Furniture Restoration Basics on a French Settee - Level 1 Woodworking Repair | How To
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- Опубліковано 6 чер 2024
- A Level 1 Woodworking Repair is about the fundamentals of furniture restoration. Learn how to take apart a loose piece of furniture and glue it up to last for decades to come. This base skill is the starting point to learn how to repair furniture.
This project is a French settee, brought to me by a customer. She will be gilding and caning this settee so she wants to ensure the structure is solid before investing time in finishing it. She also brought me a second settee that needed a minor glue up. The construction techniques are different in each of these and it's interesting to see how one has stood up better than the other over time.
The first step is to disassemble the arms of the settee. This was difficult as the glue was still holding well, whereas the other joints in the settee were not. I use white vinegar to loosen glue in joints. A blunt-tipped syringe is the perfect tool for this work (see link below). The vinegar breaks down the glue and allows the joints to separate.
The next step is to take apart the base, which was easy to pull apart. The back was more secure so it required removing the pins in the mortise and tenon joints and needed some vinegar to loosen up the old glue.
Unfortunately, the tenons on the front curved rail were broken on both ends, so those required some repair. I used PVA glue where I had a solid wood-to-wood connection and epoxy where the pieces were worn and didn't fit tightly together.
I then moved on to cleaning off the joints with a paint scraper and figuring out my clamping strategy. On an oval piece like this, there's not natural place for clamps, so I clamped the base using strap clamps. For the arms, I devised a way to clamp the parts using finishing nails... a challenging glue up but it worked well.
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LINKS:
Syringes for injecting vinegar - amzn.to/3wCxCaI
🇨🇦 Canadian link - amzn.to/3k0gWqQ
Spreader Clamps - amzn.to/3qZunJ3
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Small Utility Knife - amzn.to/36rxpfH
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Liquid Hide Glue - amzn.to/3k591Z9
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Note: purchases made with these links help fund our video production work
VIDEO TOPICS:
00:00 Furniture restoration basics on a French settee - Level 1 Woodworking Repair
01:10 Comparing construction methods of two settees
01:39 Pinned mortise and tenon joint in furniture
02:25 Checking how loose the joints are in a piece of furniture
03:47 Taking the settee apart
04:48 Using vinegar to loosen glue in furniture joints
09:31 Removing furniture parts with wooden wedges
11:10 Disassemble settee base
15:13 Disassemble pinned mortise and tenon joints
18:38 Glue up the back of the settee
19:11 Repairing broken tenons
25:04 Cleaning glue and dirt off of the joints
26:03 Glue up settee base
27:58 Glue up of settee arms
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See the tools we use in our workshop and the tools we recommend: www.amazon.com/shop/homeimpro...
🇨🇦 Canadian link - www.amazon.ca/shop/homeimprov...
This video is hosted by Scott Bennett, Owner of Wooden It Be Nice - Furniture Repair in Brooklin, Ontario, Canada. WoodenItBeNice.ca
#FurnitureRestoration #Settee #Repair - Навчання та стиль
Scott, simply amazed at your attention to detail & all your tricks!! Enjoyed every min. of this video. Hoping all is well Bud, Dirty Jersey out!!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it Mike! Thanks for sharing that. Scott
@@FixingFurniture There is no greater honor than to have a comment pinned bye the Channel creator. It's a sign of appreciation & mutual respect. Showing that one, I appreciate the time & effort it takes into making videos & you guys putting yourselves out there for everyone's scrutiny. Then two the creator appreciating the viewer enough to pin a comment & know that their efforts don't go unrecognized. Stay Blessed my friend 🙏
@@FixingFurnitureas a Master Painter of 36yrs, I know Masters in their own skill set. Was always a pleasure to me to work with the best who put their name on their work. Got hit with Shingles inside my left eye and it took me out. I was a painter but now I'm a Survivor who lives a life altered but I'm still me. Enjoy every job, life has plans beyond ours
Proof, if any was needed, that you can never have too many clamps!
Thank you. You are a great teacher.
I learned new ideas about using vinegar available for clamping. Thanks so much
Would love to see the finished article. With all the gold leaf and upholstery. Loved the video to see how you repaired it. Thank you.
Great video. It's good to get the running commentary of what you are doing and what has happened. It has restored my faith in carpenters' glue, When properly applied, that is. I'm learning! A smart way to clamp an awkward piece. Greetings from Australia.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing that you're from Australia 🇦🇺 I love to hear how far our knowledge travels! Cheers. Scott
Nice lesson!
Glad you liked it!
