After reading this newsgroup for a while, I see many opinions about finishes
for antique furniture repair & restoration. What is the consensus as to the
best topcoat for antique furniture after restoration, repair, and staining?
I do not use lacquer and do not have a sprayer. I do work on a small
scale...a few pieces at a time and am not a professional. I have used tung
oil and Waterlox (tung oil) with good results in the past. Are there better
alternatives?

Thanks very much,

Campbell Freeman

Minwax Antique Oil Finish.

--

Rumpty

Radial Arm Saw Forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/woodbutcher/start

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"Campbell Freeman" wrote in message
...
After reading this newsgroup for a while, I see many opinions about
finishes
for antique furniture repair & restoration. What is the consensus as to
the
best topcoat for antique furniture after restoration, repair, and
staining?
I do not use lacquer and do not have a sprayer. I do work on a small
scale...a few pieces at a time and am not a professional. I have used tung
oil and Waterlox (tung oil) with good results in the past. Are there
better
alternatives?

Thanks very much,

Campbell Freeman

Thanks,

I failed to mention to say I have used it too with excellent results. I
especially like the fact that you can rub it down while still wet and dull
the finish. I don't like glossy wood finishes.

Thanks again,

Campbell

"Rumpty" wrote in message
...
Minwax Antique Oil Finish.

--

Rumpty

Radial Arm Saw Forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/woodbutcher/start

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


"Campbell Freeman" wrote in message
...
After reading this newsgroup for a while, I see many opinions about
finishes
for antique furniture repair & restoration. What is the consensus as to
the
best topcoat for antique furniture after restoration, repair, and
staining?
I do not use lacquer and do not have a sprayer. I do work on a small
scale...a few pieces at a time and am not a professional. I have used
tung
oil and Waterlox (tung oil) with good results in the past. Are there
better
alternatives?

Thanks very much,

Campbell Freeman

Traditionally the finish is french polish ,basically denatured alcohol and
shellac . generally speaking with real antique pieces [pre 1830] finishing
with anyhing else will reduce their value. ...mjh

--
http://members.tripod.com/mikehide2



"Campbell Freeman" wrote in message
...
After reading this newsgroup for a while, I see many opinions about
finishes
for antique furniture repair & restoration. What is the consensus as to
the
best topcoat for antique furniture after restoration, repair, and
staining?
I do not use lacquer and do not have a sprayer. I do work on a small
scale...a few pieces at a time and am not a professional. I have used tung
oil and Waterlox (tung oil) with good results in the past. Are there
better
alternatives?

Thanks very much,

Campbell Freeman

If the furniture is an authentic period piece you might want to consider
what finish would have been used on the piece when it was built. Some of
the antique furniture pieces you may be working with, depending on their
age, may have had shellac used on them. Shellac is available today from
most woodworking specality stores and can be applied with a brush, with a
process called French polishing, or it can be sprayed on.


"Campbell Freeman" wrote in message
...
Thanks,

I failed to mention to say I have used it too with excellent results. I
especially like the fact that you can rub it down while still wet and dull
the finish. I don't like glossy wood finishes.

Thanks again,

Campbell

"Rumpty" wrote in message
...
Minwax Antique Oil Finish.

--

Rumpty

Radial Arm Saw Forum: http://forums.delphiforums.com/woodbutcher/start

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


"Campbell Freeman" wrote in message
...
After reading this newsgroup for a while, I see many opinions about
finishes
for antique furniture repair & restoration. What is the consensus as
to
the
best topcoat for antique furniture after restoration, repair, and
staining?
I do not use lacquer and do not have a sprayer. I do work on a small
scale...a few pieces at a time and am not a professional. I have used
tung
oil and Waterlox (tung oil) with good results in the past. Are there
better
alternatives?

Thanks very much,

Campbell Freeman

On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 13:18:00 -0500, "Campbell Freeman"
wrote:

What is the consensus

There isn't.

the best topcoat for antique furniture after restoration, repair, and staining?

Whatever you took off. For most truly antique pieces (and I'm taking
"100 years" as a reasonable cut-off) then the only acceptable finish
is one that's appropriate for the original style, and that's often
just one specific finish.

--
Smert' spamionam

First, just a tip. I'd be careful about the word restoration. This implies
the ability to bring the piece back to life with little or no impact on it's
antique value. This usually entails the work of a very highly trained and
experienced conservator. You would not someone to give you a very expensive
piece expecting you to "restore" it when what you really do is repair and
refinish it. They may take some umbrage at the 90% reduction in antique
value.God only know how they would express that umbrage.

Next, I've got a dozen books on the subject but someone here, a couple of
months ago mentioned "Restoration Recipes" by James Bain and Julia Bierre. I
got my copy at amazon.com My thanks to whoever it was that suggested the
book and I recommend it highly.

