"Do's and Don'ts of Furniture Repair"

"Do's and Don'ts of New Design furniture"

• Do save all the little broken pieces and bring them with

  you, even if I only use them for a pattern, I can

  usually epoxy them together (space age adhesives are

  wonderful).
• Don't try to nail or screw a joint or dowel, all you will

  do is break or weaken it, making it more difficult to take

  apart without tearing or breaking other portion of the

  piece.
• Don't use hot glue on a joint, it doesn't hold and

  makes it almost impossible to clean up.
• Don't use yellow glue either, it doesn't adhere or hold

  to old glue and just messes up the tenon or dowels

  even more, making it harder to clean.
• Do call me before throwing out a favorite piece, I have

  saved many a piece for years of use to come.
• Do use wax to help clean your furniture, dirt and

  moisture are #1 enemy not wax.
• Don't strip a piece, sand away the finish, and then

  expect it to look like an antique.  I usually won't work

  on a piece that has been stripped by someone else.  I

  work with a lot of rubbing oils, waxes, shellacs to

  maintain that look.
• Do bring me your chairs or furniture when you first feel

  them starting to wiggle.  If you wait you'll probably

  wiggle right into a broken leg or cross piece.
• Don't expect a piece to be as strong as new, but for

  the most part I can repair so that it as at least as

  strong, maybe even more so.

• Don't spend a lot of time trying to draw up something,

  that's what I'm for. 
• Do spend some time really thinking about what you

  want this piece to do for you and how it will compliment

  your home or work.
• Don't be limited in what you want the piece to do just

  by what you have seen or know of, I ask you to go

  outside the box if need be and let us discuss it.  That's

  part of the design process.
• Do know the measurements of and what you want to

  put in a drawer or on a shelf.  We need to figure what

  and how things will  fit into after you take in account

  material thickness, drawer glides, etc.
• Do be aware that material cost are the smallest

  fraction of a project; so if you change from oak to

  Walnut, for instance, it would probably only add approx.

  10% to the total cost of the project.
• Don't get hung up on hardware selection, allow me to

  make the selection or recommendation.  I may even

  want to build the hardware if it is the right compliment.
• Do remember that wood is just that, no finish will

  protect it from excessive moisture.   If you need water

  proof we may want to use plastics, marble, manmade

  marble, or something similar to protect sensitive areas.
• Do remember furniture is to be used and you can't

  protect it forever.  We just need to design and use it so

  it is allowed to wear and grow old gracefully..