Wood 1007 Methods of Fastening: Day One

Today we begin another new section; Methods of Fastening. In this section we look at and learn about the many ways that furniture is fastened, as well as how to repair the best, and the worst of joints. We will be re-gluing chairs and tables, and making any replacement parts we might need along the way using the skills we acquired in our woodworking section.


We started the day with some conversation on why glue joints fail. There are many reasons that glue joints can fail and it only takes one misstep to make even the nicest looking joint come loose. However, we often find that there is at least one, if not many things wrong with some joints, and we need to learn how to respond to these situations. Our 1st step is learning about how our furniture is constructed.


The students brought in many of their own projects, but we also have some pieces that need attention here in our workshop. We need to know how furniture is put together in order to know how it is taken apart, so we need to look at each chair individually to check for nails, screws and other fasteners, we look at where the joints are and number them so we can put the chair back the way it was. Then we get down to the nitty gritty and actually begin dis-assembling the furniture, and clean the joints, make any necessary repairs in preparation to re-glue each chair.

Wood 1004 Wood Working: Veneer Patching

As we wind down the woodworking section, we have looked at power tools and hand tools, we have learned how to square a board, we have done riping and cross-cutting on the table saw, made tenons on the router table, used the scroll saw to duplicate a back splat for a chair, we've hand cut tenons, made usable cutting boards and now we are looking at veneer patching.

There are a number of ways to patch veneer, in Spot Repair I, we learned how to do burn-in's, in Spot Repair II we learned that we could do a polyester fill, now we look at replacing wood with wood. This gives us our grain and texture back, if the piece should ever be stripped, there will be wood there, and it gives us another tool we can use to solve problems. Even within the veneer patch, there are a few different techniques, you could cut a uniform shape into the veneer and replace the missing piece with a new piece of veneer, scarfing the joint to feather in the new wood. If you have the piece of veneer that came off you can re-glue it. You can also cut your new veneer with a jewelers saw and fit it into the existing gap, while not loosing any original wood or finish. Once you have put all the new pieces in, it is a matter of an accurate color match and top coat and you can have a very nice repair on any veneered surface.

Wood 1004 Woodworking: Begining a New Chapter Again

We are 3 days into our next section of our program, we set color aside for a bit and turn our focus to woodworking. Our students come to us with a variety of backgrounds, some have never worked with wood, some have hand tool experience and no power tool experience, or vise-versa, and some have been woodworkers, professional or hobbyists for many years. With this mixed bag, it is important to cover all the basis, and look at safe practices and proper technique.

In the wood working section we learn techniques required to make wooden components for repairing wooden objects. We learn how to square a board, make, and repair a number of different common joints used in woodworking, and the proper technique for sharpening hand tools and the safe practices of using any of our tools.

Although wood working is not the primary focus of our training at NIWF, it is a useful skill to be able to make replacement parts for wooden furniture, millwork, or any other wooden objects.

Wood 1019 Spot Repair II: NIWF Tours Schneiderman's Distribution Center

On a week packed with field trips, we visited Schneiderman's Furniture Distribution Center. Our guide was past NIWF Graduate Kathy Morse, who works at Schneiderman's ensuring the quality of the furniture meets the Schneiderman's standard. We saw how they do touch-up and repair on some of the furniture that comes in that might not meet their standards, or on returned furniture that had been damaged. After a few demonstrations Kathy also let the students perform some of the repairs as well.

Once again, the class got to see a past grad in action at their work place, using their skills and knowledge that they gained while attending DCTC & NIWF.

Wood 1019 Spot Repair II: Class of 2010 visits HOM Furniture

Once again, NIWF Students got to take a behind the scenes tour of HOM Furniture's Distribution Center. And like in years past, they got to work side by side with the Techs at HOM doing spot repair, upholstery repair, leather & vinyl touch up, wood fills, burn-ins and many other techniques the students already learned.



Working out in the real world gives the students a first hand view of what they might face on a day to day basis once they leave DCTC. Some of the Employees at HOM are past graduates of the program so they speak the same language of wood finishing. This unique experience helps to shape the students knowledge of some of the careers that may be opening up to them as graduates of the National Institute of Wood Finishing.

Wood 1019 Spot Repair II: NIWF Does Conservation Work at Historic Fort Snelling Chapel

On our 1st of many field trips, the students got to roll up their sleeves and put to good use the knowledge they have already acquired. The Fort Snelling Veterans Memorial Chapel, built in 1927. Fort Snelling was deactivated as a military post in 1947, leaving the chapel sitting unused until it narrowly escaped a scheduled demolition for the highway system in the mid 60's. It is alive and well today serving many facets of the state's population through such programs as: weekend open houses for tourists to the historic Fort Snelling; rehearsals and weddings of all faith groups; funerals of all denominations; general community meetings; and weekly Sunday non-denominational services.



