How to Repair & Age Wood: A Rustic Wooden Chest Repair by Fixing Furniture
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- Опубликовано: 13 июл 2024
- It's a broken rustic wooden chest. Watch how to repair it and also how to age bare wood to make it look like the rest of the chest. You'll learn valuable furniture restoration tips as Scott walks through the detailed steps of how to successfully repair the chest.
Repairing a broken piece of furniture like this starts with inspecting the damaged wood and deciding what to do with it. For this chest, there are some loose parts and some poorly-repaired parts that need to be separated and reglued. After that, it's planning what wood to cut out to install wood patches.
Part of the problem with this chest is the hinges have been replaced multiple times. There's evidence of 2 previous hinges before this one came off. I replace the hinges with hinges designed for a chest. I also install a lid stay to keep the lid from falling back and straining the hinges.
I disassemble the lid and plane the two board so they can be glued back together again. I use a jointer plane for this which is a hand-powered alternative to a jointer machine. Once the lid is glued up and back in one piece, I modify the chest to accommodate the smaller lid.
With some new wood and some modified wood, those parts look too new. I share my techniques for aging wood so that the modifications are not obvious to the untrained eye. It's a fun process that's artistic.
After the finish is dry, I secure the lid and the lid stay to the chest, and it's ready to go back to the customer.
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VIDEO TOPICS:
00:00 How to repair & age wood
01:25 Inspect damaged wood
05:17 Secure loose wood
10:38 Replace damaged wood
20:22 Fix gap between boards
35:29 Trimming wood patches
39:16 Trim chest for repaired top
46:56 New hinge hardware
52:43 Patching in old wood
54:05 Tips for aging wood
Fixing Furniture is not only a RUclips channel but it's also a membership community. Get access to videos before they're published on RUclips, watch all the videos without ads, get downloadable reference sheets, and participate in Fixing Furniture Live every two weeks. Learn more about membership at www.fixingfurniture.com
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Fixing Furniture is hosted by Scott Bennett, Owner of Wooden It Be Nice - Furniture Repair in Brooklin, Ontario, Canada. WoodenItBeNice.ca
#repair #wood #woodworking 
Хобби
The nails in the top of the lid reminds me of that Calvin & Hobbs comic where Calvin's mother caught him pounding nails in their coffee table for no reason.
That's funny! Thanks for the chuckle Brent. Scott
"Calvin what are you doing!"
Pause.
"Is that a rhetorical question?"
It’s nice to see attention given to sentimental pieces too. Not everything of value is because of craftsmanship…but rather the intention and efforts done by people of limited talent and resources! Bless you!
Glad you appreciated the care given to this piece. Thanks Michele! Scott
@Fixing Furniture I read this as "Thanks Michael Scott!" And was confused why I missed the Office reference until I reread what you said haha
I love how you respect the wood and your tools. I think the the tray at the top is for storing candles. I've seen many old pine blanket boxes like this,. In the dark the candle would be easy to find without having to rummage deeper down.
Oh, that's cool. I love learning the history of furniture so thank you for sharing that Joan! Thank you. Scott
Just came on to say the same thing, Joan!😊
No need to apologise for your wonderful and authentic Canadian accent. Love your channel!
😊 thank you
I was also struggling to figure out what was wrong with how he was saying, “router”…😅
I was glad to see you added the lid-stay. Not only do they save the hinges from breaking, but they are standard in children's toy chests, to prevent the lid from crashing down on kids' heads. Also, "burnt umber" is basically "Crud In A Bottle". Great, informative video.
Thanks Argus. Scott
I have an old tool chest similar to this that I plan on restoring but I mostly want to comment on your cranked neck chisels. I own a set and find them to be my most used chisel. I want all You tube channels to sing the praise of these tools. If I could only have one set it would be these. I’m learning so much from you. Cheers🇨🇦
i repaired a chest similar to this about a year ago and wish i had this video back then, you made me realise how many things i did wrong (and some i did right as well!!) your videos are very well constructed and i hope you get the sponsorship you require as it will only benefit those who watch even more if you can create more content!
We really enjoyed this video. I love the longer videos. We’re so glad we found a new woodworking channel!
Love the trick with the coffee grounds blackening of screw heads. In the good ol' USA we can still buy straight slotted screws for restorations, but they look too new. So I'll test your trick. I am also going to test a couple of rust bluing techniques I found in other videos. I'm putting new hinges on an old box my wife's grandfather made. It's a box-jointed ammo box he fitted a lid to, painted gray, I was going to replace the old split lid but the boss said no. I sanded off enough of the old paint we can now read the box label. The trick with these is to know when enough is enough. My father was an antique dealer and refused to buy pieces that had been "restored" by a hot tank dip to strip all the paint and finish, then really sanded. No one will buy an antique that doesn't maintain a little character.
