Schedule the right amount of time
Yes, you could always fix that custom furniture dining room set that your grandfather built, but you must make realistic choices about your time. Even if you have found what seems to be the “perfect” piece, it’s important to use time management skills to carve out a chunk of your schedule. Minor paint touch ups can take minutes but full on carving restoration can lean upwards towards a week to finish.
Put Priority into Safety
Starting a custom furniture restoration project can be tricky if you don’t know how to use the tools your given. Over 50% of household accidents come from the misuse of a chainsaw or the accidental thump of a heavy hammer. Read the previous guide on workspace safety to get a more in-depth look at all the procedures you must follow in order to avoid emergency room trips.
Clean Your Custom Furniture
Don’t even consider pulling out your sandpaper and paint bucket before you thoroughly wipe down your household objects. It’s likely that your old armchair has been collecting years of dust in the basement and will never hold a full quote of polish without the particles interfering. Buy a tough sponge from your local hardware store and also keep a detailed toothbrush handy to get the tough in-between spots. Only use cleaning products that are appropriate for treated wood and never use any liquid that is not vegetable based.
Repair the Broken Bits
Next you need to take care of any parts that are broken. It’s possible that you may get lucky and find an identical chair leg to replace the one that is already missing but highly unlikely. Custom furniture design generally evolves every 10 years so the chance of you finding similar pieces in stores is rare. Go to your local online marketplace and look nationally on sites that auction off broken pieces. You’ll need to get a good set of hammers, nails, and screwdrivers to put all the pieces back where they belong but ultimately you’ll end up satisfied.
Start A Tool Box
Each project is going to be unique so there’s no way this guide can explain how to fix a chair while at the same time covering the replacement of floorboards. There is an ultimate tool kit that you can use for it all though. Make sure to have glue, putty, soap, a measurement tape, gloves, and a solid bristle paintbrush. With all of these items you’ll be ready for any project you set your mind to!