Restoration of wooden furniture with your own hands

Before talking about the methods of restoring wooden furniture, I want to clarify that this procedure is suitable only for quality products. In other words, if a master has put his soul into the process of making a thing, then saving such a thing is a matter of honor. To breathe a second life into a flimsy Chinese table made of particleboard will be just a waste of your time and energy. The magic of restoration is able to turn a crippled thing into an elegant piece of art that will please several generations of its owners.

"Cosmetic" defects

In Italy, there is an ineffective custom - for the New Year fromwindows of houses on the street fly old things: tables, chairs, vases, cabinets and even appliances. This tradition is rooted in the Middle Ages, when people believed that starting a new life should be from a completely clean slate, getting rid of all the junk in the house. Modern Italians are more economical and rational, so today you can not be afraid that someone will fall on you in the New Year's stool. On the territory of the post-Soviet space, the situation is much more serious - people who are accustomed to years of living in deficit, simply can not get rid of their own old furniture. Resourceful craftsmen cleverly repair rickety cabinets, polish scratched tables, and things regularly serve their masters for many more years.

Restoration of old wooden furniture is not just a correction of defects, but a true transformation and return to the object of the former gloss and luxury. Naturally, this applies only to solid furniture from fine wood or beautiful carvings, works by talented masters of the past or simply things made on conscience.

Scratches and scuffs

With small "injuries" in the form of scuffs and slight scratches on the furniture can be coped in two accounts. If the piece of the interior was not used as an exhibit, but was used for its intended purpose, then such defects are quite natural - the corners of the dresser, the scratches on the countertop, etc.

In this case, special retouching markers and pencils are used for restoration, which simply paint over the defects. You can buy them in specialized construction shops or order on the Internet.

Types of retouching markers and pencils:

• retouching marker - a tool that eliminates small defects on surfaces of wood, synthetics and laminate. Toner consists of an opaque quick-drying enamel of various shades. It has good moisture resistance, is not afraid of detergents, and does not require additional varnish coating. Retouching markers are used in situations where it is necessary to hide the texture of the wood. Available in various color variations, which can be mixed together by applying color, achieving the most appropriate shade;
  
• retouching pencil on an alcohol base - designed for toning wooden surfaces. Leaves a visible texture, emphasizing its dignity and noble color. Toner is made on the basis of alcohol stain and does not contain toxic solvents that can severely damage the wood. Since the stain does not differ in resistance to external influences, it is recommended to cover the tinted furniture with a protective layer of varnish. The most suitable option in this case is varnish spray;
• retouching texture pencil - allows you to skillfully draw the texture of the tree to the smallest detail. An unusually thin rod can gently paint over any scratches and accurately reproduce the texture of the wood even in the most inaccessible places. Toner based on alcohol stain will be an effective antiseptic for "wounded" furniture. After drying the pencil, it is recommended to coat the treated area with varnish-spray or to wax it.

Deep scratches and chips

Furniture wax effectively helps to cope with deep scratches and small chips. There are many varieties of wax, ranging from soft transparent means, ending with solid color samples. To apply the wax on the surface, it is necessary to preheat it. Then smoothly rub the product into a scratch or chip.

If you use a transparent wax for the restoration of furniture from wood, then the damaged area should be painted with enamel or toning varnish. If your house has valuable antique furniture or just wooden things that you value, it will be superfluous to stock up a jar of clear wax. It is not so expensive, but working with it quickly and pleasantly. In addition, it is always better to eliminate the defect immediately than to wait for them to accumulate a whole "bouquet" to spend more than one day on restoration.

If on the furniture there are deep chips or dents, then ordinary wax is not enough - you have to buy shpatlevku on wood. You can buy it in almost any construction shop, choosing a cost and color option. Apply the putty very neatly in a few thin layers. Apply each subsequent layer only after the previous one has dried completely. When the chip or dent is leveled, and the defect is eliminated, treat this place with fine sandpaper, wipe with a rag and cover with a layer of varnish.

Spots

Very often on the old polished furniture are found ugly spots. This is especially true for kitchen furniture or coffee tables - traces of accidentally spilled coffee or wine, a stain from oil, etc. Most often it is difficult to find out the origin of the stain, especially if you bought rare furniture from the junkeeper. In this case, gasoline will help you.

No, we will not burn the stained furniture, but try to clean it. Gasoline is an excellent solvent for spots of unknown origin.

Cleaning steps:

1. Dampen a rag with a gasoline and wipe the stain.
2. If after drying it still remains, repeat the operation and wipe the stain at regular intervals until it disappears.
3. Wipe the polished surface to a shine with a cloth rag.
4. Restore the broken polishing by wiping the furniture with a mixture of flaxseed oil and denatured alcohol.

Spots from hot objects( kettles, irons, pans, etc.) will help to cope with ordinary alcohol or vodka.

