You are so true others out there could learn a great deal from Tom. The part I hate the most are the ones who feel they need to be cute, loud,funny or so many other things. When I believe what most of want is to just see a great craftsman at work.
I especially loved watching this one. I am danish and my dad was a furniture maker and worked for France and son in Hillerød, Denmark in the late 50s early 60s. We had two of those chairs at home. Both with wool covered box cushions with an edge bead. One was light curry yellow and the other duck egg blue. We also had lost of leftover teak bits to use for various things … I built doll house furniture out of some and my dad had a bucket full of those bullet bits and used them as garden tool handles and other repair stuff around the house. Thank you for all your wonderful videos. You do some beautiful work.
Wow! Thank you! That is amazing. I'm so glad you have so many memories of that time. I've been wondering how it came to be that the Danes were using teak - there must be some connection
@@johnsonrestoration Ohhhh, there comes more memories! My uncle worked for ØK (The East Asia Company) and he travelled in East Asia (and other parts of the World … I think also South America at some point) with the one purpose of buying special wood home for the Danish furniture businesses. It was all hardwood which was not available in Scandinavia. It was then transported to Denmark with Mearsk Shipping (another Danish Company). And by the way, the finish you did on those chairs were spot on - exactly as I remember them 👍
Single details turn a $1600 repair bill into an ‘on the house’ apology…or even a law suit. (Of course that would only happen with the wealthiest clients…the kind you need but hate to see them coming)
I enjoy your videos because you show most of the error that could go awry and you show most of them and some escape but you do recover. Thank You for you're time
I got lucky recently when I went to a dollar store and found wood markers for a buck twenty five! With my current projects they are perfect. I have used these for years and want to tell about removing the wrong color or lightening the marker once it is on the wood. For me, an artist, lighting is everything. Before starting (this is for those who are new to staining and/or markers), I make sure I have full spectrum lighting. I am amazed at how often I have had to explain light to people but am glad to do so. With the most current common lights, LED, both "white" and "yellow" bulbs are needed. In fluorescent lighting, "Daylight" and "Cool White" together provide full spectrum lighting. You can also use a plant light bulb. If you are preparing a piece for a certain room and are very particular about color, do test swatches and take them to the room to see there what the light does to them. This is all important because you can fall out of love with a piece if it isn't just right. Why is lighting so important? When working to find just the right color for something, let's say wall paint, you are looking at it under Daylight bulbs in the ceiling of a big box store most likely. The swatches help you when you take them home but if you are checking them at night, with the curtains closed, or in a space where the other side of the spectrum "cool white", which is the most common bulb color in the home, these swatches look different under all of these different situations. When thinking about color, think about the use of the thing that is getting the color. We often use colors because we like them but some of us use certain colors because they create a feeling inside. Yellow invokes joy and renewal, pure white a clean feel, blue is calming. We get this from nature. Green grass reminds us of spring and renewal, deep blue is the ocean and its vastness, browns and oranges are colors of harvest and plentiful stock. These days gray being so popular make me curious, gray or grey, however you spell it, it seems sad to me. About four months ago and did four paintings for my mother. One for each season, in miniature, I did trees in winter and fall, and for spring I did a field of wildflowers and summer a warm beach at an ocean. My mother is well traveled so I invoked the images I invented with my childhood time with her traveling as the 'navigator'. The winter was black, white and gray with built textures for snow on dark, back lit trees. It seemed ominous so I brightened the snow with a full moon glow and it became peaceful but dead. So, with the slightest amount of blue added to the white, I gave it life. The change was as if I had lit it with two different bulbs, cool white and daylight. Each painting held the facts of light and my mother noticed. She is an artist as well. Now that I shared this diatribe, if you find you have used too much ink from a marker, or the color turns out to be wrong once you follow my suggestion for checking it under the right light, you can remove the marker with rubbing alcohol. Use a mini paintbrush for the edges where it overlaps the original finish if any. Put it on, wipe it off, repeat until it doesn't show stain on your cloth after wiping. It will still be there but it is the fastest way to fix this issue that I have found. I hope if you have read this far you got a few smiles and some information you might use. If not, whats wrong with you!?!? LOL I would love to hear other peoples suggestions for this common issue.
had discovered the alcohol "trick", but never thought to use a brush - just the tip of a foil wrapped pad. I imagine a brush would be just the thing for tiny lines.
Tom once again another great video, your dad would be proud of you since the trade runs in the family. Quick story my dad also was good with his hands as a craftsman. I remember one time as a small boy going with my dad to my uncles house. My dad inset a china hutch into the wall. Didn’t think much about at the time. Until years later and many shop classes, that I returned. And saw my dads excellent craftsmanship. He inset this complete cabinet / hutch with the crown molding and ornate figure flush within the wall. It turned out really nice and think of this often, the things sons gained from our fathers.
It's like the old Mark Twain quote, how when he was 18 his dad was an ignoramus, but by the time he turned 21 the old man had learned an incredible amount!
My Brother and I recently divided up my mom's Danish furniture. We've both gotten really good at regluing,( properly) and gentle refinishing teak. Both of us can make a hidden shelf bracket out of heavy guage wire without thinking about it. We've developed a theory about why this very pretty and nicely designed furniture has not held up as well as it should. Two words: latchkey children. Right at the peak of Danish Modern teak, children all across America were running wild after school, listening to records on the hi fi, putting our soda pops on the tile top parson tables, and generally using the living rooms like we owned it. Never before has fine furniture been put under this kind of stress. At 5:45 PM, we whisked all evidence of our use of the living room away, opened our school books on the kitchen table, plastered looks of innocence on our faces and prayed we put our mom's record back on the turn table and took Pink Floyd off. That and the delicate lines and sometimes extreme angles of the chairs.... By the 1980s there was no more living room furniture. Parents had given up. It was all great rooms, family rooms, etc. Now I'm in my late 50's, appreciating the Danish teak, and as I work on it finding a bunch of sneaky Elmer's glue repairs dating back to my brother's and my time running wild in the Living room!
