What to do to restore dry wood on a cart?

[user 3234]

For all of you with wooden carts - when the wood drys out what do you do to restore it?

We have a wooden cart and the wood will be sanded & revarnished, but is there something we can apply before varnishing to restore the wood so it is not so dry?

 

[horsenarounnd]

If the wood has dry rotted or is at a point that it is only partly there, it is probably sructurally unsafe and it should be replaced. If it is sound, you don't need to do anything. If you are going to paint the wood, and there is just a small amount of wood that needs attention, there are products available that are very similar to automotive body putty (actually made by the same companies) that can be used to restore it. This won't work if you want to keep it a natural finish, of course, as it will be very visible. Your best bet is to find a local carriage builder or cabinet shop who can actually look at your project and advise you. Your main concern has to be making sure the cart is safe to use when you're done. Good Luck