It is becoming very popular these days to restore old wooden furniture to it original condition. Old furniture can usually be picked up at markets or second hand shops fairly cheaply. By restoring old furniture yourself, you can save a lot of money. Professional restorers are expensive and doing it yourself is rewarding and fun.
Make sure that the piece is made of good wood and that you do not have to replace too many parts. If you have to replace parts, have it made by a furniture maker so that you can just assemble it. You can usually tell the quality of a wood by the wood grain. If you intend to restore your piece and then varnish or stain it so that you can still see the grain of the wood, then make sure you like the look of the wood. If the wood is in a poor condition, consider painting it so that you can fill up holes and cracks. By spraying the wood, all blemishes and wood filler is covered.
The first step is to strip back any paint or varnish that is on your piece of furniture. Once the wood is exposed you can make an assessment of the quality and then decide whether to paint or varnish. At this point you should do any repairs that need to be done, such as fixing legs, leveling or making new parts. Glue parts together and secure with wooden dowels.
When the repairs have been done, start sanding down to a fine finish. Start with course sandpaper such as 67 or 80 grit and follow up with finer paper such as 220 and 360 grit.
Depending on the look you desire there are a few different things you can do for the finish of your piece. When you want a natural wood look, use a suitable stain (consult your hardware dealer to find a stain for the particular type of wood) to stain the whole piece. Use a soft piece of cloth and gently rub the stain in the direction of the wood grain. The cloth gives a very smooth finish and I prefer that to working with a brush. This will give it a uniform colour and now you can finish the piece by giving it a wooden wax or varnish. I prefer a deep penetrating wax to varnish. The wax gives a more natural look whereas varnish creates a more shiny finish. For an alternative to wood stain, shoe polish works well when rubbed into the wood surface, or dyes can be used too.
If you are going to paint the piece, first apply a wood primer and sand lightly before you put on two or three coats of paint. Water based paint works well on wood and you can seal it with a water based sealer if necessary.
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| Restored wash table with marble top |
Make sure that the piece is made of good wood and that you do not have to replace too many parts. If you have to replace parts, have it made by a furniture maker so that you can just assemble it. You can usually tell the quality of a wood by the wood grain. If you intend to restore your piece and then varnish or stain it so that you can still see the grain of the wood, then make sure you like the look of the wood. If the wood is in a poor condition, consider painting it so that you can fill up holes and cracks. By spraying the wood, all blemishes and wood filler is covered.
The first step is to strip back any paint or varnish that is on your piece of furniture. Once the wood is exposed you can make an assessment of the quality and then decide whether to paint or varnish. At this point you should do any repairs that need to be done, such as fixing legs, leveling or making new parts. Glue parts together and secure with wooden dowels.
When the repairs have been done, start sanding down to a fine finish. Start with course sandpaper such as 67 or 80 grit and follow up with finer paper such as 220 and 360 grit.
Depending on the look you desire there are a few different things you can do for the finish of your piece. When you want a natural wood look, use a suitable stain (consult your hardware dealer to find a stain for the particular type of wood) to stain the whole piece. Use a soft piece of cloth and gently rub the stain in the direction of the wood grain. The cloth gives a very smooth finish and I prefer that to working with a brush. This will give it a uniform colour and now you can finish the piece by giving it a wooden wax or varnish. I prefer a deep penetrating wax to varnish. The wax gives a more natural look whereas varnish creates a more shiny finish. For an alternative to wood stain, shoe polish works well when rubbed into the wood surface, or dyes can be used too.
If you are going to paint the piece, first apply a wood primer and sand lightly before you put on two or three coats of paint. Water based paint works well on wood and you can seal it with a water based sealer if necessary.