Thanks! You are so right! These chairs lived in a house with 10 children, and being military moved all over the world. So actually these chairs stood up really well! I love your description of those afternoons!
Hey there. France & Son were some of the best furniture factories in the Danish Furniture Architects Heyday and Finn Juhl is certainly among the most sought after and still is. And not cheap. Allways a pleasure to see craftsmanship in action. Back in the day they almost allways used hot boneglue, which ain't that strong and Laquer for the last finish. We hardly use Laquer anymore, but mostly linseed oil with beewax in some mix or another. No question: Teak definitely deserves oil 🙂 Greetings from a danish cabinetmaker.
Thank you! That’s very good information. I feel like the hide glue is very strong, based on our informal shop tests. I’m happy that a Danish furniture maker approves of the work!
Tom, I talk about your channel, the quality of work, the care, the knowledge, the corrections even...all the time. My husband laughs at me sometimes when I get excited over saving the 'age' of a piece. That's my favorite btw. Just to let you know, I have started making strides towards making furniture again...well...doll house pieces! LOL I want to share with young people the beauty of hand crafted items. In an IKEA world, they need examples of imagination and skilled hands. I can't restore furniture anymore but I can go through my books and find pieces I adore or I can go through my mothers house and find pieces to make in miniature. I just wish I was better with my hands, any suggestions for old, achy joints? As usual Tom, I agree...it does look good!
Thanks! A secret for arthritis - Drunken Raisins. My wife and I take them everyday. You should try - some people report amazing results: www.healthline.com/nutrition/gin-soaked-raisins-for-arthritis
I really appreciate that you show and explain any ‘oopsies’ this helps us beginners understand that stuff happens - even to professionals - and that life does indeed go on.
I saw you gluing up a long crack in an arm at about 3 minutes in. Have you ever used the vacuum cleaner trick? You spread an excessive amount of glue on the top and suck it into the crack by placing the vacuum suction nozzle on the bottom. It works great, and it gets the glue into all of those fibrous nooks and crannies if you work it in from the top with your finger. That might be why my shop vacuum seems to groan when it turn it off, but I'm not sure.
A beautiful restoration of a beautiful example of Mid-Century design. Your approach is so professional, and the little "surprises" that crop up do not seem to ruffle you at all. I so admire your instinct and talent, not to mention your knowledge. This video was the perfect accompaniment to my morning - Thank You!
Those chairs just kept revealing their surprises. And you just kept taking care of what needed repairing. 20 hours??? My patience would not have lasted that long. Glad yours did. Beautiful work, Tom.
An absolutely amazing job, Tom. You have managed to repair all the faults and even did some invisible mending too. The chairs have a beautiful finish now and will last another 50 years easily, thanks for sharing.
Another masterclass in how to do things properly. Absolutely superb work as usual. The chairs probably look better now than when the left the factory way back in 1956. Thanks for posting.
Tom, you are such a pleasure to watch at work. I always try and estimate the hours you put into each job before you tell us and I am always a factor of at least four or five out! I thought that job would be at least 80 to 100 hours. The effort with which you achieve your near-perfect results is incredible.
Love the cross dowel for strength. Common in player piano pneumatics. Really works. Just gave that tip to a fellow restoring a 37 Buick. Great work Sir.
The best ‘unboxing’ video this year on You Tube! Lovely chairs! I absolutely love your router ‘trick’ it’s an elegant solution to an old problem. You’ve improved my skills! Projects like that are why we added the machine shop and the vacuum lab to our array of simple tools. The old ways are the best but a little ‘modern’ (100 year old) technology is helpful! And as always, God Bless Mohawk!
WOT! No clamps? Another wonderful sympathetic restoration that was a pleasure to watch. Long may you continue in your work, and thank you for sharing it it.
As always Tom, a fantastic restoration. The chairs look fabulous again, like we knew they would after going through your hands. Thank you for sharing your skills with us - there is always something new to learn from you. Take care 🙂
Tom, with your master craftsmanship the chairs have been returned to their original glory!! Thank you for sharing your in-depth knowledge with us!! You are very much appreciated!! 👏🏻😊
These are exactly like my Mum and Dads are chairs right down to the cushion straps. I didn’t even remember them until you unboxed them. It was a nice surprise and brought back a flood of memories. Who would have guessed they’d be such collectibles 60 years later.
I am always impressed with your patience and attention to detail, particularly when it comes to finishing a piece. All the different treatments - oxalic acid, oil, dye stain, wax, and whatever else it takes for you to be happy with the result. I would never hesitate to place a dearly-loved, irreplaceable family heirloom into your hands.
You sir are a master craftsman who takes pride in his work. Because of watching your videos I'm restoring a Victorian era vanity desk with large mirror that someone had painted and used a lot of nails to keep it together. So far I've been able to match the finish color using toner and fix damage using epoxy putty. You've definitely helped me in this restoration and in other woodworking projects. Thank you!
You are amazing. We've been watching your channel for months and learned many ways to fix our own old furniture. Saved lots of money by fixing our 80 year old dinning table. The table was given to us by his mom. We also fixed our 20 year old chairs. We are from Massachusetts, but we Love Maine ❤️. Every year, we spend the summer there. Our dream is to retire in Maine. We have about 6 years to go. Thanks for sharing your expertise with us 😊
Wieder ein sehr interessantes Video. Es macht immer wieder Spaß dir bei der Arbeit und bei der Lösung von Problemen zuzuschauen, wunderbar 👍👏 viele liebe Grüße Christel
I do love a good Tom Johnson Film, always quality, easy to follow, always great content, great instruction tips, and sharing tricks of his trade! I do think a good puppy needs to be introduced and trained as the shop companion to fill in for the loss of Bella.
