Quick tips on wooden furniture restoration
One of the most gratifying things that you can do is transforming an old piece of furniture that has seen better days into something worth showing off. Furniture restoration done the right way can produce some incredible results. Here is a great read on how to restore furniture.
You will require the following:
- Sandpaper
- Sanding block
- Wood Glue
- Rags
- Brushes
- Set Square
- Protective goggles
- Dust mask
- Latex / vinyl glove
- Chosen finish / wood coat
Assess the damage
In order to understand the magnitude of the task at hand, you need to assess the damage that has been inflicted on the relevant piece of furniture. Is the surface level? Is the existing finish rubbed off? Are there any warped pieces? These are some of the things that you need to look at.
Sanding
Put on your old clothes, dust mask and protective goggles (safety first) and get started with the sanding. You probably could substitute the sanding block with a power sander but it may exert a bit too much force on to the wooden surface. The amount of sanding that you apply will obviously depend on the severity of the damage that has been inflicted on the furniture piece.
If you don’t use a sanding block, you should at least make use of an off-cut of wood to ensure that you sand evenly. You should sand until all varnish or its original finish has been removed. Your piece should have uniformity in term of how it looks, post-sanding. If the legs or other pieces are removable, you should remove them as it will make sanding a lot easier.
Tighten Those Joints
Loose joints can be a little pesky but they can be easily repaired if you make use of some efficient wood glue. Squeeze it as deep as you can into the questionable joints. After you applied the glue, clamp the joint. You can check the levelness using a set square.
More Sanding
This may sound a little tedious but the second round of sanding is important to ensure levelness. It is possible that the pieces that you glued together could have prompted some unevenness, even if minutely. It will also reduce splintering.
Apply Your Finish
Before you apply your chosen finish, wipe the furniture piece with a cloth to get rid of dust and any foreign particles. Apply your finish with a brush. There are several finishes that you can chooses from, it comes down to preference. Star Wood Coat makes provision for an excellent finish with a waxed feel and look. It is a single pack acid-catalysed wood finish which dries to a very hard scratch resistant finish.