Love the way people treasure pieces, others would regard as firewood.
In a quirk of fate that you can't imagine happening in today's world, all my grandmother's siblings were raised in Canada, while she remained in Scotland. Many moons ago I spent a lovely time in Richmond Hill, Brampton ,& Mississauga meeting them and their families. It's ridiculous that I haven't been back since, but I will....someday... Thanks for posting.
That's cool. Thanks for sharing that! Scott
You're such a great teacher! I don't do any woodworking or restoration, but I so enjoy learning from you. I may even attempt working on an old end table that needs some love. Your videos have given me the confidence to try it. THANK YOU
I adore your channel and the way in your craftmanship that you preserve the furniture. Differently to poeple who "restore" pieces and make them look brand new, you care not only about their past and functionality, but also its use to prevent its decade in the future. I enjoyed it from the beggining till the end.
That looks lovely - not too over done. some great tips too, especially the vinegar and nail trick to stain the wood. I'm SO GLAD you replaced that philips screw - I was screaming at the screen here ! Great video - thanks for sharing your skills. Take care 🙂
Thanks for sharing that Michael and thank you for being a subscriber! Scott
I absolutely love your workshop. A place for everything. Everything in its place. Your work is as neat as your surroundings. Perfect!
As always, lots of good tips and tricks. Thanks for this video.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I'd have guessed the top crack was caused by those side trim board running with the grain in the opposite direction. The much later screwed slats across the top were most likely added long after the big top separation crack showed up.
My choices for the crack would have been to live with it, inset a strip of filler wood in the crack or make up the difference along the back of the piece and not the front. Doing more damage to "disguise" the new cut would not have been my choice either. The removal of that front wood, leaving a bigger gap than before and the removal of the lock mechanism, leaving a gaping hole all could have been avoided by choosing a different solution.
I own a similar piece for how the inside is laid out. It was my great grandfather's and held tools, including wall paper rollers, some paint brushes and some graining tools. He was connected with a paint company for years.
The hinges you removed are extremely thick, which indicates they are quite old.
Agreed, he seems to be ignorant of the first rule of repairing - cause no more damage.
(Laughable hearing him talking about hide glue being 'reversible' then seeing him chopping chunks out of the front)
Lol. We’re 4 hours northeast of you and in the middle of the storm. That’s why I could take the time to just sit and enjoy your video. We haven’t seen grass though at all this winter but it was a much milder early winter here than normal. I also am laughing because I have strewn in front of me 4 new Lee Valley catalogues that I just received this week preparing for gardening prep. I will in fact contact Lee Valley. You are showing me how to use some of the tools I have received over the years from my grandparents and my husband as I’m hoping to do some woodwork when our new house is complete. So, Here we sit, dreaming of what I will do in the future when the snow is done and our new house is finished….then, we’ll have to insulate the garage to set up a tool case like your tutuorials show, so that I can repair some of our family hand-me-downs from the original century family farm that was in Southwestern Ontario.
I don’t hear an accent….I love how teach us in our lovely Canadianly “perfect” English 😜 🇨🇦
I can hear a faint accent but its easy to understand. Im listening with my own accent, and its heavy. 🌞👍
Thanks for this video and your thoughts. Since Tom Johnson has (almost) retired you are the last teacher out there. The rest are just entertainers (as I have written in Toms last video comments).
Thumb up from Brandenburg, Germany.
Ive been in the furniture repair/restoration trade for almost 9 years now. But the companies I work with sell and make modern pieces. Any antiques ive worked with have always been side jobs. But I appreciate your videos because there are techniques I see on your channel that have helped me improve my skill, especially since I live in a state where there are so few in this trade to learn and share techniques with. So thank you.
That is awesome! My purpose is to help others learn this skill so I love to hear that. That's rewarding for me. Thanks for being a subscriber! Scott
As a former Lee Valley employee and a viewer of your channel, I have sent an email to Lee Valley as you suggested. I don't know what if anything will come from it but I hope it helps - quality information and knowledge should be supported. Good luck
That was really an interesting repair and restoration. It was a long video but I found myself glues to every second of it. Thanks for creating the video. The break away segment showing the snow was a unique feature.
Glad you enjoyed my video experiment with filming the snow! Thanks for sharing your feedback. Scott
Scott: a super restoration job. This was a real involved job using a lot of your creative ability. Most impressive! Carol from California
Your definitely a great craftsman.
