One of the best ways to fix dents in woodworking projects or furniture is to use heat and steam.

Apply a few drops of water to the dent and then apply heat using a scrap of cloth and an iron.

Skill Builder Video

Video: How To Fix & Repair Dents In Wood - Video Transcript

Michael Dresdner: Along the way it's inevitable that you'll pick up some nicks and dents in your
work. Whenever you find them, stop and repair them. They fall into two categories, dents and
gouges. With dents, the wood fibers are crushed, but not torn or missing. Dents can often be
steamed out. If the fibers are torn or missing, then that's a gouge and you have to fill it. If you're
not sure which you have, try steaming it first. It can't hurt, and sometimes it even makes a gauge
slightly smaller. Let me show you how to do that. Add a few drops of water to the dent and let
them soak in for a couple of seconds. Now, take a damp cloth, lay it over the area, and with an
iron set on it's hottest setting, press it onto the damp cloth. As the iron turns the water to steam,
the steam will expand and push the fibers back out into their original position.