Custom Wood Work Care and Cleaning Tips

The type of finish on the wood, not the type of wood, determines how  care and cleaning  can be done and how to repair damage. Finishes may be soft ( Tung oil or Danish oil ) or hard ( lacquer, polyurethane ), or painted .  

If you know which finish is on your wood furniture, follow the appropriate procedures for  furniture Maintenance. Excessive dampness, dryness, heat, or cold can damage wood furniture. Sunlight can change the color. Rubber or plastic mats should not be used unless marked safe for wood, since some may soften or stain the finish. Wipe up spills at once to prevent spots that require refinishing.

Polish not more than 3-4 times a year unless it gets heavy use, with a polish recommended for the kind of finish. Too much polish may build up a cloudy film; wipe off polish before it dries completely.

Do not mix types of polish. Oil causes wax to become gummy. Clean the furniture surface thoroughly before changing furniture care products.  Now lets look at the how's of Wood furniture care and cleaning.

Wood furniture Cleaning

Vacuuming with a dusting brush attachment gently removes dust from furniture surfaces, preventing buildup. If no vacuum cleaner, use a clean soft cloth, turning it often, or soft paper towels to pick up dust. Dust furniture before vacuuming floors. If the finish is water resistant, a barely dampened towel or cloth will pick up dust.

Pads, mats and coasters on furniture, mats under vases, glasses, cups etc. protect them from spills and stains, and from heated objects. Do not use plastic or rubber on natural wood surfaces as they may soften and damage finish. Use felt under objects set on top of furniture that could scratch it.

Guide to Oil Finishes on Furniture

The oil finish can have many names, from countries, ie French, Danish, Dutch to brands. Basically cleaning oiled wood requires you blend: 1 pint boiled linseed oil, 1 pint gum turpentine, and 6 oz. distilled white vinegar. Gum turpentine is flammable but smells like fresh wood. Wear gloves. Do not use around flame or spark; do not get on skin. Wipe the surface with a soft cloth that has been dipped in the cleaning solution. Never pour the solution directly onto the wood. Let the solution stand for a few minutes to loosen the soil; then wipe off the excess. All excess oil must be removed or it will attract dust and get gummy or tacky. To finish, rub with the grain.

NEVER USE wax or furniture polish on oil finishes. Re-oil yearly with boiled linseed oil, Tung oil, or a product recommended by the manufacturer. These oils harden when exposed to air and seal the wood. Never use non-drying oils like mineral oil for wood finishes for furniture. Avoid using an oil dressing too often or too liberally as it will cause a hardened oil build-up. If this happens, use mineral spirits (paint thinner) to dissolve the residue.

Guide to Lacquer Furniture Finishes

To  do wood furniture cleaning on a lacquer piece remember lacquer is hard and glossy but is also brittle so it may be dented or chipped. Avoid hard blows. Avoid use of water unless furniture label recommends it. The newer synthetic lacquers are more durable, however older lacquered pieces and many imports have finishes affected by some solvents, so test every product first on an inconspicuous area.

Regularly you will want to dust with a soft, dry cloth. Never use oiled or treated cloths on lacquered finishes. Some finishes can be wiped with a damp (not wet) cloth, followed at once by rubbing with a dry cloth, (test first in inconspicuous spot) to remove fingerprints and smudges. A solvent-based furniture cleaner may be useable on many finishes but always test first. Apply liquid wax on occasion to maintain a gloss,

When heavy cleaning is called for use a solvent base furniture cleaner. Apply with soft cloth in one hand, and wipe at once with soft cloth in other hand, doing only a small area at a time. An oil soap may be satisfactory on some finishes but test first to be sure it is OK with finish. Protect with liquid wax or polish to maintain a gloss.

Guide to Polyurethane Finishes

Common known  Polyurethanes are K1 type poly. They are liquid plastic resins that dry to a durable satin or gloss finish. Polyurethane finishes are much more resistant to moisture and spills and moderate heat than traditional varnishes, and do not need much protection. Note most US manufactured furniture is NOT Polyurethane coated.

Dust regularly with a soft dry cloth and wipe dry. When needed wipe with a moist cloth, not wet. This will remove fingerprints and light soil. When dirt or grime have built up, clean with mineral spirits

Wax or polish can build into an enemy. Remove it with a cloth dampened with mineral spirits. Clean small areas at a time. Wipe each area with a clean cloth before going on to the next. Wear rubber gloves to protect your hands, and dispose of them afterward, or wash in hot suds and air dry. Air-dry cloths used in cleaning to evaporate the solvent before disposing.

Guide to Painted Furniture Finishes

Painted finish furniture requires regular dusting with a damp cloth. When very soiled wash with a solution of mild, non-abrasive detergent and warm water. Wring a cloth nearly dry and work on a small section at a time, then rinse with clear water. Dry the surface before continuing. Wood furniture care and cleaning.

