You are here:
Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects,Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings,wood species recognition,usage,etc.
Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Sold, built, serviced, setup Home,Industrial and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools, and offered instruction on use and care as well.I even have some Trade show Demo experience.
none at this time.
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how"), local newspapers as well
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars by Major tool manufacturers, Delta, Powermatic, Performax, Porter Cable, Skil/Bosch to name a few.
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT.(the Antiques capital of CT.)
Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.), local Museums and Historical Societies.
I love restoring items so that they will continue on in families, History, and in tradition to outlive me. I also love replacing a missing part with such care and accuracy, that you can't tell I did anything, or restoring a real eyesore to reveal a beautiful object underneath that will live on and continue to serve humanity as the maker intended.
I learn everyday and continue to hone my skills. I have recently been developing my carving skills, and I have working on starting a Blog shortly, something I have been dying to do! - Stay tuned! I plan to join the local Woodturning guild in the near future, and I'm interested in learning to construct and play Native American Flutes.
Things are not made with the same soul, care, thought to construction, beauty and longevity anymore,and that's a huge shame. What will be tomorrows Antiques? The answer, sadly, is yesterdays Antiques,and fine furniture and items from todays relatively small group of Artisans and Craftspeople, if they are cared for and appreciated PROPERLY by todays craftsmen.( and women!)
While the Furniture industry continues to adapt metal, plastic, vinyl, sawdust, particleboard and other byproducts into the furniture stream, Landfills are already full of this crap, while real furniture survives generations. Something is being lost by the consumer,The appreciation for fine craftsmanship, the warmth, look, feel,of a finely crafted, piece of furniture.
| User | Date | K | C | P | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wendy | 02/11/12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | I am sorry I didn't respond sooner ..... |
| Sal | 02/07/12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Thank you very much for your attentive ..... |
| Victor | 01/27/12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | once again thank you |
| Victor | 01/26/12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | |
| mark | 12/06/11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Thank you for getting back so quickly ..... |
Hi John, I dislike Minwax stains, especially if you're trying to get a dark, rich color on something like Alder. You'd be MUCH farther ahead using a dye stain or a Gel stain, or a combination of the two
Hi Wendy, the slab needs to be dried carefully to about 10% moisture content, and that's difficult to do, because it has to be done slowly in a fairly controlled environment if air dried, or in a kiln
Hi Bev, I thought I had enclosed a link to WaterLox "Original" which is what I recommended. I would NOT use a true varnish on this type of architectural detail. WaterLox is a modified Tung oil finish that
Antique generally means 100+ years old...I don't think it's that old...vintage is a pretty "catch all" phrase....the style looks like late 1940's-1960 ish which qualifies it as vintage....but without close
Hi Victor, the lines are just the veneer pattern...there's really no name for that type of table top....I have no idea about the hangers mounted on the ends...it looks like something was designed to extend

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.