Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/Dining Room Chairs

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Expert: - 12/23/2009


Question
Greg,
My wife bought 6 old  50 year + dining room chairs. Several had loose joints and weak center routered backs. One by one they get loose enough to take apart and re glue. 2 questions.
 1.) I have routed the center of the backs that were weak and de-laminating and I am at the refinishing stage. I am satisfied with the stain match but on a 50 year c hair, what was the final finish wood working co.s used: lacquer,varnish or shellac and How can I tell the difference so I can do my best to match?
 2.)  What do you recommend I rub on the entire chair to make the old finish, small scratches and chips less noticeable to make a better Xmas present. Old English comes to mind but is the something more permanent.  THX

Answer
Hi Andy, these were most likely lacquered, and many times they "toned" as well, which is the process of using colored lacquers...lacquers dried quickly between coats and allowed finishing to be done in one day....the main reason that factories adopted it...it also is durable and repairs fairly well, and can be applied by spray finishing...restorers use alcohol dye stains to touch up and/or renew damage,(nicks, scratches, worn areas), and then apply another thin clear coat over the piece, or spot touch up with shellac and an artists brush and paste wax with a colored wax. You can buy touch up lacquers, (tinted and clear) many places,Woodworker.com, vandykes.com, Woodcraft.com (or their stores).A medium Brown Walnut, or what's called "Transparent" Walnut for a Walnut colored finish, or a Brown or Red Mahogany for Mahoganies, Cherry or Brown Cherry for a Cherry colored, etc........typically the best restoration comes from repairing and coloring all the damage, toning if necessary, and then spraying a thin clear over the piece...it will look like new, but it does take a little knowledge and experience to know what colors to use, etc....Hope that helps a little though- post back if need be- regards- Greg.

Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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