
People who respect craftsmanship love to possess
antique wood crafts. Although there
are many fine examples of wood crafts,
antique
wooden chairs are particularly loved by art connoisseurs. Not only the
art lovers, general people too feel proud to possess one of such antique
chairs. These
wood crafts can be passed on
from generation to generation or can be bought through various means.
Whatever be the matter, as these are very old furniture items, they tend to
loose their strength, beauty and integrity with time. An antique wooden
chair will need refinishing or refurbishing, depending on its condition- if
it has to be given some more life.
Difference between Refinishing and Refurbishing
Before going on to
learn some tips on antique furniture refinishing, one must decide whether
the furniture needs refinishing or refurbishing. When the chair is broken at
some places or have some other physical damage that needs to be repaired, it
must be refurbished. However, if the chair only needs some work to improve
its looks, refinishing needs to be done.
Cure the Cracks of the Chair
Use some wood filler to fill up the
cracks in the wood. Mix wood filler with some acetone to make it a little
thinner. Take a plastic syringe after removing its needle and fill the
mixture in it. Put the mixture into the cracks with the help of prepared
syringe. Overfill them a little. Now sprinkle some talcum powder over the
liquid and pat it into the crack with fingers. After drying, remove the
excess powder and sand the portion of the chair with 200-grit sandpaper.
If
the features of the antique chair are in a quite good condition but have a
grungy appearance, just clean it with some water and a mild cleansing agent.
This is enough to restore the original look of the wood. However, if the
looks are damaged beyond being dirty follow the tips given below.