Furniture Restoration and Finishes with Roland Johnson |
The supply list for Furniture Restoration is available here in pdf format. |
The supply list for Furniture Finishes is coming soon. |
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Furniture Restoration The challenge of restoring old furniture can be daunting but extremely rewarding. The chance of doing more harm than good is an unpleasant prospect, especially if the piece in question is a family heirloom or holds historic significance. Learn the necessary skills to turn furniture restoration from an anxiety laden adventure into a pleasurable activity. Discover ways to assess a piece in need of restoration, whether minimal or a complete knock-it-apart bottom to top job. Learn to disassemble, repair and reassemble wobbly joints, repair drawers and doors, fix cracks, minimize warp damage, replicate missing moldings and repair or replace lifting or bubbling veneer. Determine a finish and discover how to salvage and renew, or remove and replace it. Bring a smaller piece that's not a prized heirloom for hands-on learning. Also, bring special pieces in for discussion and restoration appraisal so that a concise strategy can be devised for later restoration. Furniture Finishes Furniture making can be a nerve racking experience, especially when it's time to finish the piece you have spent months building. Learn how to make choosing and applying finishes another enjoyable woodworking process instead of a stress‑filled ordeal. From surface preparation to final waxing we will covers all aspects of creating a fine furniture finish. The class will explore the use of dyes, stains and paints, learning how to get precise, repeatable color and grain shading. Getting creative with glazes, stain brushing and multi‑color stain layering brings art to the finishing process. Deciding on the finish can be as important as the specie of wood used for the piece. Students will learn to select and use solvent based and water based finishes to achieve the desired protection and finish sheen. Sample panels will be produced using wiping, padding, brushing and spraying techniques. Painted furniture has been popular for centuries. Beautiful, subdued colors can be achieved with milk paint while modern acrylics and enamels can brightly highlight creative furniture |
| Register for Week 1: Furniture Restoration |
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Register using Paypal Deposit Only Pay in Full |
| Register for Week 2: Furniture Finishes |
Mail us your form |
Register using Paypal Deposit Only Pay in Full |
| OR Register for both classes and receive a $100 discount | Mail us your form |
Register using Paypal Deposit Only Pay in Full |
Roland Johnson first became interested in wood when he was in high school and worked at a lumberyard. As Roland grew, so did his interest, and in 1976 he started refinishing furniture, building furniture, and repairing and building all kinds of things. Nearly 30 years ago, Roland planted hundreds of trees in an old gravel pit, turning it into a wooded retreat where he has built his home and shop. A contributing editor for Fine Woodworking since 2002, Roland is a frequent writer of tool-test articles. His fascination with motors and gears goes beyond woodworking, however, he's also an enthusiastic hot-rodder and the author of Automotive Woodworking (Motor Books International, 2002). Roland is also the founder and president of the Central Minnesota Woodworkers Association. Today, he divides his time between writing, building stuff for himself and his clients, and keeping his 40-acre homestead in Minnesota humming. If you don't find him in the woodshop, try the garage.