Restoring Furniture
Mary Domby
or Hoosier), what kinds of flaws or damage can't be repaired?
Thanks.
Probert72
yourself, and then talk to "restorers" about a significant piece.
jon.d2...@ukonline.co.uk
None...if you put some thought into it!
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Kathleen Ann Trujillo
I agree with Jon's comment. When fixing furniture your imaginations the
limit but I personally try to follow
some basic principles when redoing old & antique furniture.
Remember that changing an antique in any way usually reduces
its value. But I would say if you buy old furniture at bargain
prices or even some antique stores there are often repairs
that have to be made in order to be able to live with the antique piece
in your home or to hand it down to a family memeber or sell it at a
later date.
1. Try to preserve the patina of the wood on your piece.
If this is not possible then just try to be true to
the original style of the piece. (A general rule I
personally go by is when restoring a piece I try to
make it have the look and style of the time it originally came
from. I often use vintage fabrics or fabrics that are
traditional copies of antique fabrics on the furniture I redo
even using old painting techniques helps).
2. If you restore it yourself try to get books that can
help you learn a few things about basic woodworking,
restoration, and reupholstering of antiques. Its also good
to have a few antique reference books that show how your
antique might have looked in its original state.
3. Ir helps to take painting, woodworking, and reupholstering
classes. Considering how costly it is to reupholster
furniture the class you take will more then pay for itself in
just a short amount of time.
4. Use a heat gun to strip paint instead of a sander or really
harsh paint removers.
5. Do not stack up your antique restoration jobs if at all possible,
doing to much at a time can tire you and burn
you out. Try to create a gap of time inbetween one restoration
project to another. (I don't follow this to well
but I'm trying to)
Good luck!
Regards,
Kathleen
Tsu Dho Nimh
>If I am looking for something to restore (most likely an oak sideboard
>or Hoosier), what kinds of flaws or damage can't be repaired?
Major missing chunks of wood, rotted sections, warped cases on
dressers and chests, and burned areas.
For a first project, look for something smalland structurally
sound, with a screwed up finish. Don't buy a painted piece, just
an ugly cracked finish, because paint can hide a LOT of serious
flaws. A small chest would be a good starter piece.
Then move on to things that have loose joints to reglue, small
veneer bubbles to reglue, and small upholstery.
http://Antiquerestorers.com/ is a good site.
Tsu Dho Nimh
April Fool's Day is right around the corner.
Please remember to put fresh batteries in your clue meter.
Kathleen Ann Trujillo
I think a chest was my first project but I didn't alter the exterior
only the interior of the chest because the paper that
covered the interior of the chest was badly stained and smelled like
mildew so I thougt it should be taken out.
Warping is difficult to fix but I have heard of a few tricks like laying
a damp towel on the floor then placing the piece of
wood on top of it and weigh it down.
There are lots of wood fillers on the market to fill holes in antique
furniture.
Regards,
Kathleen
Paul Fishbein
what appeared to be a wood pile reassembled and refinished to become a
beautiful piece. The key word that you used, though, is restoration. I
define restoration as the stabilization and / or repair of an antique piece
to make it serviceable. That does not mean stripping the piece, which would
remove the patina, and putting on a coat of polyurethane, a modern finish.
If you are doing this work for the first time, start small and avoid
anything rickety unless you want to jump into structural repairs right away.
I also suggest avoiding veneered pieces as the techniques require a bit of
practice. As other posts mentioned, avoid things like major gouges, missing
parts, and rot. Small warping on small parts is something that can be
handled by the beginner and the techniques are reversible.
One last thing. If you must reglue, try to use liquid hide glue. This
glue is easily reversed so if you make a mistake or if the piece needs
repair in the future, it can be disassembled without too much difficulty.
Good luck and have fun.
Mary Domby wrote in message <36EAAC70...@micron.net>...
>If I am looking for something to restore (most likely an oak sideboard
>or Hoosier), what kinds of flaws or damage can't be repaired?
>
>Thanks.
>
Kathleen Ann Trujillo
I personally never use stripper but I wondered if using a heat
gun destroys the patina on a piece of furniture? I have always
thought that it didn't that it actually allowed you to get to the
original layer. Is there any tool or product that prevents
destruction of the patina?
My second problem is that where I live its very difficult to get
the professional products that you can find in the USA. I need to send
away to the US for better reupholstering tools soon.
I see professionals here commonly use wood glue to put together pieces
is this harder to take apart in future repairs?
Regards,
Kathleen
jon.d2...@ukonline.co.uk
>Paul,
>
>I personally never use stripper but I wondered if using a heat
>gun destroys the patina on a piece of furniture? I have always
>thought that it didn't that it actually allowed you to get to the
>original layer. Is there any tool or product that prevents
>destruction of the patina?
>
>My second problem is that where I live its very difficult to get
>the professional products that you can find in the USA. I need to
send
>away to the US for better reupholstering tools soon.