Love the care you give to each piece you repair. thank you.
That was interesting. And as always, it turned out beautiful. Thanks Scott for sharing
Great skills and techniques. For a small like hobbyist furniture repair like myself
This video definitely needs more attention 🙏🏻 The skill and knowledge is amazing 👏🏻
I appreciate that! Feel free to share with others. Thanks. Scott
I find there's a sense of satisfaction in figuring out how to return something to its original condition, as well as the puzzle of determining the best way to do it. As an amateur woodworker, I sometimes think this is more fun than building new. Great work.
Great point Tom! I transitioned by business from custom furniture to furniture repair partly because of that. I find it challenging and rewarding. Cheers. Scott
Scott,
Something about the lid fit bothered me when you first set it on the chest, then after installed & you had to cut the lid haif round trim sections off of the sides pieces it occurred to me that this lid was originally wider than what was given to you. Maybe there was a 3/4" section or piece in the lid between the two 8" wide panels, that's where it came apart - possibly.
Why did you choose to cut the front rather than install an approximate 1" section on the back of the lid, or between the two panels, and "antique" this new addition as you did to the front?
Thanks, enjoyed the video, Tom
Good question Tom. Adding wood to the top would have been obvious. It's virtually impossible to disguise adding a new piece to a table top. The grain pattern needs to match, the stain needs to match, the finish needs to match. It typically requires a strip and refinish to get close to hiding the new piece, and even that doesn't work sometimes. I hope that helps. Scott
Excellent repair . Take your time , slow and methodical .
I can hear you fine 👍
Thanks Dave for your feedback and for being a subscriber! Scott
thank you for the tour in snow. What I prefer in snow is the silence.
I really love this channel. Keep up the great work!
Thank you very much!
Personally, I would’ve added a strip to the rear of the lid to take up that space and stain it to match or even make it look like more trim. It wouldn’t have occurred to me to modify the front of the chest. But as you say, it’s the customers choice.
Yes, that's an option to solve the problem. I find patching on visible surfaces like the top is virtually impossible to disguise, hence the approach I took. Thanks for sharing that Stuart! Scott
YUP, that fix looks terrible, nothing right about that.
Mate you are a class act.
I'm less than half way through this video when I heard your request re encouraging LeeValley for sponsorship.
While I don't have much time for RUclips or even T.V. for that matter its nice to feel like I haven't wasted my time by watching something/someone worthwhile.
The first video I saw of yours was replacing a stretcher on a chair. Where you showed two options, one was using putty and the other a complete reproduction. The way you took the time to explain how you reproduced that "angled" Tennon was excellent.
You sir are a natural teacher. (and maybe you should be 🙂)
oh and yes I'll be sending that email right after this post.
Gino
Fastest video in a long time. Really interesting, reinforced some things/techniques I knew, but more importantly I learned some new techniques also. Thank you, very enjoyable.
Glad it was helpful!
Another great video Scott! nice to see someone who still uses a "Yankee" Style Screwdriver, I've had mine for over 65 yrs and still use it. as for snow? we just had 30 inches probably from the same storm you had. so we're used to snow for sure. And as the "pro-ject love seeing and working with old pieces like that . I grew up with stuff like that. (I'm pushing 80) so seen my share and love it thanks for sharing. ECF
Glad you enjoyed it Ellis. Nice to hear from you again. Cheers. Scott
Very nice job. Especially impressed with your chisel work.
A superb video. Really detailed, very informative and just fun to watch you restore the chest. I bet the owner was really pleased. Thank you for posting.
Es ist eine Freude, Ihnen bei der Arbeit zuzusehen! Bravo👏
Glad you like it. Thanks. Scott
Hey RUclips, this is a useful video and deserves promotion. 😊
Hey, thanks!
I’m a Lee Valley tool fan and I will send them an email today encouraging them to sponsor you
Thank you Roger! I appreciate your support. Scott
Thank you for this. You really helped with understanding how to get it to look old again. Looks great!
Absolutely brillient , thank you .
Glad you enjoyed it!
That looks pretty fabulous!!! Looking forward to the wallpaper.
That drill bit is amazing
Yes, I love using them! Scott
I so love watching your program, gave me the confidence to redo an antique rocking chair. Thank you for showing us your area outside. Thank you for your program.
An excellent video. Clear, concise and didn’t short cut any details. You covered some issues I have on an old chest of drawers so timely too. Can’t thank you enough for the effort you put in to communicate your craft.