Thanks! Of course, there's nothing new under the sun! Even in the 19th century, companies like Thonet were flat packing their chairs for shipping. Easily assembled with screws at the final destination
They look great now and its good to bring them back. This Scandinavian furniture is getting very popular here in the UK and I think those chairs are pretty valuable.
Beautiful chairs from Finn Juul - maybe the greatest of all the cool mid century Danish designers. Only guys with your skills should repair them. Thanks for keeping them alive so beautifully!
I find it very relaxing and soothing to my nerves watching your adept ability in techniques and methodology in repairing and revitalizing the pieces you accept in the projects you collect. Please continue often.
That project was full of surprises! Great job, Tom! Were those chairs not made to stand the test of time, as it seems there were a lot of weak points that failed?
No, these are generally considered to be well engineered, very high quality pieces - as Tom points out with the cross dowelling. They just seem to have had a particularly rambunctious life.
I want to echo the many compliments written here, not just for this video, but for your overall approach to creating informative videos for your channel. However, I would like to offer particular praise for your color matching skills -- just astounding.
For MCM cushions, highly recommend Renaissance Cushions our of Canada. Small shop that knows MCM well and who will work customers to get the correct sizing for height, width, and depth. (Some customers like 4in bombed out cushions but I prefer thinner, on the order of 3" to 3.5" for the seat and 1" less for the back.) The Maharam Beck and Kvadrat Divina MD and Melange fabric lines are well suited for MCM chairs. Lots of solid colors/hues to chose from that fit well with oak, teak, rosewood, rattan, and other woods.
When I moved into my first apartment, next door, there was a Danish American couch and chair on the porch. So I talked to the man who owned the house and he gave them to me for free. My dad and I sanded them down, but they were missing several of the springs, similar to what your chairs had. I kick myself for giving them away and wish I had kept them. Of course, that was 45 years ago, and I didn't have internet to help me find those things or to tell me how to finish them. I loved them so much. If I could have done what you did for the finish, they would have been just as beautiful.
Right from the start, when you were unboxing them it was obvious these chairs were absolutely gorgeous. A delightful, very elegant design. It is interesting to see the technical solutions that went into the design to keep these pure and seemingly simple lines. It was also very interesting to discover at what cost it all comes up and I hope that the chairs will be treated with a lot of gentleness to avoid new cracks to form. Tom, have you ever used floss to force glue into narrow cracks? What do you think of this technique? As you went on with the repair, I could spot a lot of hacks you use and I am in awe at how bright you are. I have started using some of your techniques at home on lesser furniture and I am so happy it went so well. Thank you ever so much, my friend!
Great work. Love that mid 20th stuff. Have some 1970s Danish hi-fi units, also some English G-Plan wall units and a set of nesting Ercol tables. And my buddy in the Channel Islands has a houseful of Ercol.
Tom, your 15 seconds dedicated to wild birds picking berries at the beginning is wonderful. They fly off in a flurry of wings, and who knows, they might drop some seeds or pips that will grow into more trees. Trees provide us with so much; berries for birds and the wood from which we can make things. A lovely illustration of the circle of life.
Beautiful work on exceptional chairs. I think the restoration was sympathetically done and still retained a little of the historical dog chews. The owners would appreciate that I'm sure.
Mid-century chairs made a nice change, definitely different construction designs used. As ever I loved seeing you fill and colour, as you said it's amazing how little of the filler remained from what looked like a big chunk of chewed out wood. Extraordinary that the spring loops were still available and I was very impressed with your makeshift stretcher! Much relieved to see you come back to confirm that they do indeed look pretty good, life would not have been the same had you not. 😅 More birds I don't recognise too, though I do so enjoy your wildlife shots before and after. Thank you 👍👏
Very fine work! I’m glad to see that these made it into your hands considering the state that they were in. Model 133 'Spadestolen' (Spade chair) was designed in 1954 and was Finn Juhl's very first collaboration with what was then called France & Daverkosen. These chairs have to date to 1957, not 1956, because 1957 is the year that France & Daverkosen’s name changed to France & Son. The original frames were teak but it was produced in limited quantities post-1960 in the highest quality Brazilian Rosewood. I’d imagine that a coat of wax every six months would go a long way in ensuring that the wood retains its natural luster. Thanks for posting the video, it was nice to view. I might have missed it but how were the missing metal rods replaced?
Thank you! Very good information. I didn't show the making of the metal rods, I just cut some round stock from the hardware store and epoxied some washers in the middle, They didn't really show much when the chairs were assembled (thank goodness)
Getting pva glue through cracks in wood is difficult, I use a shop vac with a cloth held over the end of the hose to pull the glue through. You can vary how much suction and the rag catches any glue to keep it out of the vac. Great job as always! Enjoy the content.
The rag over the hose is a good tip. I use my shop vac too (Bosch) and I can dial the suction up or down, which helps to control the way the glue is moved around.
Indeed, they do look pretty good. An exceptional restoration respecting the integrity of the original design, which is greatly appreciated. Thank you for sharing.
Unfortunately, I’m at work when I realized you have posted a new video. I’ll have to wait until tonight to watch. That means I’m a little bit anxious like a kid on Christmas Eve. I just don’t think I’ll be able to think about anything else.
I love your channel. Excellent balance between showing and explaining techniques without spending a long time on unnecessary footage, such as sanding. The putty and marker trick I'll use on a 50s red oak desk I'm currently refinishing. Thanks again for sharing your excellent craftsmanship.
