Due To Our Fine Art Antique Reproduction Furniture And Restoration Serving The Insurance Claims Industry As Well As Antique Collectors We are Forced To Use The Old Standard Methods Of Finishing
when we hand build an historical fine art reproduction we build it in the same hand and materials and processes as it was built by the original producer in the era it was produced in.
Example : If Its a Thomas Chippendale, Richard Wood, Robert Adam or Gustav Stickley Etc. it will be finished using the exact methods and materials taking care as to not disturb the natural patinas. This is the only way we know to restore or rebuild so each piece will maintain full value and integrity. ( see value disclaimer )/div>
When we repair and refinish a museum quality antique furnishing for a museum or insurance claim flood, fire, etc. we must use the exact finishes and methods as was originally used. This means we can not use our environmentally friendly modern water base processes. Note: However we do take every safety precaution and have the state of the art down draft environmentally controlled booths and equipment to keep these processes safe to our personal and consumers.
We Never Faux Finish Just To Cover Up A Damaged Part ( just because you can not see it Is not a correct repair at this level of integrity and value) however we do take every precaution to protect its originality.
Traditional French Polishing techniques can be traced back to a period around the 1830's or before. This furniture was commonly finished by the use of a array of local materials from earth pigments and root dyes which were used for colouring, whilst mead, beeswax and resins were used for sealing and polishing.
In order to maintain the authenticity of Antiques or quality pieces it remains essential to select the appropriate methods and traditional materials for each finish, ensuring the preservation of the original patina and natural ageing.
Our French polishers and finishers at Scottsdale Art Factory have earned a highly regarded reputation by recognising the important relationship between period and materials, believing that correct furniture conservation principles are paramount in producing museum standards of finish everytime.
There Three Basic Modern Types Of Finish Processes - Evaporative - Reactive - Coalescing Which Includes Environmentally Correct Water Base Lacquers And Stains That Are Accepted Processes On Fine Art Furniture Today
We believe in educating and through education and understanding how finishes are processed in relation to your furniture door or lighting choice you will fully understand the true value of each piece. Because when a finish is done correctly it takes time and master-craftsmanship to produce fine art investment quality furniture. No fast corner cutting automated methods can produce this quality.
Evaporative finishes use alcohol, acetone and nitro-cellulose lacquer thinners as solvents and thinners. Nitro-cellulose lacquers and shellac are in this group. The solids are soft and string-like in solution but as the solvents evaporate they lock together in a solid mass like dried pasta.
Successive layers burn in to one another and form a contiguous whole. solvent will re-soften the film, eg, lacquer thinners will soften cured lacquer, and alcohol softens cured shellac.
Cellulose polishes and thinners and lacquer and lacquer thinners are the in the same family of finishes. Lacquer thinners, aka cellulose thinners do come in different flavors, eg, 'hot' or 'fast' thinners and 'cool' or 'slow' thinners depending on how the formulation is meant to perform.
Wax is an evaporative finish because it is dissolved in turpentine or petroleum distillates to make the familiar soft paste. After these distillates evaporate all that's left is the wax
Reactive finishes use solvents such as white spirits and naphtha. Oil varnishes and linseed oil are reactive finishes which change chemically when they cure, unlike evaporative finishes. At cure, the solvent/thinner evaporates and the resins cluster tighter together, and then a chemical reaction occurs causing the resins to cross link in a different chemical format - like loose scaffolding that suddenly bolt together.
Scuff sanding is necessary between layers of cured finish so that subsequent applied layers have something to grip on to effectively. The solvent won't re-dissolve the cured film, eg, white spirits does not soften cured oil based varnish.
Note pre-catalysed and post catalysed "lacquers" (aka acid catalysed lacquers) are reactive finishes. The term lacquer is, in this sense, used inconsistently from product to product.
Oil based varnishes dry from the top down by reacting with oxygen. The catalysed lacquers dry from the bottom up (which is like the evaporative finishes) and the solvents migrate upwards to the film surface and then out leaving behind molecules that then cross-link.
Tung oil and linseed oil are reactive finishes that cure by reacting with oxygen, but do not really form film finishes when cured.
Water based finishes fall into the coalescing category.water based lacquers are transparent UV stable and durable after approx. 10 day curing period. Safer than oil-based, fewer volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Can be brush or sprayed on and is fast drying demands care in application techniques. If necessary it can be stripped using paint removers. Bad coats do not meld leading to white rings if rubbing out cuts through coat this finishing is for professionals only.
Clear finishes are intended to make wood look good and meet the demands to be placed on the finish. Choosing a clear finish for wood involves trade-offs between appearance, protection, durability, safety, requirements for cleaning, and ease of application.
Shellac should be considered in two different ways. It is used as a finish and as a way to manipulate the wood's ability to absorb other finishes by thinning it with denatured alcohol. The alcohol evaporates almost immediately to yield a finish that is completely safe but shellac will attach itself to virtually any surface, even glass, and virtually any other finish can be used over it.
Automated Wood Finishing Methods - Used By Mass Producers Of Name Brand Throw Away Furnishings = Faster Production Time = Low Quality = Higher Profits = Future Yard Sale Items
Scottsdale Art Factory Would Never Use These Automated Methods Of Finish
while there is nothing wrong with automated finished furniture if your just trying to fill the space with throw away furniture. You should keep in mind using these methods usually means using fake materials well as inferior sub-straights. no matter the brand name this type of furniture will never in crease in value or become a family cherished family heirloom or valuable antiquity.