How do I have an old unique art piece restored? [more inside]
posted by anti social order on Oct 6, 2009 - 4 answers

Flat Roof Filter - We're trying to get our garage roof replaced and are having problems locating a supplier for the clay tile end caps that run around the edge of the roof. [more inside]
posted by octothorpe on Sep 1, 2009 - 9 answers

How can I best make my typewriter look like this typewriter? [more inside]
posted by katillathehun on Aug 28, 2009 - 1 answer

How do I restore a grave headstone. My son's headstone has faded over the past 20 years. The engraving (once highlighted with black) has faded, the writing is now hard to read. I could use a small brush and, with my shaky hands try and fill in the letters, but there has to be an easier (and more effective) way... ideas?
posted by HuronBob on Aug 21, 2009 - 13 answers

Trying to restore a 1951 factory prototype auto (US). Need to match some seat upholstery cloth (printed canvas - image here). Any textile folk that can help track down the manufacturer or a source for high quality reproduction? [more inside]
posted by skyscraper on Aug 4, 2009 - 4 answers

What is the least destructive method I could use to determine what if any mold might be growing in drywall? You see, there's this roof leak... [more inside]
posted by cavalier on Jun 8, 2009 - 5 answers

Can anyone recommend a photo restoration service in Toronto? My wife has a photo of her grandmother as a young woman in the 1920's that I'd like to have restored. I'm only interested in getting the actual photo cleaned up rather than a digital restoration. [more inside]
posted by bonobothegreat on Apr 16, 2009 - 5 answers

I'm restoring an upright piano and need a good online source for parts. [more inside]
posted by Benjy on Feb 25, 2009 - 3 answers

Please help me restore the shape of my Coach bag. [more inside]
posted by happy scrappy on Jan 10, 2009 - 4 answers

I have a very old patchwork quilt (est 1910) that my mom bought as an antique. It's been stored for many years now, and is looking really stained and sad. How can I bring it back to life? [more inside]
posted by nkknkk on Nov 19, 2008 - 7 answers

I'm learning to ride a bike and have a vintage Raleigh Caprice. How do I ensure it's roadworthy and get it all ship-shape? [more inside]
posted by mippy on Sep 8, 2008 - 15 answers

A book that is very personal and valuable to me got damaged due to a leak in a car which allowed rainwater in. The book cover acted like a sponge dragging up the water as well as dirt from the upholstery. I've talked to two book repair places, but I have my reservations. Any suggestions? Even more desired: anyone have EXPERIENCE with book repair shops? [more inside]
posted by arniec on Jul 15, 2008 - 7 answers

How should I best clean and care for my great grandfather's oil paintings? [more inside]
posted by maniactown on Jun 13, 2008 - 6 answers

I'm trying to cover all my bases for my budding book repair business. I'm sure in the process people will be asking me to appraise their books. [more inside]
posted by ikahime on Apr 16, 2008 - 4 answers

How is the meaning of art and artefacts being altered by the methods we use to: Experience, Define and Preserve them... In other words, in what ways have technologies been used to experience, re-define and/or preserve art and artifacts? [more inside]
posted by 0bvious on Feb 5, 2008 - 12 answers

Help me restore and properly care for my wooden furniture. [more inside]
posted by fandango_matt on Jan 22, 2008 - 3 answers

How do I repair a leather chair with a hole and significant cracking? [more inside]
posted by jmd82 on Oct 17, 2007 - 6 answers

I'm taking a road trip through the southwest, and I'd like to see places with an interesting backstory or that show you "behind the scenes." I'm interested in places with political, economic, environmental, or industrial significance. Can you recommend some? [more inside]
posted by salvia on Sep 30, 2007 - 9 answers

I need guidence on restoring an Antique Christening Gown in the Southeast US... [more inside]
posted by pearlybob on Jun 20, 2007 - 6 answers

I just bought an old danish-midcentury modern type dining set. Its wood with a finish (lacquer or shellac, I don't know). It has a couple of nasty scratches. I live in San Francisco....know of any businesses/individuals that do wood furniture repair? [more inside]
posted by hazel on Jun 15, 2007 - 5 answers

Antique Print Restoration: I have 6 or 7 original c. 1860 Gould humming bird prints. These are large (14" x x21" +/-) hand-colored lithographs. In wonderful condition EXCEPT there is slight black "text transfer" visible on the print. This sometimes happens to antique prints when there was no tissue-guard to separate the print from the text on the opposite facing page. [more inside]
posted by toucano on Jun 11, 2007 - 2 answers

