Saturday, October 13, 2012

Choosing the Right Stain Color for Wooden Furniture


One advantage to buying wood furniture is the quality craftsmanship. Wood furniture is typically strong and durable, and looks great in any room. When you bring home an unpainted piece for your living room, bedroom, or kitchen, you have the option of leaving it untouched to achieve a rustic look, or you can stain it any color to match your decor. If you decide you want to add some color to your new acquisition, you can either inquire about staining options through the furniture store or do it yourself. Which color, however, is best for the piece you own?

Depending on the type of furniture you have purchased, you could be looking at an arduous task. If you've bought a bedframe or a chest of drawers, that's a lot of wood to cover, and you may consider paying the extra charge to have a professional do the job for you. For something like a night stand or small table, however, you have more choices. Definitely you should first examine the furniture in the room and see how it goes with the rest of the furnishings and colors.

With a new piece, you should confer with the vendor or manufacturer to see if anything needs to be done to it before you stain. If it isn't necessary to strip the piece (this is usually reserved for wooden pieces that have already been painted), you can research stains and find the right color for you.

Some guidelines when choosing a stain for your tables, chairs, or wooden shelves:

Look for a product that contains a polyurethane gel. This is a stain and sealer combination, and is good if you want to get the job done as soon as possible.



The right stain should not show lap marks when brushed on the wood. Lap marks resemble seams, and may appear when a wet layer of paint is brushed over a dried layer.



Look for a stain that is water resistant, especially if you are staining patio furniture.



A non-drip formula is also highly recommended, as it will help the stain not to bubble in places.

You will want to consult with a professional at a home improvement or paint store to find a good brand that will not fade or chip over time. A good stain will typically dry completely in about six hours, allowing you to enjoy your new furniture. When you choose the right color, you can improve your home's look and overall comfort.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

The Timelessness Of Solid Pine Wood Furniture

In modern society, the solid pine wood and mahogany furniture pieces seem to be out of fashion to some extent. Historically, most individuals used to choose the darker brown furnishings but not anymore. This mahogany furniture had been for the most part elaborate, yet these days minimalism seems to be the current fashion. Mahogany is visually elegant but the traditional dark wood looks like its being replaced for the light colored oak.

However it is still possible to find good quality furnishings created from pine, like shelves and sizeable dressers. Most people stop purchasing the pine wood furniture because of its coloration. This wood had been often tainted using an orange colored dye varnish; however the pine doesn't really need to be in this particular shade. Aside from the pine dressers and drawers, there are many other furnishings in several shapes and sizes. This means if you want you could purchase pieces such as kitchen units, bedroom furniture, coffee tables, dining chairs and tables and shelving.

Despite the fact that pine home furniture tend to be much less popular these days you are able to find lots of suppliers. A number of them can be found online where they offer amazing deals. In case you are uncertain about the retailers and cannot determine the legitimate ones, then its best to visit the local furniture makers and other stores. This might give you a chance to find unique pieces with a stylish look.

In a nut-shell,
solid pine furniture can look more stylish and much better than the imitation pieces. There are plans online to satisfy the needs of anyone who have knowledge o woodworking. However, you should know that if you are following the latest fashion trend, you could end up spending a lot of money for your furniture. Personally, I believe that the pine furnishings can last for many years and still maintain a good look.

Monday, March 26, 2012

Wood Furniture Plans - 5 Essential Tips On How To Build Beautiful Wood Furniture

Are you looking for wood furniture plans in order to build a beautiful piece of wood furniture which you and your family and friends will adore its look and feel, and at same time it will be a long lasting and useful piece of furniture? Then what you need is careful planning and a clear step-by-step understanding in order to ensure that the final product is exactly how you want it.

Most times though, it does not matter how much precaution one takes. Mistakes will always creep in, be it in smaller details or in the most obvious parts of your furniture.

Here are 5 important tips that will help you to avoid these mistakes and build the furniture the right way.

1) Visualize

The best tip that one could give for making the best wood furniture plan is to have a clear vision. Imagine the kind of furniture you'd like to design, build, and have in your house, or one that fits perfectly well with the room's theme and feel. The best woodworking plans that come with blueprints for all these designs have taken all these factors into consideration so simply pick a finished look that you desire and start from step number one. Following a high quality plan means you are less likely to find surprised along the way or disappointment in the finished product.

2) Choosing the Type of wood

Take into consideration various factors such as the u sage, the time you require it to last, the climatic conditions, and the people who use the furniture. There are many types of wood material available, from heavy to light and from very hard to very soft, and chose the wood that best suits your need. Researching before will give you a clear idea of what you should go for. If you are not ready to perform such research, you don't have to work up a sweat to choose the type of wood, as following a well-designed plan will put novices at par with experts with the clear and simple explanations.

3) Keep Things Logical and Practical

Don't get carried away with fancy wood furniture plans without checking what it actually offers. With a bit of research, you will find that the most popular woodworking packages also include useful bonuses such as the 'DWG/CAD' software that allows you to design custom projects for free. This is a great tool as it allows you to modify woodworking plans according to your personal requirements, making your piece of furniture unique.

