Furniture
Finishing
Old wooden
furniture, even if it is not of antique status, is often better than lots
of newer pieces. First the old stuff is made of real wood, not compressed
wood chips, splinters or sawdust. Even if the new furniture uses real wood,
it is often from a less desirable specie. Plus the fact that many old things
can be picked up at bargain prices at flea markets and garage sales. And,
if you have to chance to select from Grandma?s attic, the price is really
right! FREE!
To many folks,
the way to reclaim old wood furniture is to strip and refinish or paint.
There may be several reasons not to take that route. First of all,many of
the older pieces have developed a look that experts refer to as 'patina'.
This is that rich, old look that wood gets after years of aging of both
the wood and the finish. Stripping or even sanding can do away with the
patina. Painting will completely cover up this good quality.
Let's say you
found a cute chair at a garage sale. All the parts seem sound but the finish
is all gunky looking. You figure that this piece couldn't possible have
any redeeming quality, much less patina. Stripping would get rid of the
gunk but maybe, there's a good sound finish underneath the layer of filth.
You can find out for about a dollar and in about five minutes.
The secret
ingredient is paint thinner! Just regular mineral spirits paint thinner
you can find in any paint store. Put a little on a rag and start wiping
the furniture. You see, most of the reason for the glop on the surface is
old wax and polish that has collected all sorts of air-borne dirt. Paint
thinner dissolves wax, grease, oil from hands and lots of other stuff.
CAUTION: Paint
thinner is flammable and should be used with plenty of ventilation.
Hopefully,
when you get the piece clean, you'll have a great looking chair that was
repaired with almost no effort. And, it was probably a fun project. Even
if the chair is not all that great, you probably would have had to clean
it before you could refinish it anyway.
Your next step,
is to make up a story about the history of the old chair. Like maybe it
was owned by George Washington or was brought over on the Mayflower by your
great, great Aunt Penelope. |