I had a daybed with the same bands and finish from a garage sale long ago. With the appreciation I seem to have for antiques - as they continually appear in my life - it seems I should have held onto those pieces from long ago. With your help, I can figure out how to work on the pieces I now have and that will be fulfilling. Thank goodness for RUclips!
Tom, I had an Uncle whom you reminded me of today. Seeing you working around the shop with your "radiophones" on your head looked exactly like him. I tried for years to let me fix him up an ipod, or later his cell phone with his music or his baseball games. He wasn't interested. He loved his headphones and was never interested in anything else. Just another piece of history that will not return. Thanks for your videos. A great way to spend an unexpected day off with the rain beating down on the tin roof over my garage!
I love watching your methodical way of dealing with complex problems. AS elegant as the chairs are they may have been too light and delicate for their own survival? It was amazing watching you keep them alive.
As beautiful a job as always Tom. I love the light in your workshop and the way it falls on the refinished pieces of furniture. There's something very timeless about the effect. Or maybe a suspension of time, punctuated by different mugs and jerseys... Many thanks. Tom (from France, and an amateur furniture restorer).
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
I love watching your videos, no nonsense, no loud music, no harshness, just a craftsman sharing his love of wood.
You are so true others out there could learn a great deal from Tom. The part I hate the most are the ones who feel they need to be cute, loud,funny or so many other things. When I believe what most of want is to just see a great craftsman at work.
@@danlopez1668 Couldn't agree more.
@@danlopez1668 👍👍👍👏👏👏
Thank you!
Thanks! So nice...
I especially loved watching this one. I am danish and my dad was a furniture maker and worked for France and son in Hillerød, Denmark in the late 50s early 60s. We had two of those chairs at home. Both with wool covered box cushions with an edge bead. One was light curry yellow and the other duck egg blue. We also had lost of leftover teak bits to use for various things … I built doll house furniture out of some and my dad had a bucket full of those bullet bits and used them as garden tool handles and other repair stuff around the house. Thank you for all your wonderful videos. You do some beautiful work.
Wow! Thank you! That is amazing. I'm so glad you have so many memories of that time. I've been wondering how it came to be that the Danes were using teak - there must be some connection
@@johnsonrestoration Ohhhh, there comes more memories! My uncle worked for ØK (The East Asia Company) and he travelled in East Asia (and other parts of the World … I think also South America at some point) with the one purpose of buying special wood home for the Danish furniture businesses. It was all hardwood which was not available in Scandinavia. It was then transported to Denmark with Mearsk Shipping (another Danish Company). And by the way, the finish you did on those chairs were spot on - exactly as I remember them 👍
TJ, not many RUclipsrs will caution viewers that loudness is coming. Just one more reason why you're the best. Thanks for your consideration.
You're welcome! Yes, not usually a problem, but if you're wearing headphones...
I never get tired of watching you work Tom. Your skill set is unparalleled. Thank you Tom .
You're welcome! I appreciate it!
Your craftsmanship is unmatched. The chairs are beautiful.
Thank you!
Thanks for making my insomnia a little more bearable. Cheers.
You’re welcome! I’m glad I can help! So many people have said the same
Thanks. I greatly respect the way you calmly go through each problem and fix it without missing a single detail.
Thanks!
Single details turn a $1600 repair bill into an ‘on the house’ apology…or even a law suit. (Of course that would only happen with the wealthiest clients…the kind you need but hate to see them coming)
@@viscache1 yep. Thomas has the zen for it.
I enjoy your videos because you show most of the error that could go awry and you show most of them and some escape but you do recover. Thank You for you're time
You're welcome!
This was far from an easy job. You make it look so simple. Great restoration, as always.
Thank you!
Thanks for epoxy putty application pointers... I learn something from every video !
You're welcome! I do too!
I love your deadpan way of saying "I've just got to do this 27 more times..."
Thanks! Yes, the despair...
I inherited a Danish Modern living room set that I loved and have now passed on to a daughter. Timeless and comfortable.
That's great! That's one style that parents can pass on to their kids. They sure don't want our clunky mahogany stuff!
I got lucky recently when I went to a dollar store and found wood markers for a buck twenty five! With my current projects they are perfect. I have used these for years and want to tell about removing the wrong color or lightening the marker once it is on the wood.
For me, an artist, lighting is everything. Before starting (this is for those who are new to staining and/or markers), I make sure I have full spectrum lighting. I am amazed at how often I have had to explain light to people but am glad to do so. With the most current common lights, LED, both "white" and "yellow" bulbs are needed. In fluorescent lighting, "Daylight" and "Cool White" together provide full spectrum lighting. You can also use a plant light bulb. If you are preparing a piece for a certain room and are very particular about color, do test swatches and take them to the room to see there what the light does to them. This is all important because you can fall out of love with a piece if it isn't just right.
Why is lighting so important? When working to find just the right color for something, let's say wall paint, you are looking at it under Daylight bulbs in the ceiling of a big box store most likely. The swatches help you when you take them home but if you are checking them at night, with the curtains closed, or in a space where the other side of the spectrum "cool white", which is the most common bulb color in the home, these swatches look different under all of these different situations.
When thinking about color, think about the use of the thing that is getting the color. We often use colors because we like them but some of us use certain colors because they create a feeling inside. Yellow invokes joy and renewal, pure white a clean feel, blue is calming. We get this from nature. Green grass reminds us of spring and renewal, deep blue is the ocean and its vastness, browns and oranges are colors of harvest and plentiful stock. These days gray being so popular make me curious, gray or grey, however you spell it, it seems sad to me.
