Shopping filter: Seeking a very simple maple or oak bar stool, about 30" high, with a square or rectangular top. Preferably solid wood, but good quality composite material is ok. Must have flat top... we plan to use it as a bedside table. This stool at target.com is the perfect shape and size, but the wrong color. I need a warm-toned maple, oak, ash. I've already looked at many retail sites... ikea, overstock, pottery bran, west elm. Any suggestions? We would prefer to order within the U.S. to save on shipping.
posted on Aug 7, 2008 - 8 answers

How do I take care of my (possibly antique) Ethiopian wood chair? [more inside]
posted on Apr 24, 2008 - 4 answers

Calling all woodworkers! Can you help a noob build a very unbalanced but sturdy piece of furniture? Googling about joinery has proved fruitless and my woodworking skill is lacking. Feel free to also tell me to give up and recommend custom furniture makers in the Atlanta area! [more inside]
posted on Jun 26, 2007 - 21 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 on Jun 15, 2007 - 5 answers

What's the least toxic way to stain and seal wood? [more inside]
posted on Jan 11, 2006 - 26 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 on Dec 28, 2005 - 11 answers