How To Refinish A Table - Part 1

I am often hired to do comission work, by interior designers who need something special done, or by an individual who wants their fine antique restored.  The calls I get are always varied in nature and I pretty much take on everything that gets thrown my direction.  I find that after 35 years of projects that if I have never done it, that I can probably figure it out.  So, I get this call the other day from a really nice woman who needed her dining room table refinished.  I went out to her home to give the estimate and she showed me this great big formal oak dining room table with beautiful parquet veneer. 

At one end of the table near the center there was a large deterioration of the finish.  I asked what it was from and she told me her grandaughter had accidentally spilled nail polish on it.  In an effort to clean it up, it just got worse and worse.  It was an expensive table that matched her other furniture in the dining room.  Replacing it was not really an option.  So, she hired me to do the repair.

The repair I decided that this one needed was to completely strip the table top only and refinish it.  I am going to post a series of articles showing how I go about doing a formal, heirloom quailty finish using a hand rubbed polyurethane technique.  This post is part 1 of the series.  When I am done it will exceed the original quailty when the table was new.  It will be more durable, have more lustre, and there will be virtually no trace of the damage from the nail polish.  The next post in the series will be about stripping the old finish.  Extremely few woodworkers do a hand rubbed finish anymore and even fewer attempt to do it with oil-based polyurethane, so stay tuned.  This should be a great project.  -Rory-

The Artistry of Tamara Warren - Horses On Canvas

If any of you happened to read my blog my posts about the International Collectibles and Antiques Show in Charlotte, North Carolina this month you probably noticed in my booths that I have a large number of antique picture frames that I restore and sell.  This is how I met a budding artist by the name of Tamara Warren.  Tamara came to me looking for antique picture frames to put her paintings in.  She bought a couple of real nice ones that date back to the 1880s or so.  I cannot wait to see her paintings in my frames!

Tamara had little experience painting until recently, and she appears to have uncovered a hidden talent.  The painting above is called "Beating The Storm" and it is a work inprogress that is almost finished.  The second painting is called "Yellow Baby".  Both paintings are oils on canvas.  Tamara Warren does not yet have a blog, but I encouraged her to get one, so she can show off some more her work.  Meanwhile, I thought I might post a couple pictures for her so that some of my followers could enjoy them too.  -Rory-

How To Create A Vintage Jewelery Cabinet - Part 1

Lee Ann and I found this wreck at an antique mall last month.  It is the remains of an old cedar lined wardrobe that dates back to the 1920s.  We were not sure what to do with this piece at first.  We discussed making a bar out of it. We also thought it might be ok to house a flat screen tv.  Those ideas are fine but we wanted to do something a little more fun and flashy.  So here is what we decided to do.  We are going to turn this 5 ft tall wardrobe into a giant vintage

jewelery box!  It will feature doors that are padded and upholstered on the inside, because we want to be able to pinn a collection of vintage broaches to the inside of the doors.  I will be installing shelves so that Lee Ann can store a few of her mink throw pillows inside. We also will be upholstering the bottom drawer with white satin and adding french lavender to the padding so that she has a place for maybe some antique lace.  The idea is to upcycle this old wardrobe into a showcase for vintage jewelery and frills, that will turn some heads.  And I am going to do a series of posts showing you exactly how we accomplish it. 

Now for the bad news.  It's a total wipeout.  Let me see if I can descibe just how bad it is.  First of all, the veneer has become separated from just about everywhere.  It kinda reminds me of a cartoon when I was a kid.  I keep hearing in my head the cartoon sound effects as the veneer is flying off this thing.  Boing! There goes another piece!

Here is a pic of the drawer with a screwdriver stuck under the lifting veneer.  About 75% of this cabinet is that way.  In the background you can see part of the trim and molding that once crowned this wardrobe.  Apparantly,  this old guy has seen some weather.  It was probably left out in the rain for a while, in order for it to have had so much damage.  Even the back of it is peeling.

But there is good news.  It's fixable.  It has all the original hardware.  The cedar lining is intact.  And, it is a really cute cabinet. 