About four months ago and did four paintings for my mother. One for each season, in miniature, I did trees in winter and fall, and for spring I did a field of wildflowers and summer a warm beach at an ocean. My mother is well traveled so I invoked the images I invented with my childhood time with her traveling as the 'navigator'. The winter was black, white and gray with built textures for snow on dark, back lit trees. It seemed ominous so I brightened the snow with a full moon glow and it became peaceful but dead. So, with the slightest amount of blue added to the white, I gave it life. The change was as if I had lit it with two different bulbs, cool white and daylight. Each painting held the facts of light and my mother noticed. She is an artist as well.
Now that I shared this diatribe, if you find you have used too much ink from a marker, or the color turns out to be wrong once you follow my suggestion for checking it under the right light, you can remove the marker with rubbing alcohol. Use a mini paintbrush for the edges where it overlaps the original finish if any. Put it on, wipe it off, repeat until it doesn't show stain on your cloth after wiping. It will still be there but it is the fastest way to fix this issue that I have found. I hope if you have read this far you got a few smiles and some information you might use. If not, whats wrong with you!?!? LOL I would love to hear other peoples suggestions for this common issue.
had discovered the alcohol "trick", but never thought to use a brush - just the tip of a foil wrapped pad. I imagine a brush would be just the thing for tiny lines.
Wow! Thank you! This is so interesting. I hope others read this. You should be teaching!
Thanks! I have so many brushes! I love them
I'm glad that you didn't forget, "I think that looks pretty good".
Almost did! Thanks!
Tom once again another great video, your dad would be proud of you since the trade runs in the family. Quick story my dad also was good with his hands as a craftsman. I remember one time as a small boy going with my dad to my uncles house. My dad inset a china hutch into the wall. Didn’t think much about at the time. Until years later and many shop classes, that I returned. And saw my dads excellent craftsmanship. He inset this complete cabinet / hutch with the crown molding and ornate figure flush within the wall. It turned out really nice and think of this often, the things sons gained from our fathers.
It's like the old Mark Twain quote, how when he was 18 his dad was an ignoramus, but by the time he turned 21 the old man had learned an incredible amount!
Thanks! And thanks for the anecdote. I think about my Dad often
Mark Twain - my favorite!
The shot of you sanding in the direct sunlight was a great shot.
Thanks! I saw that happening and had to try and get it on camera
You are a great craftsman.
Have you ever built furniture? And if so, could you show us some of the work you have done?
No doubt he has. I would like to see him do a reproduction of french provincial or some other traditional style.
Thanks! I have! I plan on making a video of building a table
Thanks! I'm planning on doing that
My Brother and I recently divided up my mom's Danish furniture. We've both gotten really good at regluing,( properly) and gentle refinishing teak. Both of us can make a hidden shelf bracket out of heavy guage wire without thinking about it. We've developed a theory about why this very pretty and nicely designed furniture has not held up as well as it should.
Two words: latchkey children. Right at the peak of Danish Modern teak, children all across America were running wild after school, listening to records on the hi fi, putting our soda pops on the tile top parson tables, and generally using the living rooms like we owned it. Never before has fine furniture been put under this kind of stress. At 5:45 PM, we whisked all evidence of our use of the living room away, opened our school books on the kitchen table, plastered looks of innocence on our faces and prayed we put our mom's record back on the turn table and took Pink Floyd off. That and the delicate lines and sometimes extreme angles of the chairs....
By the 1980s there was no more living room furniture. Parents had given up. It was all great rooms, family rooms, etc.
Now I'm in my late 50's, appreciating the Danish teak, and as I work on it finding a bunch of sneaky Elmer's glue repairs dating back to my brother's and my time running wild in the Living room!
Thanks! You are so right! These chairs lived in a house with 10 children, and being military moved all over the world. So actually these chairs stood up really well! I love your description of those afternoons!
Watching the pieces come alive with the application of the Danish oil was so satisfying to watch. They look wonderful. 34 minutes went by in a flash.
Thanks! I like that!
The chairs came out beautifully. That Watco Danish Oil finish is a perfect choice.
Thanks! I thought so too
Your patience in sanding, fitting, gluing, patching.... is amazing
Thanks! 👍
Excellent restoration. You are like a magician! 👌
Thank you!
My parents had similar chairs that folded out into small beds for the children. I love restorations like this.
Thanks! I would have liked to have seen those
Hey there.
France & Son were some of the best furniture factories in the Danish Furniture Architects Heyday and Finn Juhl is certainly among the most sought after and still is. And not cheap.
Allways a pleasure to see craftsmanship in action.
Back in the day they almost allways used hot boneglue, which ain't that strong and Laquer for the last finish. We hardly use Laquer anymore, but mostly linseed oil with beewax in some mix or another. No question: Teak definitely deserves oil 🙂
Greetings from a danish cabinetmaker.
Thank you! That’s very good information. I feel like the hide glue is very strong, based on our informal shop tests. I’m happy that a Danish furniture maker approves of the work!
Tom, I talk about your channel, the quality of work, the care, the knowledge, the corrections even...all the time. My husband laughs at me sometimes when I get excited over saving the 'age' of a piece. That's my favorite btw.
Just to let you know, I have started making strides towards making furniture again...well...doll house pieces! LOL I want to share with young people the beauty of hand crafted items. In an IKEA world, they need examples of imagination and skilled hands. I can't restore furniture anymore but I can go through my books and find pieces I adore or I can go through my mothers house and find pieces to make in miniature. I just wish I was better with my hands, any suggestions for old, achy joints?
As usual Tom, I agree...it does look good!
