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The first offerings from Drexel Furniture were simple: a bed, washstand and bureau all crafted from native oakwood, sold as a bedroom suite for $14.50. In 1903, in the small town of Drexel in the foothills of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, six partners came together to found a company that would become one of the country’s leading furniture producers. Again, you can wipe down a piece all day with the cleanest cloth.While vintage Drexel Furniture dining tables, dressers and other pieces remain highly desirable for enthusiasts of mid-century modern design, the manufacturer's story actually begins decades before its celebrated postwar-era Declaration line took shape. I personally love the color of natural walnut after a clear finish is applied, so rarely will I apply a stain.Īfter wiping the piece down with mineral spirits, I wiped the entire piece down with tack cloth to remove dirt and dust. After you wash the piece with mineral spirits, the wood will eventually dry back to a natural color, but while it is wet you will be able to tell what color it will be after a clear finish is applied and whether you will want to apply a darker or different color stain. Most woods will be a completely different color stripped than it will after a clear finish has been applied. The mineral spirit wash will also give you an idea of what color the wood will be when you apply a clear finish. Then I hit is with a very fine sandpaper just to knock down the grain a bit. This is an important step when refinishing furniture whether you are applying a clear finish or painting. Again, embrace it!Īfter making sure I removed ALL the old finish, I "washed" the entire piece with mineral spirits. Once the original finish is removed, you are likely to find that the wood grain no longer has a "uniform" appearance. It is a constant reminder of one of the many reasons I shouldn't start smoking again!įortunately I was able to get almost all the "imperfections" off the coffee table.Īlso, most finishes were originally applied in a way to make the wood grain appear "uniform." A multi-layer technique may have been used or the finish and stain were sprayed on.
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Try as I might, I could not get this old cigarette burn to go away.and that's okay. And that is okay! Old and antique pieces are going to have imperfections! Embrace them! My office desk I featured here is a prime example. You may not be able to remove every stain or imperfection. I can not stress enough how important it is to CAREFULLY sand old furniture! Veneers can be very thin and it is easy to get carried away! Always start with a fine grain paper (220 grit) and work your way to a heavier grit ONLY if you need it. I did take some sand paper to this piece only because there were several "water stains" that just couldn't be chemically removed. Occasionally I may have to use something a little stronger and on very rare occasions I will actually sand the piece. I find that it really does a great job of "melting" the old finish off while hydrating the wood. I almost always use Formby's furniture refinisher to strip old varnish. The chemicals are just too strong and stripping and sanding does make a bit of a mess so I made sure I got all stripping and sanding done before it got too cold to work outside! (I really need a heated shop!) And of course there is all the wear and tear.scratches, water damage, worn finish! But you CAN NOT strip old paint or varnish inside. Keep in mind the finish on these pieces are 50+ years old so the old varnish has "yellowed" over time.
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I just didn't have the time or space to mess with it! The first thing I had to do was strip it. It is the absolute LOVE I have for this furniture. A relatively "rare" piece with a good value!Īs I have said before, it is not the "profit value" that motivates me.