>
>I see professionals here commonly use wood glue to put together
pieces
>is this harder to take apart in future repairs?
>
>>>Let's talk finishes here.
The finish on a really old piece of furniture (16/17thC) will be waxed
polished over centuries and gained a true patina through use and
exposure to the elements and should only be dusted and brushed with a
soft brush.
On later furniture, a sealing compound might have been used, and then
wax polish applied. In this case, it is possible to use a wax polish
remover and study the finish on the sealant layer. If there are bare
patches, these can be carefully filled using a cotton swab and grain
sealer(Sanding Sealant). Then the piece can be rewaxed and polished.
On fully french polished items, which should not have been waxed
polished, but were, a layer of muck builds up. Do not use wax remover
on this, as the surface will be dulled. VERY carefully use furniture
restoration cream to remove the grime and then polish the finish with
a soft cloth only.
If a wooden item has been painted or heavily varnished, then it does
not have a 'patina'. However, if you do not want to remove the colour
ofthe base wood and/or its original stain, then use the old method of
using a piece of glass 'edge on' to shave of the varnish or paint. Do
notuse heat as this will burn the surface of the wood below, however
careful you are.
Experiment on crummy pieces and think what finish you are trying to
achieve BEFORE YOU START
Jon
Oh yes, and ONLY use water based stains, not that oil based muck.
Please remove the OYKLSB before replying by email.
Robert Klein
On Sat, 13 Mar 1999 11:20:33 -0700, Mary Domby <mbd...@micron.net>
wrote:
>If I am looking for something to restore (most likely an oak sideboard
>or Hoosier), what kinds of flaws or damage can't be repaired?
>
>Thanks.
>
An experiences furniture conservator or restorer can repair virtually
any problems that need to be delt with.
It sounds like your experience is somewhat limited in this area. If I
am wrong please accept my apologies, if I am correct then let me
suggest that you try a simpler project than you have in mind.
There are several good books on the subject.
1. The Woodfinishing Book' by Michael Dresdner
2. 'Understanding Wood Finishing' by Bob Flexner
3. 'Furniture Care and Conservation' by Robert McGiffin
I consider all three to be important books on the subject but please
read McGiffins book first if you are going to work with antiques.
Proper techniques and confidence can be gained only by doing and
talking to those who have already gone down that path. Get an old
coffee table or end table at a flea market for a few dollars to learn
on. Once you have gained some experience and confidence--go on to a
larger project. Sideboards, hoosiers and such are not really good for
a novice. It is too easy to get frustrated and by getting frustrated
you may miss out on a wonderfully fulfulling endevor.
Kathleen Ann Trujillo
I never touch the pieces with wood or waxed finishes the pieces
that I redo often have 2-3 layers of paint over the original surface.
Thank you for the advice Jon I'll start looking for that cream.
Regards,
Kathleen
Paul Fishbein
surface accumulates over time. Anything that removes this surface destroys
the patina. A heat gun can be used to remove most film finishes including
paint so it will remove the patina as well. The way to avoid this is to
simply clean the piece. I like to use a waterless, gritless hand cleaner
applied with a soft cloth or very gently with 4/0 steel wool if I'm feeling
particularly confidant that I won't remove too much of the patina. These
hand cleaners can be found in hardware stores or in auto repair supply
stores. If you can't find them, a cleaning with a capful or so of mild
dishwashing liquid, e.g.. Ivory, in one gallon of warm water followed by
drying with a clean cloth followed by a cleaning with mineral spirits should
bring you to the same point. Remember to try any of these techniques on an
inconspicuous area first.
Yes, joints with white or yellow wood glue are harder to take apart and
reglue than with hide glue but it can be done. One nice thing about hide
glue is that many times, the old glue does not have to be removed before
fresh glue is applied. The new glue dissolves into the old and can activate
it.
As for upholstery supplies, I send any major work to an upholsterer. I
like working with wood better.
Good Luck.
Kathleen Ann Trujillo wrote in message <36ED2E3A...@stacken.kth.se>...
>Paul,
>
>I personally never use stripper but I wondered if using a heat
>gun destroys the patina on a piece of furniture? I have always
>thought that it didn't that it actually allowed you to get to the
>original layer. Is there any tool or product that prevents
>destruction of the patina?
>
>My second problem is that where I live its very difficult to get
>the professional products that you can find in the USA. I need to send
>away to the US for better reupholstering tools soon.
>
>I see professionals here commonly use wood glue to put together pieces
>is this harder to take apart in future repairs?
>
> Regards,
> Kathleen
>
>Paul Fishbein wrote:
>>
>> Virtually any piece of wooden furniture can be repaired. I have seen
what appeared to be a wood pile reassembled and refinished to become a
beautiful piece. The key word that you used, though, is restoration. I
define restoration as the stabilization and / or repair of an antique piece
to make it serviceable. That does not mean stripping the piece, which would
remove the patina, and putting on a coat of polyurethane, a modern finish.