Cleaning steps:

1. Wet a sponge or a cloth in the alcohol and wipe the damaged area. If necessary, repeat the procedure several times, waiting for the alcohol to dry.
2. Repair the polishing surface with a mixture of flaxseed oil and denatured alcohol.
3. For severe "burns", it is necessary to make a mixture of drying oil and alcohol. Wipe the damaged area with the resulting composition until the stain disappears. Then wipe the place with clean alcohol and polish with a cloth cloth.

Full restoration of furniture from wood

If the varnish and putty is not enough to restore the former beauty, it is necessary to start a complete restoration of the wooden furniture with your own hands. In this case, the effect will be simply astounding, and an ordinary-looking wreck will become a real pride of its owner.

Removing the old paint coating

To get rid of the previous coating, whether it is varnish or paint, you need to purchase a special wash. As a rule, for the repair and restoration of furniture from oak, cedar and other valuable species use emulsion washings. They are characterized by low toxicity and are not capable of damaging the tree. In addition, the risk of ignition of such compounds is close to zero, which is especially important if you work in your apartment.

Advice on flushing:

1. Rinse the old coating at a time, just apply the composition to the surface with a flute brush and wait for the desired time( indicated on the package).Typically, to remove polyester lacquer coating it is necessary to wait for one and a half to two hours, and in the case of nitrocellulose or alcohol varnish, you can start cleaning after 20-30 minutes after applying the wash.
2. Before coating the polyester coating, it is recommended to scratch it so that the composition penetrates deeper quickly and evenly. Use a normal nail or an awl to scribe a mesh with cells with a side of 15-20 mm.
3. The washout rate is from 300 to 500 grams per square meter of surface. After applying, cover the furniture with paraffined paper.
4. After the specified time, remove the remains of the old paintwork with a normal spatula and rinse the surface with a solvent.

It remains to dry the furniture for one and a half to two hours, and then sand it with sandpaper No. 5 or No. 6.When you dust the dust with a damp cloth, you can start disinfecting.

Disinfection

Restoration of furniture involves not only the renovation of the coating, but also the competent handling of the structure. So, if a thing has been gathering dust in the attic or balcony for a long time, if you bought it in a "flea market" in wet weather, in general, if the item has been in a place with temperature and humidity changes for a long time, it needs to arrange a sparing adaptation period. If you immediately begin to fry and varnish such furniture, then after a while it can dry up( cracks will appear), and all your efforts will go to nothing. To prevent this from happening, the thing needs to be kept at room temperature for a day or two. Imagine that you are suddenly in a tropical country with an unusual climate. You will need time to adapt to new conditions of life. Similarly, furniture should be "come to life".

"Acclimatization" is the first stage of disinfection. When the furniture is dried, you can take it to strengthen and fight with fungi. The fact that there are fungi, you can not doubt. If a thing has been in the above-mentioned places for a long time with an unstable climate and dubious sanitation, then there will certainly be pests inside it. Get rid of them will help special antifungal drugs.

Household disinfection agents:

• pentachlorophenol;
• stain;
• sodium pentachlorophenolate;
• "Drevotoks"( from the bug-grinder);
• sodium fluoride;
• antifungal preparation "Pentabos".

There are many other drugs that you can buy in specialized construction stores.

In order to conduct high-quality disinfection, it is necessary to completely disassemble the furniture.

Disinfection stages:

1. First, "secondary" parts are removed that do not affect the structure of the frame, then - accessories, decorative details( cornices, pilasters, etc.).
2. Fasteners( nails, screws, screws) are removed, the glue residues are removed. To easily remove the glue, you can pour it with a small amount of ethyl alcohol and wait a couple of minutes. Then you can easily separate the connection and clean the glue.
3. Proven means for disinfection - stain. It kills harmful fungi and gives a pleasant "warm" hue to the tree. Today you can find a stain for any "taste".If you work with a rare valuable timber or are engaged in the restoration of oak furniture, you can buy a stain on a water basis - it is the least toxic. For other cases, alcohol stain is suitable.
4. If the furniture has rusted metal parts, treat them with a special cleaning solution. In this case, you can use the purchased compounds or experiment( if the situation permits, and means do not allow) with Coca-Cola or Pepsi. As you know, these drinks perfectly cope with the lime coating and rust, just put the damaged thing in the soda for a few minutes, and then clean it with Goya paste or a metal brush.
   
5. Dry the disinfected wooden elements in the open air, but in no case under direct sunlight. Drying takes from 2 to 4 days.

Finishing

For painting furniture, mainly use acrylic or alkyd enamel. Some prefer sprays, because they allow you to apply a thin thin layer of paint and even go to hard-to-reach places. For high-quality painting, you need to make two or three "sets", applying each subsequent layer after the previous one dries completely.

If it is necessary to glue together the structural elements, use a two-component epoxy adhesive. Lubricate both surfaces, wait a couple of minutes and press firmly against each other. Leave the thing for a day until the composition is completely solidified.

Finally, we recommend you to familiarize yourself with an interesting video about the restoration of the old chair:

Restoration of furniture is a unique opportunity to express your actions to the master who made this thing, thanks for his wonderful creation. This is magic, available to many, and now you!