Tag Archives: furniture damage

Clean a finish before you decide to strip it off

Posted on August 10, 2013 by millcrek

Here we have the top of a small folding game table from the early to mid 20th century, as you can see it is fairly rough. Most people seeing it would immediately say it needs to be stripped and refinished. … Continue reading →

Posted in Finishing | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Dresser

Posted on July 10, 2013 by millcrek

The Erie canal was completed on October 26, 1825, it’s completion opened the areas west of the Appalachian Mountains to settlement and trade. Shortly after, Milwaukee began as a Great Lakes port and further opened the Midwest to a second migration … Continue reading →

Posted in Case Furniture, Repairs | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Upholstery Repair ( damaged tack edge )

Posted on November 28, 2012 by millcrek

A recurring problem in the repair of upholstered furniture is the degradation of the edges where the upholstery is tacked to the piece. Many upholsterers are not wood workers, so when removing old upholstery you never know what you will … Continue reading →

Posted in Repairs, seating | Tagged , , , | 9 Comments

Straightening a Warp [ Compression Set ]

Posted on August 16, 2012 by millcrek

One of the most common questions I receive is “can you remove the warp from this_____” fill in the blank with something like table leaves, drawer bottom, or table top. The answer is always the same. ” That depends”.  Anything … Continue reading →

Posted in wood movement | Tagged , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Barley Twist Chair

Posted on March 13, 2012 by millcrek

This is an oak chair with barley twist turnings that came in to be re-glued. While disassembling I found that one of the rear legs was cracked just below the seat mortise in the first twist. It wasn’t broken all … Continue reading →

Posted in Repairs | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Quick edge repair [ epoxy putty ]

Posted on February 10, 2012 by millcrek

For this type of repair I would normally trim the damaged area, fashion and glue in a wooden plug with hide glue, then inpaint and finish the damaged area. When time or budget constraints are a limiting factor this is … Continue reading →

Posted in Repairs | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Deep Scratch Repair

Posted on November 21, 2011 by millcrek

This is the side of a walnut display case that is pretty beat up. There are a number of deep scratches that go through the finish and into the wood. The case belongs to a small poor historic society so … Continue reading →

Posted in Repairs | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Permanent Glue Joint

Posted on September 25, 2011 by millcrek

One constantly reads on the web something like ” with the development of modern adhesives do you still need to do this or do that when making things from wood”. This kind of statement is based on the idea that … Continue reading →

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Federal Style Table [ broken apron ]

Posted on June 24, 2011 by millcrek

The Federal period in the US was from 1780 to 1820, “It Combined the neoclassic furniture style characteristics of Hepplewhite and Sheraton. It is characterized by graceful straight lines, light construction, tapered legs, and the use of inlay, and contrasting … Continue reading →

Posted in Repairs | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Eastlake Side Chair [ broken seat rail ]

Posted on June 13, 2011 by millcrek

This is a circa 1880 walnut side chair with a cane seat, it has been refinished at some time in the past. The front seat rail has a break that runs through the leg mortise. The rest of the chair … Continue reading →

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