Glad you enjoyed the video and thank you for sharing your thoughts. I’m passionate about teaching so your comment is rewarding. Thanks. Scott
That brought it back to life nicely. I believe it is a carpenters tool box made from used lumber. A lot of old timers recycled lumber, I spent a lot of hours pulling nails from old siding and roof boards. As they were late 19th to early 20th century buildings they had old growth lumber. I have seen barns with granaries, dairy sections and hay lofts with massive oak beams, others even black walnut beams. They were trees from the proptery that the farmer harvested.
That chest would be impossible to move as a 'tool box' with any amount of tools in it, plus, it would be much more chewed-up and oil stained had it been used as such, with perhaps drill holes and sawing cuts in the top of it as well.
I have a similar but larger chest in pumpkin pine with what my uncle called a 'til', which is removable and has a hinged lid, in the same location.
Perhaps for money, but most likely for small items so they didn't get lost inside the trunk--- like sewing and knitting needles. I use my trunk for summer storage of blankets and woolen jackets. In the winter it holds my summer clothing!
I also have 11 smaller trunks and tool boxes in a graduated stack in my dining room. The various woods, finishes, colors and hardware make an interesting sculptural assembly.
Every room needs an antique (and the color red) to help ground the room, in my opinion! I often think of the previous owners and wonder what their lives were like, what they did for a living, and give them thanks for making the world a better place--- then and now! Each trunk, chest and box has a history and tells a story if we take the time to be open to it!
But a stack of these makes a great folk art history piece that has a beauty all its own. You just can not fake the patina that comes from use over time!
This was great! Thank you. I have a collection of my father and grandfathers tools. I didn't know how to sharpen the planes, your walkthrough was very informative
That's great. Thank you for sharing that! Scott
Heated screws and coffee grounds... NICE
Glad you liked that trick Jerry. Cheers. Scott
The snow scene was the salad of the meal, thank you
I am from Iran and experienced a lot of snow in my childhood. I moved to Norway in my 20s. and I was afraid to experience harsh winters here. But, I settled in the western part of the country, here it snows less than in my home country, but mountains with a lot of snow are just one hour's drive away.
Thanks for sharing that! Glad you enjoyed the snowy scenes. Scott
Great videos love the content from a British hand tools enthusiast.
That was wonderful and great to see the character of the chest maintained.
I’ve learned so much watching you over a few months, thank you John. Where is your black shop dog?
“Happy little spot.” 😊 The Bob Ross of wood art!
I wondered why I missed the notification on this video until i saw it was when I had cancer surgery😅 , as always good job......I did see this from my hospital bed.
Good luck in your recovery Pete. Glad you enjoyed some entertainment while you're resting. Take care. Scott
Nice job aging those patches and cutoffs. I’m with you, must have originally been a tool chest.
Very well done!
One of my absolute favorite projects you've done
Wow! Thank you Kurt. This is a little different than what I've filmed in the past and I see a few people reacting negatively to that. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts on this as feedback is important to me. Scott
Gret job! Saint-Petersburg is watching your video.
This is interesting to actually watch
Fascinated recently by the different methods of conservation in the art and furniture world. Your mention of using reversible hide glues reminds me of the use of rabbitskin glue in the art conservation world, and your efforts to mimick damage in new pieces, rather than hide damage in existing pieces (because doing so would mean taking material off of the original work, and erasing its history), reminds me of fine art retouching practices.
On the other hand, I've also seen some incredible work from restorers who's entire ethos is to "turn back time" on restored furniture, trying to replicate its original appearance. I don't believe in one "best way" but I do believe that what you do is incredible and perfect for pieces like this. Showing a history as it is today, and as it continues, rather than trying to recreate it as it was before.
Neat & skillful work.
Thank you! Cheers!
I’m always excited when you post new content. Thank you and well done.
I appreciate that Brent!
I did a project a work several years ago where we needed to to metal plate conduct electrons in water that were not connected. We tried several additive, one of which was vinegar. Number one, it worked, but it stunk. The one we utimately found was stump remover. I worked great, but caused the metal to rust very quickly. Much faster than the vinegar. Just an FIY. Love you channel and you and other have inspired me into using my abilities to learn more and start repairing furniture myself. I've learned a lot from you! Keep up the good work.
1:20:10 Excellent video Scott I pick up so much information watching you restore different types of pieces.
thank you foe sharing your skills and knowledge
An excellent job sir, I learned a lot by watching this video, if I were your customer I would be very pleased with the chest, thank you for the video.
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Scott
An old bicycle chain or dulled up chainsaw chain works fantastic to antique new furniture. My dad made a basher with a broken bat. He put tacks, nails and glued glass to it to give the antique affect.
