Our business is to maintain and enhance the value of your
antique items. The vast majority of furniture items we refinish are not
rare, and they will not be seriously affected in value (even though some
are quite old) if they are refinished properly. In most cases their sale
value will in fact be increased by the refinishing. Often the question
of preserving the original condition is a moot point because the item has
been previously refinished or painted when it comes to us.
As it relates to age and value, the word "antique"
can be very misleading, and is not the only criteria in determining a proper
restoration approach.. What is rare and has collectible value is the really
important question that must be determined. When an original finish is
removed from a rare item it is true that its value is diminished.
While it is likely that rare items will be old, I can think
of at least one example of a rare item that is only about 40 years old.
A piece can be over a hundred years old and yet be a common item of modest
value (a fine example of workmanship it may be). Rare items with original
finishes on them do call for careful consideration of methods other than
general refinishing strategies in order not to diminish the monetary value.
Sometimes, the best method is to do nothing to a rare item. Paste wax is
a reasonably safe treatment for these items, as it can be easily taken
off without damaging the original finish.
Yes, when we believe there is no risk of doing damage to
the item. We also use flow over equipment and sometimes brush on stripper
"by hand" . The risk of damage to an item is always present using
any method of stripping. The experience of the operator is the most important
factor in assuring that damage to your furniture does not result from the
stripping process.
Our tank is a heated soak tank. The solution used in the tank
is the same solution we use in flow over stripping, which contains only
about 1% lye. The solution is heated to a temperature of around 60 degrees
Fahrenheit. Although it is heated, this tank is also referred to as a cold
tank. This term is meant to contrast with the term Hot-tank where an even
hotter solution of lye and water is used. We do not use a hot lye chemical
in our tank! Hot-tanks were one of the first systems devised to strip
furniture commercially. While hot lye is a very effective and inexpensive
remover, it is much too caustic. Hot lye stripping can cause all sorts
of problems and has been considered obsolete for general furniture stripping
for many years. Hot tank stripping may be useful only for heavily painted
exterior wood, however I would not personally recommend it ever for stripping
any wood. When I started in business 20 years ago it was common knowledge
that the hot-tank method was too harsh. I've never used one, yet to this
day the question comes up at least once a week if we use one and somebody
heard that somebody said we use one.....
We use our cold tank for very select situations where we are
sure it is safe. We do not simply let the furniture stay in the tank until
all the paint falls off. The tank is an advantage for quick wetting-down
of the item with solvent, and for brief soaking periods on painted items.
It is still necessary to scrub the item with the flow over method and other
various tools to speed loosening of the paint. We usually don't put large
items in the tank as we are concerned they may absorb to much liquid which
could cause damage. Minimizing wet-time is a primary concern always, no
matter what you are stripping. The flow over system is our primary method
we rely on. There are occasions where minimizing wet-time is very critical
and we will use a brush on remover. This is referred to as "stripping
by hand" method, however you should understand that tank and flow
over method require a great deal of effort and skill "by hand"
too. I don't like this phrase as a description of stripping method. "By
hand" vs what? By machine?.. Hardly!.. Come watch sometime. Unfortunately
it is a phrase used frequently by refinishers themselves in describing
their stripping method.. so there it remains in the popular terminology....
It may, however in most cases there is some looseness present to begin with in the joints. This is why we want to inspect every item for needed repair at the time we quote you a price. After a close inspection we can advise you if we think the item needs regluing. We guarantee our stripping process will not loosen anything that we have performed regluing on. Regluing is performed prior to stripping in most cases. If your item does not show any looseness at the inspection, then chances are it will probably not loosen up after stripping. We do not guarantee an item will not loosen up unless we have performed the regluing, which will be noted clearly on your order if it is to be done. We are happy to provide the regluing services if the need arises later at our normal rates. This situation rarely comes up. Most chairs and rockers we strip are also quoted to reglue first, so we can guarantee they will not loosen up. Like many other potential problems in refinishing, we minimize the chances of a disappointment later by closely inspecting your item and providing you a written quotation. If we see a chance of a problem occurring we'll discuss it with you at that time.
Absolutely. We strip and refinish veneered furniture as much or more than we do solid wood furniture. Older veneered furniture is almost always good to better construction and well worth considering to restore. The stripping process does not remove the veneer. Only the finish is removed, no different than is the case with solid wood. Of course if veneer is loose or missing, those areas will need to be repaired before stripping. We deal with these kinds of repairs daily at our shop. In reality Many of the very finest pieces we've worked on have been veneered.
Well that is 3 questions , but these very often go together just as
I have stated them. Again, the answer is not simple.
We use a very high grade furniture lacquer that we pay a premium
for, which is very durable and nearly unaffected by normal exposure to
water. It is unaffected by most household cleaning products. All lacquers
are not equal. There are lacquers which have poor durability, and there
are ones like we use that have excellent durability. I believe it is superior
in appearance to a polyurethane varnish, and offers practically similar performance to a poly varnish where
durability and washability are important,
such as on a kitchen dining table that is used daily. Also, for a variety
of technical reasons having to do with compatibility of stains and coloring
material we use, we must use a lacquer product on the majority of our work.
Though I like Polyurethane Varnish very much as a durable hand or brush
applied finish, we do not offer this finish for many reasons most of which
have to do with it limitations of compatibility with the coloring systems
we may use, and it is not an easily repaired finish as our lacquer finish
is. If you were to do some minor damage to your table after we finish it
in the lacquer we use, it could be fixed with little trouble. If it were
a Polyurethane Varnish finish, It would be much harder to remedy.
There are new commercial finishes on the market which promise
increased hardness and durability over conventional lacquers. Their biggest
advantage is they are also resistant to common solvents such as nail polish
remover. This is also their biggest disadvantage in that they cannot be
chemically removed easily as most other finishes can be. While they are
very durable, eventually the normal wear and tear that happens will dull
the appearance of this finish and you may find yourself needing to have
it refinished. These finishes are referred to often as non-reversible finishes,
and I do not believe they are appropriate for furniture. I do not want
to have to face you in 10 to 15 years and tell you that I cannot remove
the finish that I put on your furniture those years ago. Additionally, these
finishes carry an increased risk of toxicity to apply, and I am not willing
to place myself or anyone who works for me at increased risk in using them.
Our lacquer finish is very durable and does not need special
care. It can be cleaned with a damp cloth, and some mild dish soap may
even be used if necessary. It will not water mark from leaving a glass
on it for an extended time. It resists scratches, but is not scratchproof.
No finish is scratchproof. Glass is not scratchproof, and no finish is
harder than glass.
Our finish will have a beautiful satiny appearance, which will
last indefinitely if reasonable measures of protection from abrasion are
followed. As always, we are available to you should any problems arise
on the furniture we refinish for you, or for any questions you have regarding
care and maintenance.