How do I safely flatten old diplomas? I have two diplomas from 1927 and 1931 that I'd like to frame. They were rolled up in a box with other items for many decades. They are a little squished (but not creased), and they want to retain their rolled up squishedness. Both are printed on a heavyish material with a plasticy feel and a slight sheen; I don't know if it is imitation vellum, or actual animal skin. The documents are from the Mary Institute at Washington University at St. Louis (1927) and Mt. Holyoke (1931) if that helps.
posted by thinman on May 26, 2007 - 12 answers

Please help my father find as-original decals for the 1955 Ferguson 35 Deluxe tractor he's restoring! [more inside]
posted by Alterscape on May 13, 2007 - 5 answers

I have a couple of intricately beaded African ceremonial sashes, ca. 1960, that need cleaning (desperately! profoundly!), but I can't afford professional art restoration at this time, and don't trust non-specialists to clean them. Can I (should I?) try to do something (anything?) on my own? [more inside]
posted by taz on Apr 25, 2007 - 8 answers

I have a bunch of wooden casing moldings around the interior doors of our Washington, DC home, and over the past 75 to 100 years, they've taken quite a beating. I'd love to slowly replace the worst of them with identical moldings, but despite a pretty exhaustive search on my own, I can't find anyone who still carries anything with the same profile. Does anyone have any tips for molding manufacturers/sellers that have good variety, especially of moldings that are accurate to the turn-of-the-century period? [more inside]
posted by delfuego on Apr 13, 2007 - 12 answers

I want to restore pressed-steel Tonka toy fire trucks, but I haven't been able to find much information on how to do so. [more inside]
posted by scrump on Jan 10, 2007 - 3 answers

My mother needs to clean what appears to be hard water mineral deposits from an old Van Briggle vase without damaging it. Vinegar? [more inside]
posted by dozo on Dec 19, 2006 - 6 answers

The ink with which we signed our ketubah (a Jewish marriage contract, in this case a beautifully illuminated one) has almost completely faded in less than three years! What should we do? [more inside]
posted by ericbop on Oct 27, 2006 - 11 answers

What are the most important animals for your region of the country? [more inside]
posted by salvia on May 1, 2006 - 27 answers

In this interesting fpp about the 2005 National Recording Registry, 'audio experts' are quoted as saying "too few people have the skills to preserve many at-risk analog sound materials." Where would one obtain these skills? [more inside]
posted by starscream on Apr 18, 2006 - 5 answers

I have some chromed steel with pretty substantial pitting and rust. However if properly restored its relatively valuable. Is there anything I can do about this myself? If it should be done professionally, where in San Francisco might I take it?
posted by atom128 on Mar 22, 2006 - 12 answers

Art Restoration : I have an old oil-painting that is pretty grungy due to decades of living with smokers and hanging near a fireplace. I'd like to get it cleaned, but I don't know the first thing about a) finding a restorer, and b) what I can expect to pay to have the work done. [more inside]
posted by crunchland on Jan 17, 2006 - 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

I have an old (200+ years?) Bible that I want to get restored, any suggestions? Pics and more info inside. [more inside]
posted by skrike on Dec 7, 2005 - 8 answers

I'm currently considering buying a circa 1900 house that has one major issue, both the first and second floors reek of cat urine. Does anyone have experience with erradicating this odor from an older home? [more inside]
posted by Yukon on Dec 1, 2005 - 15 answers

Is there any way to "repair" the appearance of an old stuffed animal? [more inside]
posted by reformedjerk on Nov 22, 2005 - 5 answers

I have a pair of antique oak T-back chairs with padded leather seats. The leather is old and not quite brittle, but it is cracking ever so slowly. What can I do to help restore some suppleness and health to the leather? [more inside]
posted by sciurus on Nov 12, 2005 - 4 answers

I have an enamel top table from the 30'2 or 40's that I am trying to restore. I've gotten all of the rust stains of the top and its looking very nice, unfortunately the metal legs are nearly rusted out. The legs are shaped like an elongated u that curves out at the bottom. Is there anywhere I can get replacements? Would a creative night with bondo do the trick? Any other ideas?
posted by a22lamia on Apr 24, 2005 - 3 answers

Anybody ever have a mirror resilvered? How much did you pay for what size? Is it something I can do myself? Is silver even used anymore?
posted by stupidsexyFlanders on Aug 9, 2004 - 8 answers