That was an amazing repair! It would be interesting to see this after the client finishes with it
My customer found me because of my UA-cam videos and she's excited to see this video. Maybe I can do a follow up or a community post to share what it looks like finished. Good idea! Scott
Great and amazing repairing job. Regards Rashid from 🇧🇭Bahrain
Amazing work!!
Thank you! Cheers!
Great work!!
Thank you! Cheers!
I personally would have placed a 2x2 between the arms and used a strap to pull the (top) together. But the way you did it worked. No two wood workers think alike!
You are truly a craftsman sir. 😊
This is the EXACT video I was looking for! Thank you for dedicating your time to educating so many of us. My settee has a bright future now.
Can we all just take a moment to truly appreciate this gorgeous wood work, you don’t see that very often anymore.
Clamping is such an important part of this. It was interesting to note that it might not have been ideal at the start.
The carving is nice: worthy of gilding.
Thanks Alan. Glad you enjoyed it. Scott
Loved it Scott! The clamping was nerve racking!
Yes it was. Thanks for watching Fater. Take care. Scott
I really enjoy your videos! I chuckle each time you say "about". I thought you were from Minnesota, until you said you were in Canada. I pray you are staying safe in these crazy times in your crazy country! Thankfully, I live in a small Texas town. 🤗
9:16 So satisfying. :) Great video. ASMR like, but interesting and engaging. That sounded funny but you know what I mean. :)
Level 1 furniture repair. Now that I can do
Me 30 minutes later …. NOPE
This was a harder Level 1 repair. A typical chair is something most people can tackle if they're handy. I hope this doesn't discourage you. Scott
@@FixingFurniture Since watching you and Thomas Johnson, I've tackled several furniture repairs around the house. I really appreciate your videos.
However, I can say from practice that you guys make everything look a lot easier than it is for me. But that's the result of experience and talent, I guess.
However, I don't plan to give up -- and I will keep watching. Thanks.
Excellent video! Thanks for the work. I've been given a small end table from a family friend to try and fix up. Given by Great Grandfather to Grandfather. Not exactly "heirloom" it has dowel construction and one of the four legs at the top is pretty much gone, so it has to be replaced. Going to be a challenge.
Glad you like it. I offer 1-on-1 advice session via video to assess a project and provide direction on how to successfully complete the repair. If that interests you, you can purchase a session on our website. woodenitbenice.ca
Thanks Scott for sharing your knowledge
My pleasure! Cheers. Scott
Great video, Scott.
Thank you David!
Really enjoying your variety of clamping strategies!
Thank you! Scott
superb detailed explanation and improvisation as well
Once again thank you for sharing, very educational.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for your supportive comment! Scott
Thank you, that was great.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing that. Scott
Another awesome video! Your skill, techniques & patience you share is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Thank you Mark. I appreciate that! Scott
I have a similar caned settee and it was utterly fascinating to see all the various pins and things holding it together! I also really enjoyed your detailed explanation of how to consider pressure points when the settee is in use. I’m a gilder as well - I would have loved to see the owner’s final results. Thanks again Scott! New to your channel and you’ve got new fan!
It's so cathartic watching you work. And the camera angles and editing in this video were particularly good. Clever use of clamps too.
I'm glad you're enjoying my improved filming and editing skills. Thanks for sharing that! Scott
This was a super restoration job. I was “glued”
😂 Thanks!
Thank you so much. I’m often too worried about re assembly so I inject glue etc. instead of taking what’s necessary apart. I now feel able to do it correctly. Can’t wait for more videos please!
Glad you found this helpful Jeanie. My goal is to inspire viewers to tackle projects of their own, so I find your comment encouraging. Thanks for sharing that. Scott
What a beautiful job and presentation. Thanks, I really enjoyed watching it and learned a whole lot.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing that. Scott
Mądry i przydatny film. Dziękuję.
Zdrowia życzę.
Cieszę się, że ci się podobało. Dzięki za oglądanie. Scott
Excellent...
Thank you! Cheers!
Great job, great video Stay Safe now and have a nice day !!!.
Thanks, you too!
Thank you for sharing the vinegar trick! I'm working on restoring an old jewelry box and was looking for a way to loosen the old glue joints. Now to find some vinegar in the kitchen :)
You are so welcome! Glad you found that useful! Cheers. Scott
Thanks so much! This is exactly what I needed to see to be able to deal with the loose joints in a captain's chair and a rocker that I inherited from my parents. They aren't antiques, but they are at least 70 years old so I want to be careful with them.
Glad to hear you found this helpful. Good luck with your projects! Scott
Oh my god so many useful tidbits here. I will definitely be employing many of these in my upcoming projects. Thank you!
