Deep gouges can be filled with wax. Cut off a small piece of wax and rub it into the depression. Pare away the excess with a piece of wood and buff the surface with a clean rag.

More durable gouge repairs can be made using burn-in sticks. They are made from either shellac or lacquer resins, and they melt when exposed to a hot knife.

A piece of muslin wrapped around a small block of wood and dampened with alcohol is a great tool for smoothing out a shellac burn-in stick repair.

To fill large gouges with wax, rub the area with the wax, or cut off a small piece and pack it into the depression. Then, using a chiselled spatula made from a small piece of wood, pare away the excess wax until it is fairly level with the surface. Rub the wax level with the surface using the back of a piece of fine sandpaper.

Burn-in sticks are a bit more difficult to use, and it's easy to damage the surface around the gouge if you're not careful. Melt part of a burn-in stick with a soldering iron or burn-in knife, then quickly press down with your finger to push the resin into the depression.

If the resin is shellac and the finish surface is varnish or oil, the repair is best levelled by wrapping a piece of muslin around a small piece of wood, wetting it slightly with alcohol and rubbing the repair until it's smooth.

If the finish surface is shellac or the burn-in stick is made of lacquer resin, level the filler by sanding very carefully with fine sandpaper lubricated with mineral spirits. You'll need to topcoat all burn-in stick repairs with more finish to protect them. While you're at it, you may want to lay on a new topcoat over the entire surface.