Oh, that’s interesting. Thanks for sharing that. Scott
Nice repair ! I really like the demo on sharping planer knife !
Wow, I couldn’t believe the snow! I’m from Australia and although I’ve seen snow once in my life, it was very shallow and a bit disappointing really. I can’t imagine living with all that snow!
Thanks for your comment about the snow... it makes me glad I took the time to film it and share it. Cheers. Scott
Nice work, I like how you take care with and respect someone’s treasures
Amazing work! Artistry! 🙏🏼 thank you 😊
Thank you! Cheers!
ITS NICE TO WATCH SOME ONE WHO SOLUTION TO THE DAMAGE ISN'T BONDO AND PAINT THANK YOU. YOUR THE MASTER!
Thank you Wendy! Scott
First time on your channel and now a subscriber. I was looking at you creating/faking some stains and I was thinking: ‘use some tea’ and then at the end you aged those screw heads using… coffee! Great work, well thought out at each stage. And I will write to Lee Valley - you present their tools better than do themselves.
Thanks for subscribing and thank you for your support Bruno! Scott
Great video!!
Thank you for all these videos. I have learned so much which helped me fix my chest of drawers and now repairing a drawer on my cylinder desk.
That's great to hear Anne! Happy our videos are helping you out! Thanks for sharing that. Scott
Beautiful!!! I love your projects 😎
Love your channel and work. As a fellow Canadian, did appreciate seeing the snow, but as a resident of Georgia, I don't miss it!!!!
thank you for a great video
Mighty good work, there.
Awesome.learning a lot.
wonderful restoration
So beautiful! I miss snow so much! My beloved daughter moved me to southern Oklahoma and honestly I hate Oklahoma!I love the coffee table you had made to hold the remote and CD’s!as always a wonderful job!
Thank you so much! Scott
Just watched my first video of yours and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very informative, especially to a beginner like myself. I'll definitely be watching more. Thank you for such detailed explanations explanations 🤎🤎
Love your videos. Hopefully that sponsor comes through. They appear to have a good range of parts you regularly use
My mum gave me a chest identical to the one being worked on. Mum told me it was a kist and typically was for storing linens, kitchen/dining stuff. She also said it belonged to her great or great-great Aunt and was made from rosewood grown in Kennet, Scotland. Interesting the chest in video was described as pine and mine supposedly is rosewood, they look identical. The flaws/damage are similar too, as are the nails. There is quite a bit of woodworm evidence on the skirting of mine, but I like the look of the wriggly lines. Great video, I learned a lot.
Very nicely done!
Great piece, great video. Thank you for your teaching! Greetings from germany.
Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for being a subscriber! Scott
Another helpful video.
Glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing that. Scott
Very interesting thanks for sharing very educational
Great job! I've got some dry pigment but never really knew how to use them... thanks for the info and tips!
That really is outstanding work.
Thank you. I appreciate that. Thanks for subscribing to our channel too! Scott
If only wood could talk, although I suspect the piece might scream in pain at some earlier memories! Possibly originally a carpenters or sail makers tool chest? Excellent work.
Thanks for sharing that idea Colin. It was definitely made by someone who understood hand planes. I may have to do some research to satisfy my curiosity about it. Cheers. Scott
Very nice job! You are very informative!
I am in process of making a large oak jewelry box. That hinge drill bit is inexpensive and excellent. The pin nailer can be very inexpensive also but a great tool. I really enjoyed watching you do this and how you explained your thought process.
Thank you Bob. Glad you're enjoying our videos. Scott
Wow, that is an awesome restoration.
Really amazing instruction and work lol done
Glad you liked it and thank you for being a subscriber! Scott
Very nice work, and great you took the time needed to show what you were doing with enough detail for others to replicate it. So super useful! Thanks from Greece.
What a nice coincidence - YT just showed me your video on the Barrister's Bookcase. I have a very similar one but made by Melton Rhodes. Wish I had seen your YT earlier because I've been scraping and sanding the finish off - didn't know it was probably shellac or that I could amalgamate with with denatured alcohol. Oh well. I still learned :-)
Then the next video that came up was this one - and I have a very similar rustic chest. My grandmother gave it to me 50 years ago. It has dovetail joints not nails but is very similar.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.
Nice repair. I would have done the lid different, and added a piece of wood so you would not need to cut the front down. Even if you could see that it was newer or different.
Looks like a narrow strip of vintage filler wood could be taken out of the bottom and glued to the hinge side of the top to avoid rabbiting the front. Then fix the bottom with a matching piece of pine.