Dent fix in table top?

[Ron Conlon]

Hi folks-

I am new to woodworking, and have been lurking here for a while, soaking up the great information. I am in the finishing process of a small oak hall table. While the Minwax stain was drying, I put a couple of small dents in the table surface. :(
I've heard of steaming dents out with a clothes iron/wet cloth. My question is - should this be done now, prior to applying the final finish, which will be 4-5 coats of Waterlox? Will steaming interfere with the stain I've already applied?
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Jim Becker]

You do need to steam before putting on any film finish. And yes, it could affect your stain. Why not do a little test on some scrap first? Sand it. Stain it. Let the stain cure. Dent it. Iron it. See what happens...

[Ron Conlon]

Thanks Jim- I'll give it a try.