Times-Advocate, 1985-03-20, Page 43Page 8 T -A Home Improvement, March 20, 1985
Restoring furniture offers many rewards
® The craftsmanship of fine, old furniture
and the rich glow of aged wood are things
that can't be reproduced today. But this
doesn't have to be a problem for people
who want to fill their homes with beautiful
furniture.
Homer Formby, nationally known ex-
pert on wood care and refinishing. says
that, with just a little patience and effort,
older furniture can be restored to its origi-
nal beauty.
"More and more people today are re-
discovenng the pleasure that comes from
working with your hands," Formby says.
"Refinishing wood gives you that feel-
ing of accomplishment — and, as a bonus.
a piece of furniture that you'll use for years
to come.
"When friends compliment you on your
'new' dining room table, you can tell
them. '1 did that myself.' Now that's a
proud feeling."
One of the most common problem with
an old piece is a darkened, ugly finish.
"This is called ambering, and it's caused
by years of exposure to light," Formby
says.
"Don't let that discourage you — it's the
finish, not the wood, that's discolored.
Modern technology has made it quicker
and easier to remove that old finish"
Formby points out that, often, old furni-
ture may be covered by a build up of pollu-
tion, and a thorough cleaning may be all
that's required to restore the appearance.
To determine if a cleaning will suffice,
Formby iecommends rubbing the dirtiest
spot on the piece with furniture cleaner
(not polish) on a cotton cloth.
Try several applications, letting furni-
ture cleaner dry between applications. If
you can clean this dirty spot to your satis-
faction, and the wood grain turns out
clear, don't bother refinishing the piece.
However, if the finish is badly marred or
"ailigatored" from, use, you probably
need to refinish.
In the past, refinishing furniture in-
volved stripping and sanding. However,
according to Formby, stripping old furni-
ture takes away the wood's patina (the
beautiful glow brought out with age) and
may loosen joints.
"Modern furniture refinishers have
taken most of the work out of refinishing,
as well as doing away with the mess in-
volved with stripping." he says.
HOMER FORMBY
Formby points out that furniture refin-
ishers remove varnish, lacquer and shel-
lac. A piece covered with paint or a
synthetic resin calls for a paint remover.
To tell which product to use, moisten a
cotton ball with nail polish remover, and
touch an inconspicuous area of the finish
that is still glossy.
lithe cotton ball sticks, the finish is var-
nish, lacquer or shellac, and a refinisher is
needed. If the cotton ball does not stick,
use paint remover.
To use paint remover, apply it with a
brush in six-inch strokes. (Note: brush in
one direction only, to maximize effective-
ness.)
Wait until the bubbling action stops,
then lift off the old paint with a wide putty
knife. Don't scrape or gouge, and repeat
as needed.
Furniture refinisher can be applied with
0000 steel wool. Work on small areas
(about the size of a dinner plate), overlap-
ping the areas until you're through.
Then, to remove swirls and streaks, rub
fresh refinisher with steel wool from one
end of the piece to the other, going with the
wood grain.
Wipe the piece immediately with a
clean cotton cloth and let it dry at least 30
minutes. Then buff the surface well — not
hard — with dry steel wool.
"An old paintbrush trimmed to a stubby
length will help work the refinisher out of
carved and flitted trim," Formby says.
Once you've exposed the -wood, you
may want to stain it to change the color.
Whether or not you stain the wood, your
final step should be to rtgply a finish to
protect the wood.
Formby says, "Be certain the finish you
choose contains tung oil. It's the oldest and
best preservative in the world "
'ENLARGE YOUR ROOMS'
WITH COLOR
Wishing for a larger room but can't af-
ford the luxury of added space? Painted on
color can work big wonders in small
spaces by giving rooms a larger appear-
ance.
Because light colors reflect more light
than dark colors, they enhance the feeling
of spaciousness by making the walls and
ceiling appear to recede.
GET AVAILABLE
INSULATION FACTS
Adding insulation to walls. ceilings and
floors is bound to save money on the cost
of heating and cooling your horn.
But, says the Mineral Insulation Manu-
facturers Association, savings vary. Find
out why in the seller's fact sheet on R -val-
ues, which show that higher R -values
mean greater insulating power.
Insulation fact sheets can be obtained
from building material dealers as well as
from insulation contractors.
j Save Plenty at our Big Spring
aint and Walkoverin
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