I'm wondering if you can share a video sometime of your process for sanding a piece like this? I struggle with that a lot.
Glad you enjoyed the video. Regarding sanding fine details, I'll put that on my video idea list - thank you for that. Scott
¡Good job!
Thank you! Scott
Very interesting video
Glad you think so! Thanks. Scott
Great video. Whenever I glue and clamp I use gray cardboard pieces about 1/4 thick to act as a buffer between to clamp and the wood. This is better than using wood shims because cardboard has give, and it doesn't mar or scratch the wood surface.
Fine video, as always.
As far as putting nails through the caning holes and clamping those, another possibility might be to use a cord wrapped back and forth around a pair of nails to make a bunch of overlapping loops, then inserting a stick into the middle of the loop and twisting it around to tighten the cords. Possibly a single length of wire through the holes and the two free ends twisted together like a twist tie might also work (no nail needed at all), although I could see the wire snapping from metal fatigue if it's overdone.
Hey, that's a great idea! Thanks for sharing that suggestion for the furniture repair community to learn from. I'll keep that in mind the next time I have a clamping challenge like this. Scott
It's amazing to see what you are doing with those broken furnitures. Maybe I should be brave and do something with my old teak table that got stains from glasses... ;-)
Go for it! Let me know if you do as I'd love to see some before and after photos. Cheers. Scott
I use a dremel with a drum sanding bit to clean off old glue and to prepare the surface for new glue and clamping.
Nice trick with the vise and nails
Thanks. Glad you liked them. Cheers. Scott
This is such a classic piece! Will you be making a video about how to repair caning on chairs like this as well?
love the commitment you make to quality! excellent content! Question: if the vinegar approach fails, what next? Steam? Chisel? Thanks again for the wonderful contribution to the craft!
The next step for me is a heat gun, but I really don't like using one because it can cause damage. After that, it's deciding if its worth pulling out a thin saw to cut off the dowel and do minimal damage to the piece. I hope that helps. Scott
You mentioned you warranty everything you do--how many pieces have you had brought back to you? Have you already done a video on a warranty piece? If not, I'd be interested to see one. I'd like to see how you approach fixing a problem you thought you solved--or if the piece breaks elsewhere what you do (short of reproducing the failed piece yourself)
I may have 1-2 pieces a year that I repair under warranty. I did a video on a split chair leg that I thought was a warranty issue, but it turns out the chair leg split in a different spot and the repair held. I ended up replacing the whole leg for the customer (at their cost) as the wood was not strong enough for how they were using the chair (leaning on the back legs... not what chairs are intended for). I haven't considered doing a video on warranty work, but I will now. Thanks for the idea Andrew. Scott
Amazing piece of furniture - any idea when it was made? Amazing repair as well!
I don't have any information on the age. What I can tell by looking at it is that it was carved by hand (slight variations in matching carvings), so it was likely made in an age that hand carving was still a profitable way of making furniture. I'd love to know more about it but there are not markings to indicate the craftsperson or business who made it. Cheers. Scott
You said, thanks
A pinned tenon could have been used in the other settee as it does not need a clamp. Hole in tenon face drilled slightly closer to shoulder forcing joint closed when pin is inserted.
I thought about the pin holes being offset like what is done in post and beam construction, but I don't think the pin in this furniture would withstand that pressure. The pins are tapered so I suspect the hole is either tapered or larger on the outside. The hole on the inside of the mortise is smaller. It's an interesting joinery technique I'd love to learn more about. I will have to do some research. Cheers. Scott
Excellent video. Can hide glue be used for a antique rocking chair repair? Would the glue be strong enough?
Scott: this was a super restoration project. I was “glued” to every minute of it. Haha
That settee is stronger than ever. Do you think we can see the finished project when it is complete? Carol from California
Hi Carol from California! You're the second person to ask, so I will talk to the customer to see if she would like to share some photos or video. She found our business from watching Fixing Furniture, so she's excited to see this video. Thanks for the suggestion. Scott
That would be very nice. I think the gold leafing and upholstering of the settee would be great. I believe many people would be interested in seeing the project completely finished.
♥️♥️♥️
I have nothing to say really, but I appreciate your content, and wish to help with the yt-algorithms.
Thanks Marius. I appreciate your support. Scott
Hi Scott. Wow I have just found your channel. I love this chair which you call a settee. WOuld you please explain what the "guilding"is? Will the client use gold leaf, or specific guilding paint?
Well Scott, at least they were wooden dowels and not nails... They are the bain of my life 😫 when I'm asked to fix... Love the tip of using the bench vice to orientate and get a good angle to use the hand clamp.