4) Beauty within Budget

It might not always be possible to get everything you want in a piece of furniture, but planning carefully will always help you get what you want within your budget. Research is an important tool that you can use to trim down the costs required. If you are getting a professional plan, get good value for your money by choosing a plan that offers something extra. For instance, plans that come with free access to premium videos on woodworking is a good choice.

5) Learn From The Experts

Finally, if you are serious about woodworking and making beautiful wood furniture, you will need to get your skills up to the next level. To do this, it is recommended you get yourself some useful resources on tips and secrets gathered by other professional woodworkers over their years of experience. You will find that this is one of the shortcuts to success.

Woodworking is not just for anybody. You cannot be simply interested in woodworking to be good at it. Instead, you have to be passionate about it and passion can only come when you have tasted success. To stop you from stumbling and failing at your dreams of wood furniture plans, follow the tips and get yourself a high quality plan you deserve; because you deserve the best!

Monday, February 6, 2012

Wood Furniture of Good Quality

Today people prefer to pay for good quality and buy furniture that they will have for years. furniture quality is a complex of things which should be preserved during the whole process of manufacturing. Every step of this process is very important for the final result. First, the wood that is chosen for the production of furniture units determines the price category of the product.

Hard wood, softwood and engineered wood are the main kinds of materials which are used for furniture making. Hardwood is usually the most expensive and made of fine wood trees such as oak, teak, mahogany, maple, walnut, birch and cherry. It is a rather durable and elegant material and needs good care. Softwood furniture is made of pine, fir, redwood and cedar trees. It is less sustainable as it can be easily
damaged but it is very valued for the vein. Engineered wood is very popular as it combines good quality and moderate prices. It is made of flakeboard, laminwood, medium-density fiberboard, veneer and plywood. These materials provide high endurance of furniture as it does not need much climate control in the room and special care in comparison to hardwood and softwood articles.

Next, it is necessary to pay attention to furniture construction and finish. These two things make up not only the quality of the final production but its beauty, design, functionality and sturdiness. The more professionally the joinery is made, the longer the furniture will serve you. Good quality of mortises, tenons and joints can be noticed by the accuracy of work. The pieces should not be stapled but bolted and the glue should not be seen outside of them. Desks and chests should have dust panels, well joined corner blocks and back panels should fit properly to the other parts of a unit. Pay attention to the drawers and doors which should glide noiselessly and close neatly.
At last, finish makes the final impression and marketable state of the furniture. This process includes sanding, toning, staining, polishing and finishing. Every stage of this work should be performed with high accuracy and great precision. After sanding the item should be smooth and plane, otherwise all shortcomings will be visually doubled after toning and polishing. As for the last, modern materials which are used in furniture making today can offer you a large number of effects; for example, the surface of your bedroom furniture can have an effect of marble, leather or nacre.

Monday, January 16, 2012

How to Remove Common Wood Furniture Stains?

Home furnishing adds new meaning to comfort, appeal, style, and ambience in the most livable spaces in our house particularly the living room and the bedroom. Since the dawn of time, wood has always been the material of choice for building structures but this too has its downside. Wood has to be kept safe from termites and other insect borers so it can last through generations and wood furniture stain removers must be applied over parts that have been marred by stains to preserve as much as possible the original surface glow and furniture finish.

Wood
home furnishing straight out from mills has a striking charm in its simplicity but surfaces must be coated with appropriate finish or varish to add sheen. The surface finish is not only decorative in nature but also serves as a deterrent to deterioration and marks. Human activities make furniture prone to damage and blemishes, some of these are discussed below.
Surface stain and blemishes. Solvents could not be used to remove marks because the solution could also harm the delicate surface finish, and refinishing work is very expensive. Some make use of the appropriate ink and stain remover or more specifically the wood furniture stain remover that gives due tolerance to the surface finish. Others use elbow grease to meticulously and deliberately rub the stained part real slowly so as not to damage the surface finish.

Water marks. Common in wood furniture, this materializes from a cold glass of juice or draft from an open window that is left to dry which in turn results to white ghosts that mar the surface finish. This however is easy to resolve by applying toothpaste over the mark and rubbing it with a clean cloth.


Heat marks. Typically, anything hot placed over furniture will result in marks as the surface finish changes color. Removing heat marks on home furnishing requires a bit of extra work. A common remedy is a mixture of cigarette ash and lemon or cooking oil. Nevertheless, try lemon first, since the citric acid will do wonders in the removal of the heat mark. Once the mark is no longer recognizable, apply the usual surface finishing solution.
Cigarette burns. Even a flick of a cigarette can result to furniture burns and damage on wood finish. The burn on the surface is not appealing but it can be removed by using a paste of linseed oil and rottenstone. Work it possibly along the grains, until the cigarette burn disappears entirely.

Beverage spills. Milk and alcohol based beverages deliver the most unsightly form of stains on wood home furnishings. To clean it up, use a damp cloth and some ammonia into the stain and rub it. Once the blemish disappears, some paste wax can also be applied and rubbed over it to restore its glossy sheen.


Remember some home remedies might not provide the expected results -- so a
wood furniture stain remover might be necessary to completely wipe off discoloration from furnishings.