Thanks! A secret for arthritis - Drunken Raisins. My wife and I take them everyday. You should try - some people report amazing results: www.healthline.com/nutrition/gin-soaked-raisins-for-arthritis
I really appreciate that you show and explain any ‘oopsies’ this helps us beginners understand that stuff happens - even to professionals - and that life does indeed go on.
Yes! Everybody makes mistakes - it's how you handle them
I saw you gluing up a long crack in an arm at about 3 minutes in. Have you ever used the vacuum cleaner trick? You spread an excessive amount of glue on the top and suck it into the crack by placing the vacuum suction nozzle on the bottom. It works great, and it gets the glue into all of those fibrous nooks and crannies if you work it in from the top with your finger.
That might be why my shop vacuum seems to groan when it turn it off, but I'm not sure.
Thanks! I need to try that. Mine groans too! I thought it was just me
I have been repairing furniture for about 6 months now and your channel is a treasure trove of information. Thank you for everything you do.
You're welcome! I hope you can build a successful business!
A beautiful restoration of a beautiful example of Mid-Century design. Your approach is so professional, and the little "surprises" that crop up do not seem to ruffle you at all. I so admire your instinct and talent, not to mention your knowledge. This video was the perfect accompaniment to my morning - Thank You!
You're welcome! I appreciate it!
Those chairs just kept revealing their surprises. And you just kept taking care of what needed repairing. 20 hours??? My patience would not have lasted that long. Glad yours did. Beautiful work, Tom.
Thanks!
An absolutely amazing job, Tom. You have managed to repair all the faults and even did some invisible mending too. The chairs have a beautiful finish now and will last another 50 years easily, thanks for sharing.
You're so welcome!
Another excellent restoration, nice work. Have always liked Danish Modern, maybe because my mother liked is so and it reminds me of her.
Thank you very much! Yes, I like it too!
Another masterclass in how to do things properly. Absolutely superb work as usual. The chairs probably look better now than when the left the factory way back in 1956. Thanks for posting.
You're welcome!
Tom, you are such a pleasure to watch at work. I always try and estimate the hours you put into each job before you tell us and I am always a factor of at least four or five out! I thought that job would be at least 80 to 100 hours. The effort with which you achieve your near-perfect results is incredible.
Thank you! I appreciate it!
Love the cross dowel for strength. Common in player piano pneumatics. Really works.
Just gave that tip to a fellow restoring a 37 Buick.
Great work Sir.
Thanks! Yes, I believe they do work! (I'd like to see that Buick!)
@@johnsonrestoration 78 Chuck is channel. No space in Channel name.
It is so soothing to watch your restorations because of your calm demeanor, competence, and superb results.
Thank you! That's nice
Beautiful chairs and great restoration... Thank you for sharing Tom!
You're welcome!
The best ‘unboxing’ video this year on You Tube! Lovely chairs! I absolutely love your router ‘trick’ it’s an elegant solution to an old problem. You’ve improved my skills! Projects like that are why we added the machine shop and the vacuum lab to our array of simple tools. The old ways are the best but a little ‘modern’ (100 year old) technology is helpful! And as always, God Bless Mohawk!
Thanks so much! Do you have a shop/studio? Are you a professional? Please email me: Thomas Johnson restoration@gmail.com
WOT! No clamps?
Another wonderful sympathetic restoration that was a pleasure to watch. Long may you continue in your work, and thank you for sharing it it.
You're welcome!
I like the robins in the tree. We have some down here in Arizona that I haven't seen for 25 years. Very nice work on the chairs too!
Thanks! That's interesting! Robins are year round now in Maine
Very classy! And the chairs weren't bad either! Good job as always. 🐝😁👍
Thank you! 😊 That made me laugh!
Tom restoring and Danish Modern Design... When the two things intersect, the videos are my absolute favourite.
Thanks! That's great!
As always Tom, a fantastic restoration. The chairs look fabulous again, like we knew they would after going through your hands. Thank you for sharing your skills with us - there is always something new to learn from you. Take care 🙂
You're welcome Michael!
Tom, with your master craftsmanship the chairs have been returned to their original glory!! Thank you for sharing your in-depth knowledge with us!! You are very much appreciated!! 👏🏻😊
You're welcome!
I always love to watch your videos Thomas. I like the furniture you show, and how you show your skills restoring them. 🙂
Thank you very much!
These are exactly like my Mum and Dads are chairs right down to the cushion straps. I didn’t even remember them until you unboxed them. It was a nice surprise and brought back a flood of memories. Who would have guessed they’d be such collectibles 60 years later.
Thanks! Yes, don't you wish you still had them? They're beautiful
Not only are they beautiful chairs, but you still amaze me with how you work your magic. 👍🏾🇬🇧💙
Thank you so much 😀
I am always impressed with your patience and attention to detail, particularly when it comes to finishing a piece. All the different treatments - oxalic acid, oil, dye stain, wax, and whatever else it takes for you to be happy with the result. I would never hesitate to place a dearly-loved, irreplaceable family heirloom into your hands.
Thank you! That's nice
Great job, Tom! Happy to see your art being practised on Mid Century furniture 😀
Thanks! Me too!
These modern danish pieces of furniture are so stylish.
And once they have been refreshed they are very usable too!
Thanks! Very usable!
Beautiful work as always. A pleasure to watch you make old things new again.
Thank you!
You sir are a master craftsman who takes pride in his work. Because of watching your videos I'm restoring a Victorian era vanity desk with large mirror that someone had painted and used a lot of nails to keep it together. So far I've been able to match the finish color using toner and fix damage using epoxy putty. You've definitely helped me in this restoration and in other woodworking projects. Thank you!
You're welcome! That's great! It sounds like you're doing a good job
Really beautifully restored chairs.
Thank you!
