Antique Furniture: Know Your Wood
The following text discusses various types of wood used in many antique pieces of furniture. Distinguishing one wood from another can take time, but is utterly necessary when it comes to purchasing and, especially, restoring antique furniture. ... [... more]
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Buyer Beware When Shopping for Antique Furniture
It's easy to get scammed by an antique entrepreneur when you don't know what to look for. Antique shoppers need to develop a healthy sense of skepticism before acquiring any piece of antique furniture. It's easy to mistake a good fake for the ... [... more]
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Relax in an Adirondack Chair
Step-by-step instructions for building your own comfy Adirondack chair. Garden furniture has been popular since the early 1900s, and one of the most admired pieces is the Adirondack chair. Durable and valuable over time, an Adirondack chair can ... [... more]
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The Big Chair: Status and Luxury While We Sit - Part 1
David Dannenbaum looks at the history of the easy chair in the first article of his four-part series. It's my view that people living at the beginning of the 21st century have certain beliefs about chairs. First, we believe we are comfortable ... [... more]
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The Big Chair: Status and Luxury While We Sit - Part 2
David Dannenbaum looks at the easy chair in the 2nd part of his 4 part series. We discussed the upholsterer's art in part 1. Designers created furniture that surrounded the sitter with softness and tranquility. In the 19th century, rounded ... [... more]
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The Big Chair: Status and Luxury While We Sit - Part 3
David Dannenbaum looks at the easy chair in the third part of his four-part series. With the beginning of the Industrial Age came the ability to mass produce everything from chocolates to clothing, and furniture was certainly no exception to ... [... more]
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Answering Furniture Painting and Finishes Questions
Answers to members' questions about selecting furniture finishes and painting furniture. In order to paint the crib, strip the old finish off for best results. Otherwise, wash it with TSP or scrub with mineral spirits and scuff sand it with a ... [... more]
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Clear Finishes
This wood finish section provides useful information on how to apply clear finishes to your furniture. There are as many different ways to classify furniture finishes as there are people to make up the classifications. For furniture, let's break ... [... more]
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Guide to Antique Furniture Finishes
Antique Wood Furniture, because of its value, should be approached carefully by any do-it-yourselfer. It is allways more desireable with the original finish. Avoid extremes of humidity and temperature, which accelerate cracking and checking of ... [... more]
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Guide to Lacquer Furniture Finishes
Lacquer is hard and glossy, but is also brittle so it may be dented or chipped. Avoid hard blows. Avoid use of water unless the furniture label recommends it. The newer synthetic lacquers are more durable; however, older lacquered pieces and many ... [... more]
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Guide to Oil Finishes on Furniture
The oil finish can have many names, from countries (i.e., French, Danish, Dutch) to brands. Basically cleaning oiled wood requires you blend 1 pint boiled linseed oil, 1 pint gum turpentine, and 6 oz. distilled white vinegar. Gum turpentine is ... [... more]
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Answering Furniture Repair Questions
Vacuum the heck out of it. Foam "shampoo" is a good way to go for cleaning. I have a separate upholstery brush but you can get the upholstery shampoo with one built in, usually found in an automotive section. Foam it up and brush it in, wait, .. [... more]
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