Glad you found that helpful Peter. Thanks for watching! Scott
What a beautiful piece of furniture! Not my cup of tea style-wise, but very nice.
Of course, my wife claims that my style for a bookcase would be 4 cinder blocks and two 2X4's...
Yes, it's really nice to see the detailed carving in a piece like this. Thanks for watching! Scott
I just picked up a 150 year old desk to repair, clean up and hand buff original patina. After cleaning I usually use Formby’s Tung Oil but their product was transferred to Minwax and I’m not certain it’s the same as the Formby’s product was. I have some Formby’s but not enough and I’m concerned about mixing products. Do you have info about this?
Thanks, Lloyd Glazer
Glazer Woodworking, York, PA USA
As a dentist and a woodworker, I had a couple of thoughts. Could you have put some strong cord through the caning holes on either side of the joint, tied the two ends together, inserted a dowel through the loop to tighten the cord? Ask your dentist to sell you some irrigation syringes that have the thin plastic tip for squirting the vinegar.
With that old brittle wood I'm surprised you didn't reinforce those repaired tenons with a dowel or two. Overkill? Maybe, but I'm a better safe than sorry kind. I must say I'm a little jealous of you getting to work on these beautiful pieces.
Good thought, but when reinforcing parts, you need to consider what you are weakening. When using a dowel across the grain of wood, you're cutting through the grain and causing weakness. It's a balancing act based on the situation you encounter. In this case, the glue up of the tenon was the best choice. I hope that helps. Scott
I can tell that chair was striped in a dip tank which always leads to a reglued job I hand strip everything I do making sure I don't get any striper any ware near a glue but that being said if I find one loose joint I take the time and do a reglue so all this being said on an old chair that is going through all this drama a reglue is inedible well done on your work is stead of nails have tried using a small drift punch I've even welded flat stock metal making a clamping surface
Thanks for your comments Ed. I didn't think of using a punch for clamping... that's a good idea. Thanks for sharing that. Scott
Do you know if those are draw (offset inside) pins???
doesnt vinegar corrode wood? wouldnt it do damage when you use it at joints?
good to know that even someone who does a excellent job does mistakes like drilling a hole to far :D
Lol, yeah mistakes happen. I'm glad you appreciated me leaving that in the video. Cheers. Scott
@@FixingFurniture it wasnt meant as a "hater comment" more like "im happy to sea that im not the only one that makes mistakes, even you, who is excellent at your job, does" i love your work and learned a lot of you :D
Nice job... Is there any reason you use vinegar instead of a heat gun or heated putty knives? Seems they'd be cleaner to work with.
I'm not a fan of using a heat gun on furniture. I don't like the risk of damaging the piece. It's also hard to heat a dowel. That's my preference. Scott
At 16:50, I just couldn’t watch, I’m glad your hand is ok.
I've since bought a set of punches so the next time I encounter this, I can do it the right way. Thanks for your comment. Scott
Hi, I have an antique hutch with a broken finial. The stem is small so when someone moved it it snapped off, is there a tool to help clamp it? Or should I just drill and use a tooth pick?
Finials do need dowels to attach them. Just glue on the flat surface isn't enough to keep them in place. We have a video on how to remove broken dowels that may help. Scott
for last clamping: a piece of the same material that is used in the straps you used, wrapped around the vertical piece and twisted using a a screwdriver or wood stick maybe?
a bit like a touniquet.
I mean somthing small enough to go into those wholes, soft enough to no marre the wood yet strong enough to pull the things together. (construction string may be?)
That's an interesting idea. It sounds like it may have been easier than trying to put clamps on finishing nails. Thanks for sharing that. Scott
@@FixingFurniture No. Thank you for the videos. :)
Can I use vinigar on any type of glue or only on hide glue?
It works a little on PVA (carpenter's glue). It won't work on epoxy. Does that answer your question? Scott
Is it just regular white vinegar
So sad I watched this...now I have to take apart both an antique chair and sofa!!! Well...first time for everything, ...and here I thought this first time re-upholstery project would be my only challenge/problem. Sigh...but I guess if it's worth doing.... and all that! lol!!
Have ever tried applying heat to loosen Hyde glue?
I've tried heat, but I don't like the risk of damaging the wood and/or finish so I prefer vinegar. Thanks for watching Dave! Scott
Does vinegar loose the glue better than clear water?
Yes, it breaks down the glue more effectively. Cheers. Scott
When is a piece 'antique' enough to use hide glue rather than PVA?
