Comments on: How to refinish Heywood-Wakefield furniture - Palm Springs Stephan advises http://retrorenovation.com/2008/07/11/how-to-refinish-heywood-wakefield-furniture-palm-springs-stephan-advises/ A place for your postwar 40s 50s and 60s style kitchens, bathrooms and mid century modern home aesthetic. Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:57:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Dan Alleger http://retrorenovation.com/2008/07/11/how-to-refinish-heywood-wakefield-furniture-palm-springs-stephan-advises/comment-page-1/#comment-28190 Dan Alleger Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:46:03 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=3005#comment-28190 The picture above illustrates problems with the finish process - the sheen is not correct at all even though the color may be close. I tried to eBay varnish mix referenced above some years back just to see how it compared to the original. It is a nice finish, but the time involved is considerable because it is an oil based system. Also, the mix of drier makes it a tedious process that is impossible to finesse (which is one of the pros of oil based finishes). The original HW finish was not oil based, but rather layers of toned lacquer. If you are truly interested in having your HW pieces restored properly and maintaining value, take them to a professional. If you're doubtful of the possible results, ask for a sample first. The picture above illustrates problems with the finish process - the sheen is not correct at all even though the color may be close. I tried to eBay varnish mix referenced above some years back just to see how it compared to the original. It is a nice finish, but the time involved is considerable because it is an oil based system. Also, the mix of drier makes it a tedious process that is impossible to finesse (which is one of the pros of oil based finishes). The original HW finish was not oil based, but rather layers of toned lacquer. If you are truly interested in having your HW pieces restored properly and maintaining value, take them to a professional. If you’re doubtful of the possible results, ask for a sample first.

]]> By: TomB http://retrorenovation.com/2008/07/11/how-to-refinish-heywood-wakefield-furniture-palm-springs-stephan-advises/comment-page-1/#comment-10414 TomB Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:58:05 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=3005#comment-10414 Springdale, in Three Oaks, MI- about 2 hrs east of Chicago. Sells and refinishes Heywood Wakefeild. They have a beautiful store that used to be a bowling alley. (they even kept one lane!) http://www.springdalefurnishings.com/ Springdale, in Three Oaks, MI- about 2 hrs east of Chicago.
Sells and refinishes Heywood Wakefeild. They have a beautiful store that used to be a bowling alley. (they even kept one lane!)
http://www.springdalefurnishings.com/

]]> By: chriss http://retrorenovation.com/2008/07/11/how-to-refinish-heywood-wakefield-furniture-palm-springs-stephan-advises/comment-page-1/#comment-10400 chriss Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:32:29 +0000 http://retrorenovation.com/?p=3005#comment-10400 "To retain the full collector value of HW furniture, follow the Antiques Roadshow dictum and do not alter the original finish." You know, I struggle with this idea. I and my girlfriend have just started collecting HW furnishings. We just bought a neat little knee hole desk in an unusual style (airstream?) but its finish is horrible. Perhaps in two hundred years having this original finish MAY make it more valuable but right now and in our forseeable future I don't think it does. Those twins on ARS are kinda crazy about original "patina"! The French would never leave all that "grime" on a piece that they were selling at auction. I say that if it is a RARE piece, like a pre-production piece or a custom one of a kind, then don't even CLEAN it! If it is a semi-rare piece such a low production number then clean it and see if you can live with it before having it RESTORED. Pretty much everything else is just mass produced and I wouldn't worry about weather it has been refinished or not. I just don't think in our lifetime that there will be enough of a market to drive prices to the point where "original finish" will make enough of a difference to put up with an ugly piece. “To retain the full collector value of HW furniture, follow the Antiques Roadshow dictum and do not alter the original finish.”

You know, I struggle with this idea. I and my girlfriend have just started collecting HW furnishings. We just bought a neat little knee hole desk in an unusual style (airstream?) but its finish is horrible. Perhaps in two hundred years having this original finish MAY make it more valuable but right now and in our forseeable future I don’t think it does. Those twins on ARS are kinda crazy about original “patina”! The French would never leave all that “grime” on a piece that they were selling at auction. I say that if it is a RARE piece, like a pre-production piece or a custom one of a kind, then don’t even CLEAN it! If it is a semi-rare piece such a low production number then clean it and see if you can live with it before having it RESTORED. Pretty much everything else is just mass produced and I wouldn’t worry about weather it has been refinished or not. I just don’t think in our lifetime that there will be enough of a market to drive prices to the point where “original finish” will make enough of a difference to put up with an ugly piece.

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