If your antique furniture has seen a lot of use and abuse, you can restore it to its former glory. More often than not, you'll simply need to strip and restain the furniture; in some cases, however, you may need to rebuild certain pieces of the furniture. The project can be messy and time-consuming, but when you're finished, you'll have a piece of furniture worth displaying.
Materials:
rubber gloves
old paintbrush or disposable brush
stripping liquid or gel
tri-sodium phosphate (TSP)
150-grit sandpaper
tack cloth
putty knife with rounded corners (to minimize damage to the wood)
stripping pad
hammer
finish nails
pneumatic nailer
screwdriver
table saw
wood that matches the furniture being restored
wood stain
soft lint-free rags or sponges
stain blending pencil
safety glasses
respirator if stripping indoors
shirt with long sleeves
rubber gloves
Steps:
- Clean the furniture with tri-sodium phosphate (TSP) to remove as much grease as possible. Then sand the furniture with 150-grit sandpaper so that the stripping material will adhere well. Use a tack cloth or damp cloth to remove sanding dust.
- Use a paintbrush to apply the stripping agent to the furniture. Apply the stripper in one direction as thickly as possible.
- Leave the stripper on the furniture for the recommended time. Use a putty knife or nylon stripping pad to remove a test strip from the furniture. If the paint or varnish doesn't come off easily, apply another coat of stripper and leave it on the furniture for the recommended time.
- Remove as much stripper residue as possible with a putty knife or stripping pad. To remove residue from detailed areas, try using a large old paintbrush with the bristles cut short (figure A). Work with a dry brush first so that the bristles will be stiff. Then dampen the bristles to remove any remaining residue. For spindles, try using cotton rope (figure B) to remove residue from narrow grooves.
- After you've removed as much dry stripper residue as possible, use a damp rag to remove the remaining residue. For latex/water-based strippers, dampen the rag in water. For solvent-based strippers, dampen the rag in mineral spirits. Allow the furniture to dry before you apply new stain.
- Your furniture might need some repairs. If so, keep in mind that the less you do to repair the piece, the more value it will retain as an antique.
- Before you cut off any rotted wood, be sure you can match the pattern. In some cases you'll be able to use the other side of the furniture as a template for cutting replacement pieces (figure C).
- Assemble the replacement pieces using glue and a pneumatic nailer. If you don't have a pneumatic nailer, you can use a hammer and nail set; just be careful that you don't damage the wood.
- Use a hammer to give new wood the "distressed" look of antique furniture. Make a few dents and dings here and there along the edge and the face of the wood. Another way of distressing the wood is by banging or rolling a rock on it.
- Stain the new wood to match the unstained look of the furniture as closely as possible. That way, when you stain the entire piece, the replacement piece will match more closely. If you want to layer the stains, start with a dark stain, add a lighter stain such as a light coat of antique white, apply another coat of dark stain and then blend the piece with a blending pencil.
- Mix stain into your wood filler putty before you use it to cover nail holes. Some putty won't accept stain after it dries.
- After you apply the wood filler, attach the replacement pieces to the furniture. Then sand the furniture to remove excess putty and smooth out any frayed areas or damage from the stripping process. Be sure to sand with the grain of the wood and apply equal pressure to your forward and backward strokes. Use a tack cloth or damp rag to remove any sanding dust from the furniture.
- When the furniture is dry, you can move it to a well-lit area and apply a new coat of stain. Wipe the stain on with a lint-free rag (figure D), and wipe it off with a clean rag.
- If you have to replace drawer or door hardware, try to use knobs and hinges that are the same style and age as the furniture.
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