Our goals were to clean and conserve the pews, kneelers and surrounding wood. Each student dug in with a few pews each, using mild cleaning solution, replacing worn finish where needed, spot repair as needed, and finally padding shellac to give an authentic, original look, feel and lustre to that well worn interior.


We were guided by past NIWF grad, Travis Beard, who volunteers on the Fort Snelling Memorial Chapel Foundation, and has been working in the chapel for a while, cleaning and restoring the woodwork, carvings and wooden statues.

Another Testimonial From a Past Grad

Gerald Cartwright Graduated in 1998. He currently lives and works in Harrison, AR, where he runs his own finishing shop - Cartwright Wood Finishing Company

"In May of 1997, I attended a woodworking trade show in Little Rock, AR. It was through this show that I made a chance contact with a former graduate of the DCTC Wood Finishing Technology Program. The successful graduate explained the course work, skill sets learned, and the joy of knowing how to repair furniture. From this meeting, I was inspired to contact Mitch Kohanek at DCTC.
I graduated the Wood Finishing Technology Program at DCTC in June of 1998.
After graduating from the Wood Finishing Technology Program at DCTC, I was employed with a high end commercial furniture dealer in the Twin Cities area. My position was Manager, Restoration Services. I was tasked with starting a furniture service department at this company. Upon the completion of 2.5 years of employment, I was given the opportunity to purchase all of the assets of the service department and provide service through a sub-contractor arrangement.
In mid 2001, I relocated back to north central Arkansas, the area where I was raised. I started a furniture services company in Harrison, AR. My services include furniture refinishing, pre-finishing, and furniture touch-up, serving both commercial and residential customers.
The skill sets I learned at DCTC from Mitch Kohanek has allowed me to repair and finish anything with great confidence. All of the technical skills learned at DCTC Wood Finishing Technology Program are applied in my current business.
Mitch Kohanek is an inspiring teacher who can communicate his skills to those who care to learn."

Wood 1019 Spot Repair II: Joe Renchin Spends the Day Talking Upholstery

NIWF Advisory Board Member and Master Upholsterer, Joe Renchin Came in today for another great demonstration on upholstery. Joe has spent 35 years in the business and he is always happy to share his expertise with the students at NIWF. He spoke extensively about the business of upholstery and demonstrated stripping down an upholstered piece, then recovering, as one might need to do to repair something inside of an upholstered piece of furniture. He also demonstrated different methods of fastening upholstery to an object, making and attaching buttons, blind stitching and more.

Joe has been a friend of the program here for many years, and we can't thank him enough for the time he spends here preparing our students to meet any situation head on with the knowledge and skill set that may be needed by the professional wood finisher.

Wood 1019 Spot Repair II: Ken Norgard Visits to Demonstrate Leather & Vinyl Repair

This week we are having Ken Norgard spend a few days with the class demonstrating leather & Vinyl repair, which can be an important part of the on-the-road touch-up artists job. The students practiced using an array of repair products on a number of different scenarios such as scrapes & scratches, cuts, punctures and more. Along with attending to the damage, the students also put their color theory to use and matched paints to mask their repairs, then finally coating them to protect them and match texture and sheen as well.

The students had a great time getting to use this new medium, while still applying what they have already learned to this new skill set. A big thanks to Ken for passing on some of his knowledge on the business of leather & vinyl repair.

Wood 1019 Spot Repair II: Jerry Behrens visits DCTC again to talk touch-up

Today we had our old friend Jerry Behrens back to talk touch-up work. You might remember Jerry from an older blog post, as he is a regular visitor to the program. Jerry graduated from NIWF in 1989, and has served on the board since 1992. He has also written, produced, and hosted two Wood Restoration Videos and has been gainfully employed in the field of wood finishing for 20 years.

Today Jerry was showing some of his techniques for doing spot repairs. Like I tell my students, if you see 10 different repair people doing a repair, you'll see 10 different ways to do the repair. So it's great to get some past grads in to show off their techniques, it exposes the students to a variety of solutions to a problem. Jerry was using colored graining pencils for one repair he demonstrated. He also shared some insight on color matching, working in the field, and did a large repair on a cupboard door.

Both repairs only took about 25 minutes and looked great when he was done; and he was able to pull them off while talking to students and answering questions. A big thanks once again to Jerry for sharing his time and talents with our students.

