How can we fix your Economy??? I watched our new President laying out his economic stimulus plan tonight on T.V.  He kept saying how important it was for the consumer to get back out there and start purchasing again.  All I could think about was here we go again, people buying more junk imported clothes, gadgets, and worst of all imported furniture.  I'm the repair guy that gets called out on this stuff so I know what I'm talking about.  People are barely seeing the delivery truck leave the driveway and having problems with loose joints, peeling veneer, loose tops, ill fitting upholstery, etc.  I do see people investing in gold, silver, jewelry, etc. now with these uncertain times sooooo... how about investing in some real wood instead of these compressed paper pieces?  Don't own any real wood?  Start your search right here in Columbus.  The Reynoldsburg Antique Mall is located just south of Livingston Avenue on Brice Rd.  Lots of dealers and plenty of good furniture.  And don't forget the Scott Antique Market held at the Ohio State Fairgrounds once a month.  Don't want to move from your computer?  Let your fingers pull up Craigslist or even go to E-bay for some great deals.  Feel like taking a Sunday trip for some fun, head on over to the Heart of Ohio Antique Mall in Harmony Ohio at the intersection of St. Rt. 40 and I-70?  Just about 45 minutes from Columbus they've got over 300 dealers under one roof. 
My point is, try taking your "purchasing" in a different direction.  Leave the paper furniture in the showrooms.  You know we can offer excellent repair and restoration services on the "the good ole' stuff" so start shopping for your "new heirlooms."

And more new furniture woes... Just today I saw two dining room tables I could not service.  The first one was at least 15 years old so they got their use out of it.  The problem?  Thin wood veneers over compressed paper.  The coating was peeling off just from moisture exposure and I could step back and see that the paper core underneath was raising the veneer in spots.  "Can't you just sand it down and refinish it?" said the lady.   I then proceeded to tell her that the veneer surface was only 1/28th to 1/64th inch thick.  If I sanded hard enough to get the coating off I hit the the swollen areas cutting the tops of those areas off.  And chemcial stripping???? Forget about it, the thin veneer will let the liquid get down to the compressed paper.  Ever see a dry sponge hit the water?, well, with wood that's not a pretty sight.  So just after I gave her the bad news I'm standing in front of another large dining room table (rather expensive) that is only 4 years old and showing the same problems. 
So what can you do about tables like this?  Well, the obvious thing is to look for better quality tables.  If you do already own one have a pro company like us add adittional clear coating or at least check it to see if you've got enough protection on there.  Remember, the only line of defense for those surface veneers and underlying paper core is the finish itself.  Most of the finishes that are coming in on imported tables are under 3 mils thick.  That's 3 thousandths of an inch thick which is the same thickness as a heavy duty trash bag.  I don't think that's much protection, do you???
It costs how much??? Trust me when I say I hear this phrase everywhere now!  Fact is we haven't raised our prices here at Furniture Physicians since 2006.  Just in the past year though we have seen our refinishing and repairs supplies go up 10%, our stripping chemicals rise 20%, and fuel costs???, ugh, I don't have to tell you about those.  What can we do to keep your pricing down?  First, we are going to put our Johnstown office on "by appointment only" hours for the winter.  Yes, that's right, you won't be able to just "drop in" like you've done in the past.  Since that building is heavily insulated we want to turn back that thermostat when it's not in use.  Just call first and set an appointment with Lora.  Second, we've now trimmed back on one full time staff memeber.  All of us here will share some of those duties.  And I almost forgot, Betts Beresford, my son-in-law, has worked for us now and then for several years.  We will increase his duties with the company.  Betts likes to run a "tight ship" when it comes to shop or delivery operations.
Home Refinishing hobby makes a comeback...Well, back in the 1970's we were getting ready for the 200th birthday of our great country.  Homer Formby (anybody remember him???) was pushing refinishing products on TV and most home magazines were showing people how to save their own piece of "American Heritage."  Lately we have seen the return of the home refinisher.  We like these customers because one thing they don't like to do is remove the old paints and coatings.  We can offer quality stripping at very good pricing as well as the General Finishes easy-to-use 2 step rag on coatings.  Just think for about the cost of one modern dining room set you could have a whole house full of antique and collectable furniture that you "brought back to life" with your new hobby.
New furniture still on your mind?, read on......
 Thinking about new furniture???  You might want to read this first...
NEW FURNITURE- I've been flooded with calls this year about problems with new furniture so I thought you might need some of this information.  First, about the only manufacturing concerns that are making "American Made" furniture are the Amish.  If you are buying almost any retail store item, NO MATTER HOW EXPENSIVE OR WHAT BRAND, it is at best, being made overseas and simply assembled here.  Several chair makers have now decided that it is not COST EFFECTIVE to use glue in their chair joints anymore and simply spot nail, screw, and bolt their chairs.  Have a medium to dark brown bedroom set with a lot of fancy carvings? Do the the nicks "in the wood" look yellow or white?  The yellow underneath is expanded polystyrene plastic overlayed over pressed paper.  The white color is art gesso and plaster overlayed over pressed paper.  Think that just because a piece is "heavy" that makes it better?  Wrong, compressed paper and particle boards can be heavier than most natural hardwoods.  People are paying big bucks and financing this furniture for 5, 10, 15 years, yet they're calling us in as little as a month with problems.  What to do?  First, educate yourself.  If you think certain pieces are going to get beat up more, disposable furniture is fine for that purpose, just buy it as cheaply as possible.  If you want to have furniture that's going to be around for the next decade your best bet is shopping for older furniture that was made before the 1970's and simply have it refinished to your tastes (color, gloss, etc.).  Need new furniture? Look up Amish and local craft furniture dealers in your area.  If you already own some of these new problem pieces you've come to the right place.  I do have specific training for repairing pressed paper, plastic, plaster, etc. type furniture surfaces.  No, I may not be able to refinish these pieces but I can probably extend their life until you get them paid off!  - Darrel
And it still gets worse...