The general rule of thumb in defining an antique is that it's over 100 years old. I sometimes use hide glue if I "feel" a piece has value such as a rocking chair I recently repaired that was about 80 years old. I hope that helps. Scott
Where the tenons drawbored? I.e. the hole in the tenon was offset respective to the one in the mortise so as tu pull the joint shut. I figure it would be in a situation like this. Edit: I meant the other satie, the one that didn't need to be disassembled. The one in the video had the pin pushed out way too easily to be drawbored
Based on how the pin came out, I don't think they refer offset. I've seen offset holes in post and frame construction in buildings, but I don't think there's enough mass in the pin to be able to withstand the force of a joint like that. What I did notice is the hole at the front was wider than the hole at the back and the pin was tapered. I hope that answers your question. Scott
Is that a household vinegar you use use to loosen a glue or you mix it with something?
It's household white vinegar. It does the trick! Scott
Too bad the customer is going to ruin this fabulous carved antique chair with the gilding. Would be lovely stained but thats my opinion. Learned lots watching how you did your clamping. Real inventive because of past lessons of necessity. Thank you for passing your clamping struggles and solutions on to the rest of us.
I'm glad to hear you're enjoying learning from our videos Terry. I find it motivating to hear feedback like yours as my goal is to empower viewers with knowledge. Thanks for watching. Scott
Does vinegar work with most types of glue?
Vinegar works well on hide glue. It's mildly effective on PVA but I've had mixed success with it. Scott
@@FixingFurniture Heat and moisture works well on Titebond Original, not so much on Titebond II & III. Titebond even has a video on how to loosen Original Titebond with moisture and heat. Lately, I've been using Elmer's Carpenter's Glue Max, which is very strong and waterproof, but extremely difficult to un-bond when dry.
Couldn’t you use vinegar to remove the old glue instead of scraping it away?
Yo dawg I heard you like clamps...
Seriously though, great work.
In hindsight, should you have doweled the split tenon? Or maybe some long brad nails from a pneumatic nailgun? I'm not familiar with the best that modern glue and epoxy has to offer, so my knowledge from 10-15 years ago is telling me that the bond needs some mechanical assistance or else I'd be worried about that weight and friction working against the glue alone.
There's no mechanical reinforcement required for repairing the tenons. In fact, adding metal will damage the piece when there's movement from people sitting on the settee. It's very rare that metal is used on wooden chairs/seating with the exception of arm rests. I hope that answers your question. Scott
@@FixingFurniture Thanks so much for the reply! It will inform my future work.
Masterly repairs. Think about the original craftsmen who did not have all these clamps…
Thanks!
you scared the crap out of me pushing the drill bit with a block of wood if that would have cracked the drill bit would have drilled your hand
I guess I should invest in a punch set for the workshop... safety first, right? Thanks for sharing that thought Ed! Scott
Hi I am from Stellenbosch, South Africa. I am a 66 year old girl restoring wooden benches. I have a 150 year old bench, what would you recommend to seal en finish off.
Where is the finished work of that Sette?
Me: No way he can restore this
Fixing Furniture: Hold my tools
😂
That sure is a nice piece. Any idea the age of it?.. Thanks, like your videos a lot!
I don't know the age. It was hand carved, so it was built in a time when that was an affordable way to produce furniture. The only thing I can say is that it's old. Sorry I can't be more specific. Scott
@@FixingFurniture That's okay, just curious. Like your content.
I was wondering, I build boats and use Mas-Epoxy exclusively.
Why wouldn’t you use this in your reconstruction of this piece of furniture ?.
The end result would be that the joint would be stable even if you threw it off the Empire State Building.
I am involved in the marine hydro racing industry and this epoxy holds together for boats traveling at 160MPH,
Your videos are great. I subribed
I was trying to Finnish and I got cut out but I subribed and gave you the 👍.
Thank you.
Bob, from Maryland
Good question Bob. The reason for using hide glue on furniture instead of epoxy is that it will allow you to disassemble the furniture in the future if a part breaks. I use epoxy sparingly as the joint can't be taken apart in the future. I hope that helps. Scott
Thanks for subscribing Bob!
Have you ever thought about using dental floss/tape to clean out joints?
I knew someone, that would Hose the Joints and let them dry in the sun.
That's interesting. Not something I would suggest at it changes the moisture content of the wood, which could cause issues with wood movement. Thanks for sharing that. Scott
Tip: you could actually at least put a folded towel on the piece before hitting it with a mallet
With the exception of one joint, It looks as though the piece was pre dissembled be for show.
It was incredibly loose. I can tell it wasn't previously disassembled as the arms were difficult to remove. The settee wouldn't come apart without the arms off first. It may have been the stripping process that loosened the glue or it could have been natural wear from use. Either way, it definitely needed regaling. Cheers. Scott