Wood 1019 Spot Repair II: Past Grad Dave Smith, Guest lecturing at DCTC

If you follow the blog, you've already met Dave Smith in an older blog post from January, but if you are new to the blog, let me introduce Dave again. Dave Smith graduated from NIWF in 1994, and since then has been working in the field. He is part owner of Fresh Air Finishers, a finishing company that specializes in the restoration of historic interior woodwork and wood finishes. They also maintain and repair modern wood furnishings. Fresh Air Finishers uses environmentally and human friendly products with no residual odors. Specializing in green finishing has been a passion and a great avenue for them, as more and more consumers are looking for an eco-friendly alternative to solvents and chemicals . Dave and the whole crew are professionally preserving & restoring wood throughout the United States from their St. Paul, MN headquarters.

Dave came in today to show us some of his techniques for some advanced spot repair. Here we see him replacing a broken piece from a chair with an epoxy fill.






After filling the void, he shaped it to the original shape of the chair.









Next he painted in the background color.







Finally, with some skilled in-painting, it begins to take on it's original look. With a bit more attention and some coating on this chair, this repair would become almost invisible.





Throughout the year, we continue to learn techniques like these, and it's always a pleasure to have past grads come in to show their skills! Thanks Dave!

A Testimonial‏ From a Past Graduate

I’d like to write about my experience at NIWF. I graduated in 2000. This nine month course was demanding. Mitch (the instructor) set high standards and challenged us. The course is designed to enable you to succeed, not just get a job.
After graduation I worked for a refinishing shop that readily employed NIWF graduates because the owner knew the graduates were qualified, professional, and required little training. This employment was valuable in that it taught me the real world of furniture finishing as a business. That is, dealing with customers, how to make a profit, and what it takes to run a finishing business.

I moved to Virginia 4 years later and started my own business. Make no mistake; this was not easy. I now have the largest finishing shop in my town. I have 4 wonderful employees who love the work as I do. We are still struggling but business gets better each year.

Because of NIWF, I have the most rewarding career. I and my employees enjoy coming to work every day.

Dick Patch

Astonish Furniture Restoration
2000 Graduate
Roanoke VA

Wood 1015 Spot Repair I: HOM Furniture visits DCTC to demonstrate spot repair technique

Three past Grads from NIWF who now work for HOM Furniture came in today to share some of their repair techniques with us and talk a bit about life in the field. They demonstrated burn-in techniques to fill and repair scratches, a flocking technique to repair micro-fibre and leather and vinyl repair as well. It was an interesting visit, the students got to see many different techniques for simulating wood grain & matching color, and they were introduced to some new tools as well.



It is always gratifying to see past students become the professionals and to watch them teach the new group of future pros!

Wood 1015 Spot Repair I: French Padding Color

French Padding color onto a wooden object is part of Spot Repair. In these pictures you can see very worn wood, all the finish and much of the color has been worn away from years of use.






We can apply pigment to the wood, then use a French Padding technique to lock in the color.
















The end result, we have replaced color and replaced coating so our color is protected.

Wood 1015 Spot Repair I: Fixing vertical surfaces

Not all of our repairs are convenient to get to all the time. Sometimes you have repairs on walls, floor boards, door frames and other hard to reach areas. We try to simulate that here in the classroom. You can see the students doing whatever it takes to perform professional repairs in the hard to reach spots.
The techniques we use for vertical repairs are the same as any other, but the mechanics of it change as our range of motion can become limited, and gravity takes hold of our materials.

Wood 1015 Spot Repair I: Repairing a scratch

We are back at it in 2009 doing some spot reapirs. In Spot Repair I we learn to clean, fill, and hide scratches in wood. In the following pictures you can see damage to this piece of furniture. It has been filled with a plastic. Once the voids are filled and level and smooth, we begin painting in color and mimicing the grain pattern in the wood. finnally we protect our repair by giving in a coat of finish to seal the color into the repair.

Techniques like these are used everyday by professionals.

Wood 1012 Color Theory - Using New Mediums

Color Theory is the root of much of what we do. We can not repair a wooden object and hide that repair unless we can match the color of the wood and the coating on the wood. In color theory, we will make color wheels, and learn how colors relate to one another. We look at hue, value and chroma; and we learn how different mediums work differently.
In the first picture, you can see we are color matching, that is to say, the students are given a sample of wood and asked to find a mixture of colorants that will match. Currently we are using glazes to find that match, but in the near future, we will use powdered pigments, dyes as well as using different glazing and toning techniques to achieve a match.

