We've inherited a wooden sea chest from 1827 along with accompanying provenance and documentation. That's the good news. The bad news is that it stinks. [more inside]
posted by imjustsaying on Nov 5, 2009 - 20 answers

Who can tell me about an antique pipe stand that I have? [more inside]
posted by crazylegs on May 17, 2009 - 1 answer

Does anyone know of any "good" junk shops in east London? [more inside]
posted by WPW on Jul 20, 2008 - 6 answers

Hand sanitizer stained (really, lightened) my antique furniture. Is there a remedy? [more inside]
posted by wheat on Jul 12, 2008 - 2 answers

So I got this beautiful antique chest of drawers which is perfect except that it stinks, really badly...please help. [more inside]
posted by beckish on Oct 18, 2007 - 7 answers

Looking for unique furniture in the Pacific NW. [more inside]
posted by Asbestos McPinto on Feb 2, 2007 - 10 answers

Need furniture (wood) restoration tips I just made an unbelievable find in the trash on a sidewalk in manhattan (you wouldnt believe the things people throw out here). Its a solid wood restaurant butcher block table whch measures 24" X 24" X 10" thick! It weighs 85kilos / 190lbs !! I am really excited about restoring it. I have done some furniture restoration in the past but it always involved sanding the shit out of something until its bare again and refinishing it with a polyurethane or a stain of whatever flavor. In this case I think the butcher block has a lot of character (such as knife marks, dents and has also gotten a nice color from all the grease and oils it came into contact with) and I want to preserve that somehow. Its really dirty and kind of nasty at the moment. Can someone offer some suggestions about which solvents i can use to clean it thogroughly? I'm thinking denatured alcohol / mineral spirits but will that be tough enough to clean it?
posted by postergeist on Dec 28, 2005 - 11 answers

How does one learn about furniture/antiques, specifically Danish Modern furniture? Total idjit/newbie questions inside. [more inside]
posted by dobbs on Aug 23, 2005 - 12 answers