Antique pieces of furniture are often items of historical significance that may be an adored collectible or carry sentimental value for the owner. Restoring antique chairs is an effective way for saving money and can be easily conducted by someone who is patient and motivated. However, before and while restoring an antique chair, there are a number of factors and features you need to have idea about to avoid any long-lasting mistake. Here are a few simple tips that can be useful when performing restoration work on an antique chair:
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Before starting the work of restoration, examine the chair carefully to locate important markings such as hallmark and determine how rare it is.
Once you are done examining the important signs, disassemble the chair and while doing so, exercise extreme caution so as not to cause any accidental damage to the fragile antique piece.
After the process of disassembly, remove the screws or nails and clean old adhesive off of main parts. Most importantly, collect and replace pieces that are damaged or rusted.
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Wash off the old paint as well as varnish with warm soap water solution. Take care so as not to soak the wooden surfaces unnecessarily.
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Eliminate any remaining varnish or paint using semi-paste stripper. Under no circumstances should the paint be scraped. For more detailed parts, clean the residual paint with liquid stripper.
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Leave the parts for a night to dry before proceeding further with the restoration work.
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On the next day, brush off the glaze remaining from the stripping solution.
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Now the wood is ready to be stained. All colouring should be applied lightly and must be allowed to stand for some minutes. After that, rub over the stained surfaces gently using a piece of soft cloth. Do not apply deep coats of colours for they will hamper the final appearance of the item.
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Allow the wooden pieces to dry properly for another night and then, clean the surface one more time with the soft cloth for eliminating dust particles and grime.
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Apply the first varnish coating with a rag free of lint. Avoid putting excessive coats on the edges and corners.
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Let the varnish dry completely and clean again prior to application of second coating. Once the varnishing work is done, scrub gently with steel wool.
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Reassemble the pieces with screw or nails and apply glue wherever required.
Restoration work on an antique chair should be done with extreme care. However, if you feel like you cannot devote the required amount of time, you can always contact reputed and professional antique furniture restoration services in Sydney for doing your job.