In this second picture, we are discovering our powdered pigments. With these powders, we can mix them with a binder and carrier and make a paint. In this picture we are charting out what these colors look like on a white background so we can start to understand how they will behave when we start using them on wood.

2009-2010 School Year Begins

Another year has begun with a fresh group of students. Once again we will be chronicling the year in order to show a prospective student what the NIWF experience is. The Wood Finishing Technology Program is a 36-credit course; all 36 credits are in wood finishing with no other gen-ed requirements. You can follow our curriculum throughout the year by class title. The 9 month program (August 2009-May 2010) is broken up into nine classes:


Wood 1012 Color Theory
Wood 1015 Spot Repair I
Wood 1019 Spot Repair II
Wood 1004 Wood Working
Wood 1007 Methods of Fastening
Wood 1010 Wood and Finishing Technology
Wood 1026 Advanced Finishing
Wood 1032 Furniture Conservation
Wood 1021 Wood Refinishing

Each course is approximately 17 working days and is set up in a way that one could take just one or two courses, please refer to the DCTC catalog for more information on classes that might have a pre-requisite at www.DCTC.edu

Most of the blog posts will be titled with the corresponding class, so if you want to know what goes on in any of these classes, stay tuned and see first hand what and how we learn! And be sure to go back in the blog are read about last year.

On a side note, NIWF offers a Furniture Service Technician certificate program for completing the first three courses (Color Theory, Spot Repair I & Spot Repair II). Furniture Service Technicians repair minor damage (referred to as spot repair) to wood, vinyl, leather and fabric. Spot repair usually involves (but is certainly not limited to) repairs such as minor water damage, scratches, nicks, dents, cigarette burns, or even a fairly large damaged area such as the corner of a table. These repairs are made by filling the void with a solid material and applying color to it, matching the surrounding area. Leather and vinyl repair is done much the same way. Upholstery can be repaired without having to re-upholster the entire piece.Furniture refurbishing means cleaning (instead of stripping) furniture and furniture maintenance (polishing and waxing).Furniture Service Technicians may work at the customer's home site, in furniture stores, or in a workshop. Possible job opportunities include self-employment, furniture stores or outlets, or an existing furniture service business. While total furniture restoration requires a workshop setting, the Furniture Service Technician can work from a small toolbox.

Wood 1026 Advanced Finishing: Don Williams in for summer seminar on Restoration, Chemistry and Technology of Transparent Furniture Coatings

Don Williams, Senior Museum Conservator , was in for a summer seminar on Restoration, Chemistry & technology of transparent furniture coatings. This intensive 5-day course introduced the history, technology, chemistry, properties, deterioration, and treatment of transparent coating materials and colorants, along with color theory, finishing techniques, and treatment and manipulation of existing coatings. The course was organized along three major themes.
*The History of Coatings - What Was It Originally?
*Technology of Materials and Processes - What Is It, and How Do we Know?
*What Will We do About It - Treatment Decisions and Processes

Some of the specifics that were covered were:

*Introduction to Coatings Chemistry and Technology: Formulation and Film Formation
*Historic and Contemporary Wood finishing Materials and Techniques
*Solvent Theory and Solubility Practice
*Evaluation of Appearance
*Characterization of Historic Coatings
*Survey of Coating Resins Used in Conservation
*Natural and Synthetic Dyes for Furniture Finishes
*Strategic Techniques for Coatings Restoration and Preservation

A subsequent coatings course (July 2010, proposed) will emphasize painted finishes, e.g. poly-chrome sculpture, decorated furniture finishes, and consolidating and inpainting painted surfaces. A third course in the series is tentatively scheduled for July 2011, and will emphasize advanced applications in the workshop setting.

Master Finisher, Greg Johnson teaches workshop at DCTC & NIWF

Greg Johnson came in for a five day workshop that focused on excellent looking nitrocellulose lacquer, two part coatings and special effect coatings. Each student got to keep their projects and the formulas to take with them. They covered how and why each step of the process is used to make stunning colors and coatings. Starting with raw wood samples, we proceeded with step by step processes, kept a written record of each step. Finishing techniques used include waterbase dyes, stain on dye, bleaching, clear and opaque coatings. Special effects such as crackle lacquer, satin rub outs and high gloss polishing were also covered.