Waxes and polishes are usually not needed. If waxes are used, use a white creamy type on light painted items to avoid discoloration. Never use oil or any polish containing oil. Avoid oil treated cloths. Hand rubbing any polish can damage painted decoration or trim.

Painted surfaces can be carefully touched up with matching paint but the results often look patched. Where possible try to remove spots and scuff marks by washing or cleaning with household cleaners. Sanding will change the luster of the sanded spot, especially if the finish has been antiqued. If extensive damage has been done, the piece will need repainting.

SOLID VS VENEER

Solid wood furniture  

This means all exposed parts are made of the same species of all natural wood, with no other materials included, such as plywood or particle board.

Advantages of Solid Wood:

Practical. The durability of solid wood furniture is high on the list. Scratches, dings, dents, water marks, stains can all be repaired. Obviously, the worse the damage the more expensive, but it is certainly easier and less expensive than veneer furniture.

Disadvantages of Solid Wood:

split.  When exposed to extreme atmospheric conditions, solid wood furniture will expand or contract, and may split along the grain of the wood. I use a "floating case system" in which table and case-piece surfaces are attached using a bracket method or elongated holes for screws to slide. This enables furniture to respond to environmental changes without damage. As a rule, though, avoid exposing pieces to strong sunlight or direct heat sources.

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Veneer furniture

Veneer Furniture begins with thin layers of wood glued together with the grain at right angles over a thick core. This crisscross design reduces the chances of splitting or cracking. Plus, the glue is the same strong, waterproof adhesive used in aircraft and marine construction, so the end result is actually stronger than the natural wood. Many people mistakenly assume that veneered furniture is inferior to or cheaper than solid wood; however,  I use veneers quite often for high end furniture pieces and it can be more costly than solid wood.

Good quality veneer furniture will have a solid core and the legs, posts, doors or drawer fronts will be straight-grain solid wood.

Advantages of  Veneer:

Beautiful. The best, most interesting logs are cut into veneer. This is largely an economic decision--sellers and veneer makers can make more money from a high quality log sliced into veneer than they can from sawing it into boards. And certain cuts, such as burls, are structurally unsound in 'the solid'. These beautiful woods can rarely be utilized unless they're sliced into veneer

Environmentally kind. Saw timber is typically sawn into 1" thick boards. The saw cuts a kerf between boards 1/4" thick that winds up as sawdust. Veneer is not cut from the log but sliced with a knife (like lunch meat) into 1/32" leaves or sheets. That produces 32 veneer surfaces for every 1 that is gotten from a board and with no wood wasted as sawdust another 8 sheets where the sawblade would have gone. That's 40 surfaces of wood veneer for every 1 of solid wood.

Creates new design possibilities. Since veneer is so thin and is glued to a stable substrate it allows designs and arrangements of the wood that would fail in solid wood. Solid wood, even kiln-dried, moves or works from summer through winter through summer again. A radiant table top would be impossible in solid lumber because the seams would open in winter and swell tightly shut in summer. Cross grain designs such as aprons and edge bandings are also impossible in solids. Solid burls are also largely unusable but frequently used in veneer.

Stable. Since veneer is glued to a stable substrate it produces surfaces not prone to warp or splitting or seasonal movement.

Substrates. Plywood and medium density fiberboard, the substrates I use for my furniture, are made from low quality trees. This means a market is provided the landowner for these trees. This leads to better forests over time since the trees remaining grow better and faster with less competition for resources. Its like weeding your garden only a lot bigger.

Disadvantages Veneer:

Thin. This is more of a problem for the builder than the buyer. Sand-through in preparation for finishing is 'touching the third rail' of woodworking. Such pieces are almost impossible to repair and frequently involve 're-design' (as in cutting off the sanded through area) or making a speculative, difficult repair which can be difficult to hide. Once the piece is completed thickness of the veneer is of no concern.

Blisters, delaminates, peel back at edges. These can only be satisfactorily prevented by proper construction materials and techniques. Early in the 20th century much mass-produced, low quality veneer furniture was made that haunts furniture makers to this day. Construction techniques and materials have improved considerably in the past few decades to the point that delaminating is no longer a legitimate concern. Hide glue is used only in a few special applications and has been superseded by aliphatic and resorcinol glues. 'Hammer veneering' and cumbersome, mechanical presses have been replaced by vacuum presses which insure good clamping (and facilitate design possibilities by allowing veneering of curved surfaces).

The edge thing. Since veneer is glued to a plywood or medium density fiberboard substrate the edges must be covered. The best solution involves a strip of solid wood that opens more design possibilities. The edging can be wide or narrow, match the veneer panel or contrast, can further incorporate veneer which can be cross grain or at a 45 degree angle, can be set off by a narrow strip of inlay, etc. A workable solution but one that I generally avoid is to run the veneer right up to the edge of the piece and cover the edge with a strip of veneer. This can make for 'hard' edges susceptible to peel back and is best avoided.

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