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How to Fix Antique Furniture

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How to Refinish Wood on an Antique

It's easy to look at a wooden antique and dismiss it as an old chunk of junk that looks bad because it hasn't been used for over fifty years. But if you're a real do it yourself-er who enjoys restoring old items to near-modern quality, you might look at that "chunk of junk" as an opportunity for a total restoration. At the very least, you can look at that antique as a challenge: it's up to you to put new life into that antique. Even if you aren't able to restore the entire antique, refinishing the wood can help the antique to look much like it did when it was new. Here are some tips to learn how to refinishing wood in an antique.

First, consider the antique's value. If it's a valuable item, you won't want to do much to it at all - the more you keep it in its original condition, the more value you'll be able to keep in it. This doesn't mean that you can refurbish the wood, however, and help restore it to its original finish and gloss. But, in general, the more valuable an antique, the less you'll want to do to it. If you believe that you might have a truly valuable antique on your hands, then a good way to approach your restoration would simply be to consult someone first.

Once you've decided that you're going to refinish the wood, you'll have to take on some common problems, like wood cracks. Wood fillers are available for filling up wood cracks, as they might also include instructions for the first-time wood restorer. You'll probably want to fill a crack with a healthy amount of filler - so much that you actually have a little bit of overflow. This overflow can be wiped away or patted down so that the filler can be stronger and more solid.

Water stains are also a frequent problem with old wood. Depending on the severity of the stain, this is a problem that can have a variety of difficulties. For simpler stains, simply spraying furniture polish and leaving it overnight can help remove the stain and help the wood look new again in the morning.

For more set-in stains, you'll have to look up more intense solvents and see which will work best with your wood - these can include alcohol and lacquer thinners. Again, be sure that you know what wood you're restoring before you try these solvents, as they can actually do damage to the finish.

Photo Credits: firepile

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