You are amazing. We've been watching your channel for months and learned many ways to fix our own old furniture. Saved lots of money by fixing our 80 year old dinning table. The table was given to us by his mom. We also fixed our 20 year old chairs. We are from Massachusetts, but we Love Maine ❤️. Every year, we spend the summer there. Our dream is to retire in Maine. We have about 6 years to go. Thanks for sharing your expertise with us 😊
Thanks! Yes, we lived in Massachusetts for 30 years and made the move to Maine and have never looked back
Wow!! These chairs is worth a lot of money, they are very, very rare to see, even in Denmark where I live.
Thanks! Yes, I saw on-line that they were valuable. I didn't realize they were rare!
Wieder ein sehr interessantes Video. Es macht immer wieder Spaß dir bei der Arbeit und bei der Lösung von Problemen zuzuschauen, wunderbar 👍👏 viele liebe Grüße Christel
Danke Christel! Ich schätze es!
Stunning transformation, and as always, so much great teaching along the way.
Thanks so much! 😊
I do love a good Tom Johnson Film, always quality, easy to follow, always great content, great instruction tips, and sharing tricks of his trade! I do think a good puppy needs to be introduced and trained as the shop companion to fill in for the loss of Bella.
Thanks! That would be fun!
The fact that you had to unbox some Finn Juhl chairs as if they were IKEA flatpack really made me laugh ;)
Thanks! Of course, there's nothing new under the sun! Even in the 19th century, companies like Thonet were flat packing their chairs for shipping. Easily assembled with screws at the final destination
They look great now and its good to bring them back. This Scandinavian furniture is getting very popular here in the UK and I think those chairs are pretty valuable.
Thanks! Yes, they are!
It's such a pleasure watching you work so meticulously. I can tell by the change of clothing this job took quite a few days 👍👍👍
Thanks! Yes, about a week
The bullet ends are so great. I would love an update of them with cushions if the owners share that.
Thanks! Me too! They're having them made
Another wonderful restoration. I loved the attention to detail, and I loved that Danish oil finish.
Thank you!
Beautiful chairs from Finn Juul - maybe the greatest of all the cool mid century Danish designers. Only guys with your skills should repair them. Thanks for keeping them alive so beautifully!
You're welcome! Much appreciated!
Amazing work, would you consider making a community post with a picture of the chairs with the cushions?
Thanks! Good idea! There are plenty of photos on line of these chairs with their upholstery
Nice use of the Stanley 59 Dowel Jig. It's good to see old tools put to use.
Thanks! I found this one new in the box at an antique store! I hated to take it out of the box and use it - but I did anyway
I am always amazed by your attention to detail. Well done young man . Keep the videos coming.
Thank you! I will!
I find it very relaxing and soothing to my nerves watching your adept ability in techniques and methodology in repairing and revitalizing the pieces you accept in the projects you collect. Please continue often.
Thanks! I will
That project was full of surprises! Great job, Tom! Were those chairs not made to stand the test of time, as it seems there were a lot of weak points that failed?
No, these are generally considered to be well engineered, very high quality pieces - as Tom points out with the cross dowelling. They just seem to have had a particularly rambunctious life.
Thanks! They are strong - but have their limits! 549RR is correct - these chairs were abused
Thanks! You are exactly right!
I want to echo the many compliments written here, not just for this video, but for your overall approach to creating informative videos for your channel. However, I would like to offer particular praise for your color matching skills -- just astounding.
Thank you! That's nice
For MCM cushions, highly recommend Renaissance Cushions our of Canada. Small shop that knows MCM well and who will work customers to get the correct sizing for height, width, and depth. (Some customers like 4in bombed out cushions but I prefer thinner, on the order of 3" to 3.5" for the seat and 1" less for the back.) The Maharam Beck and Kvadrat Divina MD and Melange fabric lines are well suited for MCM chairs. Lots of solid colors/hues to chose from that fit well with oak, teak, rosewood, rattan, and other woods.
Thank you! I'll pass this along to the owner
When I moved into my first apartment, next door, there was a Danish American couch and chair on the porch. So I talked to the man who owned the house and he gave them to me for free. My dad and I sanded them down, but they were missing several of the springs, similar to what your chairs had. I kick myself for giving them away and wish I had kept them. Of course, that was 45 years ago, and I didn't have internet to help me find those things or to tell me how to finish them. I loved them so much. If I could have done what you did for the finish, they would have been just as beautiful.
Thanks! All the "could haves" and "would haves" we have in our memories!
Great and interesting video. I’ve just bought a Finn Juhl Sideboard and Table Bench. Cannot wait to receive them 😊
Thanks! Wow! I hope they arrive safely!
Found your site by chance. Such a pleasure ❤
Thanks! Welcome to the channel!
Tom they look fantastic it takes an artist to restore works of art such as these.
Thank you Alistair!
Right from the start, when you were unboxing them it was obvious these chairs were absolutely gorgeous. A delightful, very elegant design.
It is interesting to see the technical solutions that went into the design to keep these pure and seemingly simple lines. It was also very interesting to discover at what cost it all comes up and I hope that the chairs will be treated with a lot of gentleness to avoid new cracks to form.
Tom, have you ever used floss to force glue into narrow cracks? What do you think of this technique?
As you went on with the repair, I could spot a lot of hacks you use and I am in awe at how bright you are.
I have started using some of your techniques at home on lesser furniture and I am so happy it went so well. Thank you ever so much, my friend!
Thank you Sylvie! I'm curious about the floss - I might try it!
Tom, the real zen master of proper furniture restoration!
Thanks! I like that Grasshopper!
Great work. Love that mid 20th stuff. Have some 1970s Danish hi-fi units, also some English G-Plan wall units and a set of nesting Ercol tables. And my buddy in the Channel Islands has a houseful of Ercol.