 Over the next few weeks I will occasionally post an update of how this project is going with some tips and advice on how you can create your own vintage jewelery cabinet. This is going to be a really fun project.  Looks like I better go check on my supply of glue.

-Rory-

Why do you visit a particular blog?

I was having a discussion with Lee Ann this morning about why people are attracted to certain blogs.  Her feeling is that blog surfing is relaxing and is a form of escape.  She loves the beautiful photographs, the music at times, and the indulgent feelings she gets when visiting her favorites.  I on the other hand, I have a completely different take on why I follow blogs.  To me it is more of a learning experieince.  I tend to visit a blog more often if it gives me a "how to" once in a while.  I am also attracted to blogs that get the creative side of my brain working.  I love to see new ways to turn nothing into something.  Before and after photos probably impress me the most. 

Today, I posted a survey on the sidebar asking you to tell me what attracts you the most to a specific blog.  Please click on an answer and let me know what you think.  Or, if you have time I would love for you post a comment about what you think makes a blog attractive.  And remember the drawing.  If you post a comment you will be automatically entered in the March drawing for the oven key.

-Rory-

Back From The March ICA Show

Well here we are, back from the International Collectibles and Antiques Show in Charlotte, North Carolina.  The weather was great, and we had a good crowd.  By the reaction we had to our booth, we felt it was a big hit.  We are already making plans for the next ICA Show in Charlotte.  It will be held over Easter weekend and is often referred to as "The Extavaganza" or "The Classic".  The Classic draws huge crowds and literally thousands of vendors.  I will post more about this show in the future, but be sure to make plans to attend if at all possible.

I wanted to sahre with you a pic of the wonderful booth that was directly across from us.  It featured reclaimed and vintage mirrors, furniture, and lamps, that had been nicely faux finished in old world styles.  Kevin also features live plants in his booth, which I think is a terrific touch.  Having such a nice booth across from us this trip was a real plus.  It didn't hurt either that Kevin is such a nice guy.  He does not yet have a blog, but he does Charlotte on a regular basis, as well as the Scott's Show in Atlanta.  Say hello if you see him

Here is an item that caught my attention at the show.  It was in the outdoor are of the Antique Village.  It was a couple of feet tall and was apparently carved from an old tree stump. 

I also liked this old railroad luggage cart.  The chippy pink color was amazing and it didn't take long for this one to sell.  These old carts are pretty hot items right now.  People often use them for coffee tables and as accent pieces.  You see them pretty frequently in some of the interior design blogs.  What made this one so special was the incredible color and texture.

All in all, it was a pretty fun show.  We even had some bloggers stop by and say hello from Grover Woodworks.  http://groverwoodworks.blogspot.com/   Grover and his family are super nice, and his little boy Josh is about as cute and polite a little guy as a kid can get.  Grover showed me one of his hand-turned pens he made on his lathe.  Really impressive work.  Be sure to visit his blog.

Saturday at The March ICA Show!

Beautiful weather here at the show.  We expect a huge crowd today.  Here are a few photos of our booth.  As you can tell, we have quite a few antique picture frames and mirrors.  It is sort of our specialty.  I take these old frames and repair them, then I faux finish them in a variety of colors.  Right now seafoam greens seem to be pretty hot sellers.
Here is a pic of a beautiful little vanity that Lee Ann and I tackled together.  It dates to about 1915 and has the original hardware.  We did a faux finish of distressed powder blue and white, with a soft white glaze.  We wanted this piece to be "over-the-top",  so Lee Ann upholstered the drawers with white satin. Inside the drawer padding she added dried french lavender.  Then she covered the seat in gray natural rabbit fur, from an old fur coat we recycled.  We displayed this vanity with some vintage jewlery and a tiara or two so that passer-bys could try on some of it and see themselves in the vanity mirror.  Watching people try on the tiara is pretty fun stuff.  We often ask them to do their best princess wave when they have the tiara on!  Check back later for more pictures.

-Rory-

March International Collectibles and Antiques Show - We Made It!