Last, there really is no one formula or finish. Each salvage job has to be
assessed and attacked on it's own merits. I do suggest that a very good
method of "fixing" things is lacquer, you can get spray cans of deft at any
home store. Not especially economical for huge finishing jobs but just right
for repair work. And the use of toners.

Hope it helps

--
Mike G.

Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Campbell Freeman" wrote in message
...
After reading this newsgroup for a while, I see many opinions about
finishes
for antique furniture repair & restoration. What is the consensus as to
the
best topcoat for antique furniture after restoration, repair, and
staining?
I do not use lacquer and do not have a sprayer. I do work on a small
scale...a few pieces at a time and am not a professional. I have used tung
oil and Waterlox (tung oil) with good results in the past. Are there
better
alternatives?

Thanks very much,

Campbell Freeman

Thanks for all the advice. I knew I was opening a can of worms.

I realize all the implications of restoration and what it means to value and
all the rest. The pieces I am working on are from my late great aunt's
estate and farmhouse and I am "re-working/re-finishing" them for my
children. Some were in very bad shape...finish and structurally. The
farmhouse was not air conditioned and used wood stoves for heat along with
propane floor heaters which caused damage over time. I am not trying to
become a antique furniture restorer or professional (I don't even have a
workshop)...just to give some family heirlooms to my children for them to
have. I know that if you have a piece; the moment you do anything to it
you have taken from its "value."

These are not museum pieces or even pieces for sale to someone...just 100
year old furniture, oak, cherry, walnut, mahogany, etc., that I am doing
piece by piece over time to pass along through my family. Most of what I
have learned and done I have "figured out" as I go along. I realize a
professional could do a much better job, but I wanted my children to have
them as something I had helped to salvage somewhat and as a gift to them
from my hands.

Thanks again.


"Mike G" wrote in message
...
First, just a tip. I'd be careful about the word restoration. This implies
the ability to bring the piece back to life with little or no impact on
it's
antique value. This usually entails the work of a very highly trained and
experienced conservator. You would not someone to give you a very
expensive
piece expecting you to "restore" it when what you really do is repair and
refinish it. They may take some umbrage at the 90% reduction in antique
value.God only know how they would express that umbrage.

Next, I've got a dozen books on the subject but someone here, a couple of
months ago mentioned "Restoration Recipes" by James Bain and Julia Bierre.
I
got my copy at amazon.com My thanks to whoever it was that suggested the
book and I recommend it highly.

Last, there really is no one formula or finish. Each salvage job has to be
assessed and attacked on it's own merits. I do suggest that a very good
method of "fixing" things is lacquer, you can get spray cans of deft at
any
home store. Not especially economical for huge finishing jobs but just
right
for repair work. And the use of toners.

Hope it helps

--
Mike G.

Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Campbell Freeman" wrote in message
...
After reading this newsgroup for a while, I see many opinions about
finishes
for antique furniture repair & restoration. What is the consensus as to
the
best topcoat for antique furniture after restoration, repair, and
staining?
I do not use lacquer and do not have a sprayer. I do work on a small
scale...a few pieces at a time and am not a professional. I have used
tung
oil and Waterlox (tung oil) with good results in the past. Are there
better
alternatives?

Thanks very much,

Campbell Freeman

Hi Campbell

Sounds like by the time you finish you should be quite a hand at bringing
old furniture back to life.

Considering the circumstance I'd still recommend the book for you. Amazon
has used copies for as little as $4.00. And I would also urge you to
experiment with the Deft spray can lacquer. Lacquer is somewhat higher on
the protection ladder then shellac yet still very workable and, like shellac
has a solvent (lacquer thinner). That means that, unlike a varnish, it can
be removed and or manipulated, after it has been cured, with out the need
for some really nasty strippers. Not that lacquer thinner is all that nice.
It will also impart less of an amber tint then shellac.

Best of luck

--
Mike G.

Heirloom Woods
www.heirloom-woods.net
"Campbell Freeman" wrote in message
...
Thanks for all the advice. I knew I was opening a can of worms.

I realize all the implications of restoration and what it means to value
and
all the rest. The pieces I am working on are from my late great aunt's
estate and farmhouse and I am "re-working/re-finishing" them for my
children. Some were in very bad shape...finish and structurally. The
farmhouse was not air conditioned and used wood stoves for heat along with
propane floor heaters which caused damage over time. I am not trying to
become a antique furniture restorer or professional (I don't even have a
workshop)...just to give some family heirlooms to my children for them to
have. I know that if you have a piece; the moment you do anything to it
you have taken from its "value."

These are not museum pieces or even pieces for sale to someone...just 100
year old furniture, oak, cherry, walnut, mahogany, etc., that I am doing
piece by piece over time to pass along through my family. Most of what I
have learned and done I have "figured out" as I go along. I realize a
professional could do a much better job, but I wanted my children to have
them as something I had helped to salvage somewhat and as a gift to them
from my hands.

Thanks again.