that this piece has for you or your wife and the time you want to spend fixing it.

BTW all the other suggestions are also valid ones.
 
I like the cup holder idea, but the Living room is my wifes fancy room. No one is even allowed to go in there with drinks or food. ugh... I think this will be cutting into my tax return fun money. The piece is scentimental to my wife because it's one of the few pieces her parents had that was nice (looking) enough to keep.

I'll try scraping it down to see what exactly is underneath. I have a friend that paints minitures in his spare time. Maybe I'll see if he can try to match the grain and patterns using his rediculously tiny one hair brushes...

Mike
 
theres one thing that you should be very thankful for.
You didnt leave anything burning on there and destroy the finish.
Cause, ya know, it was her parents, the sentimental value, youd have alot of explaining to do, and youd be building a doghouse to hide out in.
 
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