Thanks! I'm not familiar with Ercol. I'll look that up... Oh! interesting! Thanks for teaching me something today
Thanks once again Tom. Never tire of watching your expert hands do their magic.
All the best to you and your family!
Thanks, you too!
Tom, your 15 seconds dedicated to wild birds picking berries at the beginning is wonderful. They fly off in a flurry of wings, and who knows, they might drop some seeds or pips that will grow into more trees. Trees provide us with so much; berries for birds and the wood from which we can make things. A lovely illustration of the circle of life.
Thanks! Yes, it is. I really enjoy watching them
You are the “chair man” of the board!👍👏
I like that! Thanks!
Beautiful work on exceptional chairs. I think the restoration was sympathetically done and still retained a little of the historical dog chews. The owners would appreciate that I'm sure.
Thanks Amy! Yes, I never feel the need to eliminate all the evidence! Part of the history...
Mid-century chairs made a nice change, definitely different construction designs used.
As ever I loved seeing you fill and colour, as you said it's amazing how little of the filler remained from what looked like a big chunk of chewed out wood.
Extraordinary that the spring loops were still available and I was very impressed with your makeshift stretcher!
Much relieved to see you come back to confirm that they do indeed look pretty good, life would not have been the same had you not. 😅
More birds I don't recognise too, though I do so enjoy your wildlife shots before and after. Thank you 👍👏
You're welcome! I was amazed I could find those spring straps too!
Qué maravilla!.Verle es como ver un pájaro en el cielo, hace que parezca sencillo volar.
Felicidades
¡Eso es tan bueno! ¡Gracias!
Glad you remembered the other one thing "I think they look pretty good ". Another great video.
Thanks Ronald!
Very fine work! I’m glad to see that these made it into your hands considering the state that they were in.
Model 133 'Spadestolen' (Spade chair) was designed in 1954 and was Finn Juhl's very first collaboration with what was then called France & Daverkosen. These chairs have to date to 1957, not 1956, because 1957 is the year that France & Daverkosen’s name changed to France & Son. The original frames were teak but it was produced in limited quantities post-1960 in the highest quality Brazilian Rosewood. I’d imagine that a coat of wax every six months would go a long way in ensuring that the wood retains its natural luster. Thanks for posting the video, it was nice to view. I might have missed it but how were the missing metal rods replaced?
Thank you! Very good information. I didn't show the making of the metal rods, I just cut some round stock from the hardware store and epoxied some washers in the middle, They didn't really show much when the chairs were assembled (thank goodness)
Greetings from the BIG SKY. It's winter around here.
Thanks! Here too! We got 12" of snow on Saturday!
Yes...one more thing. Always a delight to watch you at work.
Thank you!
Getting pva glue through cracks in wood is difficult, I use a shop vac with a cloth held over the end of the hose to pull the glue through. You can vary how much suction and the rag catches any glue to keep it out of the vac. Great job as always! Enjoy the content.
The rag over the hose is a good tip. I use my shop vac too (Bosch) and I can dial the suction up or down, which helps to control the way the glue is moved around.
Thanks! I'm going to have to break down and try that sometime!
Variable suction! I've got to look into that. It sounds like it would give you control
Indeed, they do look pretty good. An exceptional restoration respecting the integrity of the original design, which is greatly appreciated. Thank you for sharing.
You're welcome!
Wow. Beautiful chairs made at the height of the era of Scandinavian design!
Yes! Thanks!
Unfortunately, I’m at work when I realized you have posted a new video. I’ll have to wait until tonight to watch. That means I’m a little bit anxious like a kid on Christmas Eve. I just don’t think I’ll be able to think about anything else.
Thanks! That's really great! I appreciate it
I love your channel. Excellent balance between showing and explaining techniques without spending a long time on unnecessary footage, such as sanding. The putty and marker trick I'll use on a 50s red oak desk I'm currently refinishing. Thanks again for sharing your excellent craftsmanship.
You're welcome!
I had a daybed with the same bands and finish from a garage sale long ago. With the appreciation I seem to have for antiques - as they continually appear in my life - it seems I should have held onto those pieces from long ago. With your help, I can figure out how to work on the pieces I now have and that will be fulfilling. Thank goodness for RUclips!
Thanks! Yes, youtube is my "go-to" for all projects. And good luck on all your projects!
Love watching you work your magic peoples heirloom furniture, and I love seeing your birds and wildlife visitors too.
Thanks!
Tom, I had an Uncle whom you reminded me of today. Seeing you working around the shop with your "radiophones" on your head looked exactly like him. I tried for years to let me fix him up an ipod, or later his cell phone with his music or his baseball games. He wasn't interested. He loved his headphones and was never interested in anything else. Just another piece of history that will not return. Thanks for your videos. A great way to spend an unexpected day off with the rain beating down on the tin roof over my garage!
Thanks! That's great! I understand - I like listening to the radio. Just tradition? In the house we do Pandora
The color matching always amazes me as I struggle with that process. Great work as always!
Thank you!
I love watching your methodical way of dealing with complex problems.
AS elegant as the chairs are they may have been too light and delicate for their own survival? It was amazing watching you keep them alive.
Thanks! The construction, though light weight, it would have been fine if they were never used when they were loose, in need of regluing
As beautiful a job as always Tom. I love the light in your workshop and the way it falls on the refinished pieces of furniture. There's something very timeless about the effect. Or maybe a suspension of time, punctuated by different mugs and jerseys... Many thanks. Tom (from France, and an amateur furniture restorer).
You're welcome! Yes, especially in the winter the light can be awesome!
The Danish oil gives such a lovely finish. Beautiful job. Much appreciate the tip about using the stain markers.
You are so welcome!