Restoring Antique Furniture
© 2008 by Kelly Smith all rights reserved
This article is a step by step guide for the DIY homeowner on restoring and refinishing antique
vintage furniture, describing finishes, joinery, and gluing techniques.
A related restoration topic that’s been geting a lot of press lately is
restoring vintage kitchen cabinets.
How to Restore Antique Furniture
In this day and age of mass produced particle board furniture that screams
cheap and short life span,
it’s nice to have a few pieces of hardwood antique furniture in the home, especially it they are
hand me downs and so, have a bit of sentimentality.
First, is your piece an antique? According to the TV show Antiques Roadshow,
“Generally speaking, an object of considerable age valued for its aesthetic or
historical significance. In the antiques trade, the term refers to objects more than 100 years
old.”
If you’re fortunate enough to have a piece or two of vintage furnishings, but they need a bit of a
boost, there are a few considerations. This how-to will outline them for you.
How to Keep Vintage Furniture Antique
The first question to ask yourself is, “Exactly how much restoration am I going for
here?” The reason to tread lightly with antique furniture restoration is that the key to retaining
its monetary value as an antique is minimal invasion.
Chances are that the piece is wobbly and to use it safely it needs to be tightened up. Well,
don’t even think of using any of the powerful wood glues (like Gorrilla Grip) on the
market today; that will automatically disqualify your furniture as antique. More on that later.
A Thorough Furniture Cleaning First
The first step to take in the restorative process is cleaning. It needs it anyway, but it”s
a good thing to know what you've got to work with. Here is what you will need for this step:
- A quality wood cleaner/dewaxer. Always consult the instructions to be sure its
appropriate for your piece.
- Soft cleaning cloths
- Toothbrush
- #0000 steel or bronze wool
- A sharpened 1/4” dowel, if there is carving or crevasses. Hint:
there should be a setting for this on your pencil sharpener.
The Cleaning Procedure
Begin with an all-over light cleaning to remove wax, grime and dust. Use a steel or bronze wool
pad very lightly if you must on stubborn spots, but not so much that you will make it obviously
different in adjacent areas.
Keep in mind that some antiques actually have a painted finish to make the grain more pronounced.
Obviously, you don”t want to use steel wool there. Try the toothbrush.
Your piece might have intricate carving. Begin cleaning the low spots with the toothbrush. Gently
work deeper spots with the sharpened dowel if you need to.
How Does the Finish Look Now?
Survey the furniture when you”re done cleaning. Is it acceptable? Remember that it”s
an antique and should have that look.
In other words, if the finish isn”t too bad, leave it as it is. Some minor defects add
character. Some antique finishes develop a cracked appearance, similar to crazed porcelain,
that”s part of aging. This is not a bad thing.
Antique Furniture Structural Repair
Does your piece have a component, such as a chair leg, that absolutely must be replaced? If you
aren”t a skilled woodworker with shop equipment, think seriously about taking that work to a
nearby furniture or cabinet shop.
If it just has a case of the wobbles you can probably work it apart; it's loose already. The
joint is probably mortise and tenon or tongue in groove in a leg. In a drawer, a
box (finger) or dovetail joint.
Clean the mating surfaces well once the pieces are apart.
Use Hide Glue and Clamp
As mentioned above, you must duplicate the original glue. On true antiques, this will be
“hide glue”; so named because it is made from animal hides. Use this when reassembling the piece.
If you can”t find it locally, it”ll be available online.
Although hide glue tends to be self-clamping once it starts to gel, it”s a good idea to use wood
clamps anyway, just to be safe.
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