How to conserve and restore furniture with professional results, with expert step-by-step techniques and 1200 photographs.

“[The] step-by-step instructions are clear and practically foolproof . . . an essential guide to DIY restoration and antiquing.” ?Publishers Weekly (starred review) Whether you dream of restoring an heirloom to its former beauty, or just want to modernize a flea market treasure, Amy Howard has the design and refinishing secrets you need. Here are all the furniture finishing recipes, techniques, and tips that have made Howard’s beloved classes sold-out success stories, and made Howard herself the go-to guru of refinishing and “use what you have” redecorating. Try your hand at unique painted and faux finishes, and experiment with gold leaf, distressing, and marvelous graining effects. Along the way, you will learn a treasure trove of techniques, as Howard shares before-and-after makeovers from her studio and offers impeccable step-by-step instruction in all that is needed to achieve each look.

This comprehensive book answers every question on the subject of restoring furniture. How to fix a wobbly chair or a scratched table top; how to identify and repair finishes and veneers; how to stain wood or remove white ring marks; how to French polish or apply a wax finish.

Whether you have beloved family heirloom that needs fixing up or want to renovate bargain furniture, this Ultimate Guide to Furniture Repair & Refinishing can help you get the job done right! With more than 500 color step-by-step instructions, photographs, and detailed drawings, this authoritative DIY guide will show you everything you need to know, from simple repairs to full restorations! Learn what tools and materials you need, how to remove or preserve original finishes, refurbish warped wood, and so much more. This book has been updated and redesigned from its previous edition so you can make the most out of damaged or antique furniture and achieve professional results!

Furniture Restoration.

If you're one of the many people who like to buy and restore antique furniture, then this is the book for you! Brimming with tips and advice from a skilled craftsman and teacher, this profusely illustrated woodworking guide will enable you to determine the age of an antique, assess its quality, and learn how to restore and preserve it effectively and profitably. Focusing on American furniture made between 1750 and 1850, the author explains how to repair construction joints, replace lost hardware, strengthen fractured parts, cover damaged areas, and much more. In addition, readers will find clear, step-by-step instructions for restoring an early rocker and chest of drawers, repairing a table leg, constructing a drawer using a dovetail joint, replacing the swing rail on a gateleg table, forming a molding, and more. Numerous examples, with over 250 illustrations and photographs, include such restored pieces of furniture as a Shaker tilt-top table, c. 1810; a cherry chest of drawers, c. 1800–20; an American Empire secretary, c. 1825; a primitive chest, c. 1840; and a country cupboard, c. 1850. Hobbyists, collectors, dealers, and woodworkers will find this excellent guide contains not only the clear, practical directions they need, but also indispensable advice on avoiding mistakes commonly made in the restoration process.

First published in 1954 as The Repair and Restoration of Antique Furniture, this work has been revised, expanded and reillustrated by V.J. Taylor, and is aimed at woodworkers, owners of traditionally crafted furniture, and antiques enthusiasts. It explains to the layman the professionals' techniques for repairing damaged furniture and restoring it authentically to prime condition. It describes systematically the six basic steps - dismantling, cleaning joints, restoring components, gluing up, levelling and sandpapering, and colouring and polishing. Included are not only the solutions to typical problems, but also some of the methods which the author devised to overcome more unusual difficulties.