Jim Dugas             
Furnituremaker

Not every piece of old furniture is a museum-quality antique worth thousands of dollars. But we treat each piece as if it were because we know that every piece has its own qualities and characteristics that make it valuable to its owner. We prefer to take a "Less is More@ approach to all antique restoration, leaving as small a Afootprint@ as possible.

We carefully examine and assess each piece before we start. We determine what must be done to save the piece and what should be done to preserve its character. We determine the best methods to repair and restore, using as our guide, the materials and methods of the original. We then create a restoration plan that outlines each step of the process. Typical problems we encounter include:

Structural problems where joints may be loosened or broken, we repair using the same techniques and adhesives the original craftsman used

Veneer problems where the veneer may be cracked, delaminating or missing, we attempt to make repairs as invisible as possible.

Decorations such as turnings, medallions, carvings, etc may be broken or missing, we will mold or hand carve replacements as needed.

Finish problems cover a very wide range: from needing a simple cleaning and rewaxing, to repair of scratches, to complete replacement of the finish. We preserve original finishes whenever possible. We clean finishes that have darkened from years of exposure to dust, smoke, & grease with special solvents that will facilitate removal of the gunk without damaging the original finish. We can determine what material was used for the original finish and apply more of the very same material, when needed. We also remove small scratches, dents and water marks.

Regardless of the problem, we enjoy saving the life of a piece created by an artisan long-passed so that it will endure

To see some of the pieces we have brought back to life, CLICK HERE

Send e-mail to JimDugas@JimDugasFurnituremaker.com with questions or comments about our web site.
Copyright © 2006 Jim Dugas Furnituremaker
Last modified: 4/9/07 

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