Today is the first day of the Charlotte show and I am posting directly from our booth.  I have not had time to make the rounds yet to visit the other dealers, but I wanted to post a picture of some of the things that we brought this trip.  Shown here is a table we faux finished in shades of turquoise.  The response to it has been terrific!  Everyone that sees it has a different take on what kind of decor style that it fits into.  Some people have called this look "Swedish".  Others have called it "Country French".  And yet others have called it "Beach".  What ever you call it,  it has been a real showstopper today.  We did this finish by doing a base coat of silver over english oak.  We followed the silver with coats of blue and green.  Then we applied streaks of shellac to add more depth of color.  After we achieved the colors we wanted, the entire table was coated with polyurethane to add some lustre and terrific durability.  On top of the table are candlesticks that I hand turned from scratch on a lathe and faux finished.  The bolster pillows on the chair were made from a vintage fox fur coat that we saved from being tossed out.  Inside the pillow stuffing is dried french lavender.  More from the show tomorrrow!

Loading The Truck For The International Collectibles and Antiques Show!

Today is a busy day for us.  Lee Ann and I are making preparations for our booths at the ICA show in Charlotte, North Carolina this weekend.  Tomorrow is a travel and set-up day and we are always wiped out by the time we are done, so I may not be posting tomorrow.  But, I will be trying to post all 3 days of the show, Fri, Sat, and Sun. I will be showing pictures of our booth, our latest projects, some of the unique items at the show, and perhaps a few pictures of my favorite vendors there.  This is a terrific show with hundreds of booths featuring vintage jewlery, handmade quilts, fabulous furniture, oil paintings, bronze statuary and more, more, more.  If you are in the area this weekend we would love for you to come by our booth and meet us.  We will be set up in the "A" building (the main building), in spaces F-24 and F-25.  Here is the link to the show for further information and directions   http://www.icashow.com/   Plan on spending the day.  This is a large show that includes 3 main buildings and an antique village that you don't want to miss.  Hope to see you there!  -Rory-

Christmas Ornaments In March?

I realize that very few of you out there are thinking about Christmas already.  Afterall, it's only March!  But I was at a community woodworking guild the other day that is already making toys for needy children. It got me to thinking that if I intend to sell handmade Christmas items this year, I better at least make some plans on what, how many, and so on.  One of my thoughts was to make some hand turned ornaments on my lathe. They are pretty time consuming projects, so I know I will need to start early. 
Pictured is an example of one I made out of walnut and maple.  It is actually made from 3 seperate pieces.  The center maple portion of the ornament is hollow to make it lighter in weight. 
If you have never used a lathe, it is incredibly fun.  I would recommend taking a class and getting some instruction before you jump in head first, but turning items like this on a lathe, is not difficult.  Like anything, there is a learning curve, and once you get the hang of it, you can add one more item to your craftsperson resume and a ton of new items to your inventory. I intend on doing a tutorial series on using a lathe at some point.  Meanwhille, be sure you don't wait until November to start thinking about what to make in the way of Christmas projects.  Most big retail stores know pretty much what they will be carrying for Christmas by June.  I even managed to make some notes last Christmas on some cool stuff I could do this year. Now, if I could only find my notes.....

-Rory-

A Fondness For Old Locomotives

I can't tell you why I am so fond of old steam engines.  They certainly were not part of a "living green" lifestyle.  They were noisey.  Miles and miles of forest were plundered to clear way for the track, and to stoke the fires in these old monsters.  I doesn't make sense for me to like them at all.  Perhaps it is just the history behind them, often helping to pave a path to the west.  Perhaps it is all about the legends of cowboys and desperados stopping the train on horseback and galloping off with the payroll.  Or maybe it just brings to mind a particular Christmas one year, when I woke up and found a lionel set of my own under the tree

Whatever the reason I could not resist buying some small snapshots I found at a local flea market. Here are a few of the ones I had blown up into 8x10s.  I don't know if anyone out here appreciates these old photos like I do, but I am pretty taken with them.

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But here is the problem.  Now that I have them, I really have no idea what to do with them.  Any suggestions?  I am sure they would look fabulous in a boys room,  but my boy raising days were over quite some time ago.  I am open to ideas.  If any of you have some thoughts, please post them.  I would be thrilled to hear from all of you.

-Rory-