Wood Furniture & Antique Furniture Care

Last Updated on Friday, 17 October 2008 06:19 Written by Administrator Monday, 15 September 2008 11:38

Wood Furniture and Antique Furniture Care

This guide provides information on wood care and maintenance for antique and wood furniture. It will cover topics of how to do-it-yourself and recommend products for the person in charge of furniture maintenance. Always remember the beauty found in natural wood products begins with proper care  and maintenance.

Let's start with wood furniture don'ts. (1) Don't expose your furniture to excessive moisture, humidity, or dryness. If you look at a cross section of a piece of wood under a microscope, you will see the wood cell structure is porous like a sponge. When a sponge gets wet it swells, when it dries it shrinks. The same dynamic is happening with your wood, only on a microscopic level. This swelling and shrinking of the wood will eventually lead to a crazing effect in many finishes as well as other possible damage to the piece.  (2) Don't overexpose your wood to UV (ultra violet light). This will dry out your finish and wood as well as fade the color of the wood.  (3) Don't use furniture care products that contain silicone. Silicone will eventually destroy your finish and contaminate the wood underneath.

Probably the first thing to know is in reality most furniture care products actually are designed to polish and care for the wood finish. The wood finish is the coating, clear or otherwise, that is applied to the wood surface. Most polishes, waxes, oils and cleaners are intended to be used on the wood finish, not the bare wood. Occasionally, you will have an item on which the only finish  is a wax finish.  In that case you will want to use a finishing wax to treat the wood surface.

When it comes to general cleaning and dusting, I recommend Mohawk Tone finish Fine Furniture Wax with lemon oil and a soft cotton rag.  Mohawk Tone Finish Fine Furniture Wax polishes, protects and preserves the natural beauty on all fine furniture from antiques to modern. Tone Finish Wax is formulated with rich hard waxes blended with oil of lemon. It is also excellent for paneling and woodwork.  This product is self cleaning so it never builds up.

For more serious cleaning Mohawk makes a very effective Furniture cleaner.

C.S. Osborne Upholstery Tools

Last Updated on Friday, 17 October 2008 06:18 Written by Administrator Monday, 15 September 2008 09:43

C.S. Osborne Upholstery Tools

C. S. Osborne & Co.  sets the standards when it comes to top of the line upholstery tools, leather craft tools, awning and canvas hand tools. C. S. Osborne was established over 175 years ago. The truth is that the technology used in the upholstery craft has changed very little during the life of this company. That is 175 years to refine and perfect their line of upholstery tools and leather craft tools. No other upholstery tool manufacturer comes close to the selection and quality of C. S. Osborne & Co.  C. S. Osborne & Company is uniquely positioned to serve the specialized needs of the upholstery trade.

Since 1826, the C. S. Osborne family has dedicated itself to providing the very finest of industrial hand tools, leather working tools and upholstery tools for automotive, marine, furniture trimmers and upholsterers. Assisted by employees who average over ten years of service to the company, the seventh generation of the C. S. Osborne family still manages the firm and continues the tradition requiring strict adherence to the highest standards of quality and service. This dedication continues to put the best possible industrial  tools in the hands of the professional.

At Brandt and Whitney, Inc. we are proud to be distributors of the full line C. S. Osborne upholstery tools, leather craft and specialty industrial hand tools. You can view many of our best selling C. S. Osborne upholstery tools and leather craft tools right here in our store.

I have been a doing professional furniture upholstering for over 25 years and I know when I retire 20 years from now, I will have some of the same C. S. Osborne upholstery tools and leather craft hand tools that I purchased when I started in the re-upholstery trade all those many years ago. Not all,  but many of C.S. Osborne's tools and equipment will last a lifetime and beyond.

Things to look for when buying C. S. Osborne hand tools would be to inspect the general condition, making sure the tools are free from rust and other imperfections, and be sure to purchase from an authorized C. S. Osborne distributor. As the C. S. Osborne & Co. GUARANTEE states:

"We will replace, free of charge, any tool which may prove unsatisfactory in performance if sent for inspection, transportation prepaid. Tools which are known to have given reasonable service, or have been misused, or damaged will not be considered defective."

Someone who is considering getting into upholstery or just needing some tools for a do-it-yourself project around the house can quickly get confused by the many choices of C. S. Osborne upholstery hand tools in each category. I think I can help guide you to the best furniture repair tool(s), depending on the job.

Number one, the C.S. Osborne tack and staple remover puller. If you don't have one, or you don't feel the staple remover you have works for you, my first recommendation is  the C. S. Osborne #120 1/2 staple lifter. This is by far the best selling upholstery hand tool in our line and every single upholsterer I have worked with in the past 25 years owns one. If you want a second option for an upholstery staple puller, then the C. S. Osborne #124 staple lifter is also a favorite of professionals. There are many other staple and tack puller / lifters from C. S. Osborne. They are all good tools and all have their place on the upholstery work bench.

