We did some research on the desk that I bought a couple of weeks ago. It is a Governor Winthrop as many of you identified and was probably built in the 1920’s. Because it is not in its original state, it has lost its value other than as a nice piece of furniture.
So we began sanding the part that had filler, but found that the wood grain in that area is vertical instead of horizontal like the rest of the surface. I’m not sure how to recreate the grain so that the wood will be somewhat uniform for staining.
Any ideas? Thanks! —–Sharon
Good Morning Gloucester 
A faux finishing technique with glaze and pigment is necessary here – however, doing a “spot area” is far trickier than redoing the entire surface.
I would sand down the entire top and start a new.
Good Luck
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i agree with H A on this.
my uncle sold used furniture, his recipe to restore most furniture and to blend in filler: 1 part turp, 1 part boiled linseed oil, 1 part white vinegar and a splash of water. wipe on, let it sit a few minutes, polish it up.
makes a warm, golden, kind of old glow.
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Thank you both for you help. I’ll keep you posted. I’ll work on it later today.
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get a desk blotter!
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Yep – HA has the right idea. Looks like the horizontal grain was a very thin veneer glued over much less expensive pine. I would go a step or two further – sand off all the veneer, taking the surface down to a very smooth surface… then apply a couple of coats of sealer… sanding very smooth after each coat. I recommend shellac as the best sealer for that pesky knot… and there may be more of ’em. (Oh, yes — Hi, HA – long time not see!)
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I agree with Jerry that HA has the right idea.
If you want a surface that does not look like pine, then I think you will have to laminate on a layer of thin veneer to replace the layer that has been sanded through partially.
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