Yes, there are reports of more leaded finishes appearing on imported furniture.  A lot of it seems to be the new black coatings (although we tested a few stains that had it, too) you see.  The reasoning behind using lead is simple, it is the cheapest way to make coatings more durable, but of course it makes the finish TOXIC.  Another restorer from the northern Illinois area said that he encounterd some more African furniture finished in motor oil.  I can't even imagine what level of metal toxins would be in that stuff.  There's a good reason we recycle motor oils in this country.  THEY CERTAINLY DON'T BELONG IN OUR LIVING ROOMS!!!
So you like designer black finishes...  Hmmm... how can you get them without buying new???  That's easy, we can do this to almost any furniture for you from a dull or eggshell soft black to higher gloss looks.  We can also do "strike outs" on your edges.  A strike out is done by removing some of the black on edges and spindles (just about any area you want) to achieve wear patterns. This makes pieces look hundreds of years old but still giving you the protection of clear sealers under those strike out areas.  Several people in recent months have had us match table tops to cherry or mahogany cabinetry while doing the table base and chairs in these black effects.  Furniture from the 40's, 50's, and 60's take on a completely contemporary look when done in satin black.

Maintenance tips for your furniture...   Too much polishing???  Can you polish your furniture too much?  Absolutely.  In fact I would say that one of the most common failure problems with clear coatings involves too much polishing and protection.  If you are using any type of cream polish that has a white color to it and feels like thin toothpaste between your fingers that liquid contains abrasives which wear away your surface with each application.  Even if you are using clear liquids these too can cause problems by putting them on "too wet."  This can cause wetting through minor finish micro cracks and further lifting of the clear coats. 
So what about waxes?  Although some paste style wax can make an older coating look good for awhile the biggest problem is most people think that if a little is good a lot would be great.  By over applying wax you can cause your surface to hold dirt and grime.  The heavy wax coating can also start to soften your clear coat and again cause coating failure. 
Furniture Pads???  Probably the best and worst protective thing for your furniture.  If you use them the way they were designed you should be just putting them on when you actually serve on your table surface.  The premium wool surface underneath protects the fine furniture finish while the upper plastic surface prevents liquids and heat from penetrating.  The problem you can have with pads is leaving them on too long.  Many times we have seen customers incorrectly leaving the pads on the table all the time, then taking them off when they serve.  That wool part of the pad will eventually migrate into the clear table coating and try to stick permanently to the table.  If you've reached that point it can be very expensive to have the pads removed and yes, at that point most times, refinishing is needed. 
So what's the best way to take care of my furniture???  If you've got furniture made between the 1960's and the late 1980's you've got some of the best coatings that were produced on American made furnitue.  Go to an automotive supply store (Advance Auto, AutoZone, Pep Boys, etc.) and buy yourself a micro-fiber polising cloth.  Next go to Krogers, Target, Meijer Square, etc. and buy a bottle of Guardsman Lemon Oil Polish.  Lightly spray the cloth with the polish and put it in a zip lock bag for at least a week.  Simply use this rag for your dusting and your done!  When finished, very lightly spray the rag again and put it back in the bag until your next dusting.  If you follow this method of caring for your furniture you won't be oversaturating the surface.  If you do get some dry dust build up between these dustings just buy a feather duster and use that to knock down the dust for vacuuming.  If your furniture is newer mass manufactured furniture from the 1990's till present you may have some very fragile coatings on your furniture.  While you can definitely do the same style of polishing as already stated, just keep in mind that you must be much more careful with these imported coatings.  Always try to immediately wipe off spills using a slightly damp but never wet rag.

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