Next, C. S. Osborne upholstery webbing stretchers.  For webbing stretchers the most versatile is the C. S. Osborne #253 Gooseneck Webbing Stretcher. It is about twice the investment of the smaller, less expensive Osborne #255.  For that extra investment you get a hand stretcher that allows you to work close to the frame with plenty of leverage and it is designed for left or right handed. I also like the webbing canvas pliers C. S. Osborne #250 or C. S. Osborne #251. This is a tool you will find in the tool box of most professional furniture upholsters.  

Next we have C. S. Osborne Upholstery Hammers.  I only have three hammers in my tool box. The Osborne #33 hammer has a solid head of bright bronze at one end for hammering and a steel-tip at the other which is a permanent magnet. The magnetic end is used for the hands free setting of upholstery tacks. Not the upholstery brass tacks, but the upholstery tacks that are used to fasten fabric to the frame as a substitute for staples. It has a very balanced design for accuracy with a hickory hard wood handle. The other hammer I use is the C.S. Osborne #36. This hammer is designed similar to the C. S. Osborne #33 but has a large face that is fitted with a nylon tip. This prevents damage to the finish on decorative nails. The nylon tip portion of this hammer is replaceable. The C.S. Osborne ripping hammer is also a real time saver, but it is not used as a hammer in the sense of installing fasteners. It's used to automate and expedite the process of removing the old layers of fabric, strapping and batting while tearing down. I have seen upholsters over the years use other hammers for different reasons and applications.

How Can I Tell If My Furniture Is Worth Repairing, Refinishing, or Re-upholstering?

Last Updated on Wednesday, 24 February 2010 16:22 Written by Daniel R. Whitney Sunday, 13 April 2008 08:01

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How Can I Tell If My Furniture is Worth Repairing?

For some people that is based on simple economics. "If it costs more to refurbish than to replace with new then my furniture is not worth fixing."  On the surface that may make a lot of sense, especially for those who have inferior quality furnishings or have very limited means.  Is your furniture made of solid wood?  Does it suits your lifestyle, taste and decor?  Does it have some emotional or sentimental attachment?  Is it vintage or antique?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you have an excellent reason for going ahead and having your furniture refurbished.  Even if it does cost more than replacing with new, it is often like comparing apples to oranges.  A very large proportion of new furnishings sold today are of questionable quality.

It is Green to Fix or Repair Your Furniture

Last Updated on Friday, 17 October 2008 06:20 Written by Daniel R. Whitney Monday, 09 August 2004 01:30

It Is Green to Fix of Repair Your Furniture

Enviromentally green furniture repair.

Is it green to refinish, repair or reupholster your furniture?

Yes, not only is it green, but it supports your local economy. There are hardly two more important considerations these days. With the collapse of the American furniture and textile industries, and global climate changes, it is time for American consumers to consider the negative karma that comes from buying products produced in sweat-shops by humans earning slave wages in far away foreign countries.

The amount of waste materials and transportation involved in manufacturing of new furniture makes the decision of going green with your existing home furnishings easy. By fixing, repairing, refinishing and reupholstering, you will be doing more than preserving your heritage. You will be helping to save the planet, and supporting your local economy at the same time.

 

Thank You for Visiting Our New Web Site!

Last Updated on Friday, 17 October 2008 06:16 Written by Daniel R. Whitney Monday, 09 August 2004 01:30

Thank You For Visiting Our New Web Site!

Thank you for visiting our  new upholstery and furniture finishing / refinishing supply web site. If we can be of any assistance to you please feel free to give us a call @  1-866-528-4170. Our hours are from 8:00am to 6:00pm Monday through Thursday, 8:00am to 5:00pm Friday and 10:00am to 4:00pm Saturdays. We are on Mountain Time Zone.

How Can I Know if my Upholstered Furniture is Quality?

Last Updated on Friday, 17 October 2008 06:19 Written by Administrator Wednesday, 07 July 2004 04:54

How Can I Know if my Upholstered Furniture is Quality?

There is no simple answer to that question.  Since you don't have x-ray vision there are a variety of clues you can use to determine if your upholstery is quality built.  Did you buy a quality name brand?  Was it expensive furniture relative to the manufacturer's suggested retail price when it was purchased?  Is it over 20 years old?  Is it vintage or antique?  Has the structure of the frame held up over the decades? I f you answer yes to any of the above questions, there is a very good chance your upholstered furniture was built with quality.