Furniture Restoration 101

[byhammerandhand]

Popular Mechanics March 2016 has a nice, though basic, article on furniture restoration.  Might want to look it up at your library or newsstand.

For a more thorough coverage of the subject, I've found this book very helpful
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580114784?keywords=furniture%20restoration%20repair&qid=1454970875&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2    I got the original "unabridged" version and was a bit shocked at the price on the smaller version.

[SteveA]

Some things that come to mind for a good book -   


Furniture Restoration......  repairing an item in the same manner that the original maker used when building it using appropriate glues, materials, woods,
                                       finishes, techniques.

Furniture Repair......  craftsman mending an item so that it's structurally solid / replace missing elements, rebuild substrate, springs
                               webbing,

Furniture Retouching..... Cosmetically spot repair the finish.

Furniture Revitalization ..... Clean, then  wax, french polish, recoat,

Furniture Refinishing....  Sand to raw wood, stain, seal, tone, glaze, finish coats.

Furniture Alteration...... change style, size, legs, etc

Furniture Recovering..... soft goods, padding , new fabric, leather tops, 

SA

[brmax]

I would like to see in your book Keith a section on the human resources view.
Example: How when I was younger I could enter a room and if a relative of older age nodded or shirked their head " as if no" when I looked like I might sit in or on a piece of furniture or even walk the carpet. This meant don't think so buddy or you will wish you hadn't.
And the important part to this is it worked, because btdt.
Good luck, just adding my 2cents
Floyd

[Darren Henry]

Too funny Floyd. When my sister and I were growing up ( at least she did LOL) if we got to eat on TV trays in the living room it meant that " The wonderfull world of Disney" , which aired at 6:00 Sunday night, was a really good movie that Mom and Dad wanted to see too. It also meant that Sheila and I were totally paranoid about spilling something or otherwise making a mess. Half a glass of milk was good---just in case the roast was a little tough. Better to go get the other half out of the fridge later than  to tempt fate and have to get the other half out of the carpet.

Maybe that's why it bothers me to open a piece of furniture and see what runs out now. I stopped to quote on a sofa/loveseat repair on the walk home tonight. When I lifted the cushions of the loveseat I found $1.?? and a double A battery stuck in the dog hair between them. The two sofa cushions I peeked under only had dog hair and a ball point pen. If there is more change there when it comes in for repair, I'm keeping the coins for hand sanitizer. YUCK.

[byhammerandhand]

I changed the mech once in a Queen Anne recliner.   Had to remove a dust cover to get to it.   Every time I opened up a new area a bunch of change, mostly quarters, fell out.   I probably had $8-10 in change by the time I was done.

Another time, I found a cell phone.  I pointed it out to the customer and she had no idea whose it was.  I had to order parts, so I was back a week later to install them.   She said the phone belonged to one of her son's friends.   When they determined whose it was, they contacted him and he said just throw it away because he'd already replaced it.   Two days later, the friend calls back and wonders if they still have it because he's lost his new phone.   If that was my kid, they'd be buying their own phones if they pulled a stunt like that.

[gene]

When a customer makes a comment about the possibility of me finding anything in their furniture, I always say that I return any money over $1.37. I have never had anyone ask me why I picked $1.37.

gene