If you are doing this work for the first time, start small and avoid
anything rickety unless you want to jump into structural repairs right away.
I also suggest avoiding veneered pieces as the techniques require a bit of
practice. As other posts mentioned, avoid things like major gouges, missing
>parts, and rot. Small warping on small parts is something that can be
>handled by the beginner and the techniques are reversible. One last
>thing. If you must reglue, try to use liquid hide glue. This glue is
>easily reversed so if you make a mistake or if the piece needs repair in
>the future, it can be disassembled without too much difficulty.
>>
>> Good luck and have fun.
>>
>> Mary Domby wrote in message <36EAAC70...@micron.net>...
explo...@my-dejanews.com
Could you please tell me why you say never use that oil stain muck?In article
<7cjc03$6d0$1...@apple.news.easynet.net>,
jon.d2...@ukonline.co.uk wrote:
>
> >Paul,
> >
> >I personally never use stripper but I wondered if using a heat
> >gun destroys the patina on a piece of furniture? I have always
> >thought that it didn't that it actually allowed you to get to the
> >original layer. Is there any tool or product that prevents
> >destruction of the patina?
> >
> >My second problem is that where I live its very difficult to get
> >the professional products that you can find in the USA. I need to
> send
> >away to the US for better reupholstering tools soon.
> >
> >I see professionals here commonly use wood glue to put together
> pieces
> >is this harder to take apart in future repairs?
> >
>
-----------== Posted via Deja News, The Discussion Network ==----------
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jon.d2...@ukonline.co.uk
>Jon
>
>Could you please tell me why you say never use that oil stain muck?
Yes, sure. I used water based (powder form) dyes because you can
literally 'paint' the base effect with them...some areas lighter, some
areasdarker, unlike the awful flat appearance that an oil stain gives.
Another benefit is that water stains penetrate less than oil stains
and canbe easily removed by rubbing or light sanding.
Finally they are completely odour free which makes them pleasant to
work with.
Jon
Please remove the HFLTAG before replying by email.
Paul Fishbein
than oil based which penetrate further than alcohol based. Oil based
"stain" can be taken to mean that the colorant is a dye, pigment, or a
mixture of the two. Minwax stains are typically a mixture of dyes and
pigments. I agree that pigmented stains do not penetrate into the wood. I
also agree with the added safety benefits of having water as the solvent /
thinner for water based dyes. Pigments are supposed to reside in the fine
scratches and grain of a sanded piece of wood. My experience is that many
dyes can be significantly lightened before they are dry simply by wiping
down with the appropriate solvent and in many cases, the dried dye can be
lightened or completely removed by washing with hypochlorite bleach. If one
is desperate, wood bleach can be used to bleach everything in site.
Good Luck.
jon.d2...@ukonline.co.uk wrote in message
<7ct4p3$b4v$1...@apple.news.easynet.net>...
jon.d2...@ukonline.co.uk
> Sorry to disagree but water based dyes penetrate into the wood
further
>than oil based which penetrate further than alcohol based.
>>>>Never.....you can wipe a water based stain off bare wood within a
few minutes without a trace of colour; try doing that with an oil
basedone !!!
Also try a test patch of water and oil stain and then sand down until
bare wood is shown...the water based hardly penetrate. As wood
containsnatural oils, the osmosis effect is much faster with oil based
colour than with water based ones.
One of the best restorers in the UK taught me wood finishing on an
intensive 6 week course...and the first lesson was to throw out all
oil and alcohol based stains for water based stains and inks.
Jon
Please remove the UDMUTB before replying by email.
Paul Fishbein
pigment free dyes. It is an unfortunate problem that when people refer to
"stains" they do not specify the colorant.
It is interesting to note that the poster of the original thread was
interested in restoring furniture, not necessarily refinishing / recoloring
it.
Good Luck.
jon.d2...@ukonline.co.uk wrote in message
<7ctu74$bjg$1...@apple.news.easynet.net>...
Tsu Dho Nimh
>Yes, sure. I used water based (powder form) dyes because you can
>literally 'paint' the base effect with them...some areas lighter, some
>areasdarker, unlike the awful flat appearance that an oil stain gives.
You can get the same effect with oil-based by wiping off stain
from some areas before you wipe others to leave them lighter. Or
you can apply a second coat, or a slightly darker stain on the
areas you want darker.
The water-based stains I have tried were a disaster, because
they dried too fast (desert climate) and blotched all over the
place. Alcohol stains and aniline dyes likewise - they are
tricky to apply evenly except in a dunk tank.
In a damp and drippy climate, they might work, but the slow
drying timeofthe oil-based stains is an advantage here.
Paul Fishbein
of the gel based ones like Clearwater Color. The gel gives you a good
chance to work it before it dries and since it is gel based, blotching is
minimized if not eliminated. It works well on pine which is known for
blotching.
Good Luck.
Tsu Dho Nimh wrote in message <36f39ad0...@news.primenet.com>...