But a word of caution, not all wood furniture stain remover are formulated using similar substances, so pick one that is gentle to the surface finish but harsh and effective against stains.

Being in top level management for over 10 years, Greg Nowak understands how important it is to cut costs and manage office supply expenditure as effectively as you can. That is why Greg recommends Northland Wholesale for your wholesale office supply requirements.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Outdoor Wood Furniture Plans - Pick the Suitable Wood for Your Project

Finding the best choice of wood for your own project is really a significant part for achieving success in woodworking.

So now that you've already found some wonderful woodworking plans, you're all set to carry on that next great homemade project.

In here, one problem may arise. What kind of wood are you going to use? While you are still searching for the answer, here are some advantages and disadvantages of different kinds of wood, for it will definitely help you on deciding in terms of wood variety. This will also assist you on getting started accurately.

Wood for wood processing is generally categorized into two: Softwood and Hardwood

Softwood

Soft woods are often cheaper and light, and are generally often grown in sustainably managed forests, a fact that they are protected from extinction. This guarantees that you're not simply protecting our planet, but you're rest-assured you'll have lumber intended for your subsequent woodworking project.

Here are the three types of conifers you can make use of.

• Cedar - Western Red Cedar, the most typical type and usually has a reddish tint.
Cedar produces long lengths of timber with true, straight grain; however the best reason why you have to use it on your next woodworking project is its high resistance to deterioration. So if you're building something for an outdoor garden, Cedar is the perfect choice.

• Pine - Pine is the second popular and is also available in various wood types (ponderosa, sugar, yellow and white). It is a great wood for furniture plans because of the natural wood grain and beautiful knots it exemplifies. Pine is fairly good and pine scrub is ideal for the complicated details that basically should be carved out from the woods.

• Redwood - Redwood is like cedar, highly resistant to deterioration and moisture.
Available at reasonable prices in furniture shops. It is easy to work with and possesses a straight grain. It also features a red tint.
Hardwoods
The kind of wood you have to use is depending upon the needs of your woodwork plans. There are some kinds of lumber available within each category.

Hard woods are usually more expensive, and some are really hard to find.
Listed here are three popular hardwoods utilized in woodworking.

• Ash - Ash is generally a light brown wood, it can be color brown or white with a straight grain.
It's fairly easy to use than any other hardwoods, but it can really be very hard to find.

• Oak - One of the most well-known and finest kinds of woods used in furniture, it is extremely sturdy and heavy wood which you usually find in most home improvement shops.
Oak comes in white and red, it's all up to you what color you should choose, whether it's in the plan or it's your personal choice. (White oak is moisture resistant, so it is your best option for your outdoor fixtures).

• Mahogany - Another popular wood used in making furniture is mahogany.
It can be reddish (sometimes dark) wood with straight grain. It's not as durable as oak; nevertheless it is simple to work with and takes stain and oil perfectly. Unfortunately, mahogany can't keep on existing on our wild forest, meaning to say, it is actually getting extinct. This just not only affects our environment, but surely, it can also bring a huge effect on your pocket.

Mentioned above are the different characteristics of wood which somehow help you to make the most out of your beginner woodworking ideas and arriving with a successful woodwork project.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Choosing The Right Cleaning Solution For Wood Furniture

There's nothing like the beauty and command of wood furniture. There may be something chic or inexplicably cool about more modern materials such as metals or high-grade plastic, but there's also something about wood furniture that cannot be ignored. wood simply breathes grandness and charm and elegance rolled into one. Solid wood furniture, in particular, strikes us with such appeal that we almost always think they are everything we would want in furniture. In the home or office, wood is wood and nothing can pretty much substitute for the unmistakable air of class it exudes.
To keep wood furniture looking great though, we have to do our part in maintaining it. Some people may think wood is something that you can just wipe with a damp piece of cloth to get rid of stains or dust that may accumulate on it. This should not be the case, though. In fact, before you know what type of cleaning is required for wood, you have to make a few considerations. For the most part, you have to know what type of finish was made on that wood for you to determine what type of cleaning solution is good for it.

For example, the most basic thing you need to consider when deciding how to go about cleaning your wood furniture is to check if it is soft-finished or hard-finished. Soft-finished woods are those that are coated with oil while hard-finished woods have either a varnish or polyurethane coat. You can check this by applying a very small amount of linseed oil on the
wood. If oil is absorbed, the wood is soft-finished. Otherwise, the wood is hard-finished. To know whether it's coated with polyurethane or varnish, apply denatured alcohol on the wood. If the alcohol absorbs quickly, then coat is made of varnish.
Once you know what type of finish your wood has, you can now shop for the right cleaning solution. You'd like to make sure though, that you actually get the right one as using the wrong one can cause permanent marks on your furniture. Also, you should never mix cleaning solutions, whether they are both for soft-finished or hard-finished or if you mix one type with the other. This can mean disaster for your wood, and while its quality will not be diminished, its beauty certainly will be. If you're simply unsure about the cleaning solution to get, do not hesitate to ask the store clerk. There is a right way to clean your wooden furniture, and there is no reason why you shouldn't do it that way.