Greg Johnson has been in the furniture making trade for almost 40 years and has earned the reputation as one of the most innovative wood finishers in America. He began working at his father’s cabinet making and restoration shop in Maryland in the early 1970’s. After completing a two year furniture program in ’81 at the Worcester Center for Crafts, he worked with his brother Tom in Boston. It was during this time Greg found his niche in wood finishing. In 1989, he became the principal finisher for designer Wendell Castle in Scottsville, NY. In 1999 Greg took a management position running the finishing department at a new production company called The Wendell Castle Collection. In April of 2005, Greg went into his own business full time, Johnson Furniture Restoration where he offers of full range of services including restoration, conservation, and custom finishing. You can find out more about Greg, and see his work at his WEBSITE

Past Grad, Sean Harrigan Talks About His Experience at NIWF

Sean Harrigan graduated in 2008 from The National Institute of Wood Finishing, he is currently living and working in Livingston, Montana where he is the owner & operator of Deluxe Lustre Fine Wood Finish & restoration.

"In March of 2008, while researching a wood finish, I came upon the National Institute of Wood Finishing's website. Astounded, I thought "what is this?!?" Being a painting contractor and looking to expand my skill level into other ventures, this program immediately sounded like something designed just for me. As I read through the syllabus and testimonials I knew I must venture from Montana to Minnesota and see for myself what this was really about. When I toured the classroom and work area and saw what the current students were doing & I knew this is where I wanted to be. Fortuitously, I was able to secure the last open spot for 2008-2009. All this, just 3 weeks after learning of the program. Without delay my wife and I began to make plans to move to Minneapolis for 10 months.
Mitch eases everyone into this intense program. He shapes your skills from the ground up, building a sturdy foundation in color theory. Even the most talented students are challenged, and Mitch will not leave you with an uninteresting moment. As you strive further, Mitch pushes your potential as far as you dare to take it, leading you on the path to success. As the student advances through the program, you see how one class develops into the next, finally reaching the crucial goal; an unyielding understanding of color, coatings, wood, conservation, solvents, spot repair, adhesives, methods of application, tools used and modus operandi. Through Wood Finishing Technology, you as the student can find out how many things there really are to know about wood finishing. This is a sound program that Mitch has designed and honed for over 30 years.
Upon re-entering the workforce, I am slowly building my own Wood Finishing business. Now contracting on-site wood finishing work, I feel I have an edge over the local competition. I’ve executed successful spot repairs and attractive interior finishes. I am able to offer many finishing solutions and options on projects old and new from furniture to architectural millwork. My knowledge from N.I.W.F. is used on a daily basis. Everyday I think of new ideas and I am impressed how far this education has already taken me.
Mitch Kohanek is inspiring, passionate and dedicated to teaching you the art and craft of wood finishing. He has instilled in me a level of confidence and a thirst to seek out and learn more about finishing. This program is one of a kind. It has enhanced my quality of life immeasurably. Thanks Mitch. I’ll see you at one of your summer offerings."

Past Grad & Advisory Board member, Tammy Wold visits

Past Grad, Tammy Wold, came to visit and talk about spraying technique. Tammy graduated in 1980, and was hired on as a touch-up and repair tech at a furniture company in St. Paul, MN where she worked for 2 years. In 1982 she worked as a subcontractor doing refinishing of furniture and residential kitchens. In 1983 she went to work for a refinishing company in St. Paul until 1986 when she opened a small business in Maple Grove, MN. Their main work was prefinishing for other businesses in the industry, cabinetmakers, furniture makers, and store fixture manufactures. In 1998 Tammy went to work as a supervisor of the finishing department for Nevers Industries, a company that manufactures conference room furniture to order. We are also honored to have Tammy as a member of the Dakota County Technical College Advisory Committee, which she joined in 1999.

Wood 1021 Wood Refinishing: Glazing Color

Glazing is another wood finishing technique, that, at it's base is simply applying a pigment on top of a finish. it can be used to create any number of effects in your wood be it a subtle color shift, to obscuring the grain, adding depth, or distressing furniture to make it look old. Glazing is an invaluable refinishers tool to match colors and a skill that our students learn that will serve them well in the field.

Wood 1026 Advanced Finishing: High Gloss Buffing

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words! In Advanced Finishing we look to get a very high quality product, you can see here that we mean High Gloss!

Wood 1032 Furniture Conservation: A Visit with Paul Storch, Senior Objects Conservator at the MN Historical Society

Senior Objects Conservator for the Minnesota Historical Society, Paul Storch, had a great conversation with students today about conservation. You can see Paul showing off one of the fine historical pieces that has come to him. This is a drum from the Civil War that had just come in for testing to establish what might need attention to preserve this historical piece. Here is another fine example of what it meas to involved in conservation.

Wood 1021 Wood Refinishing: Putting it all together

We are now in wood refinishing! We've gotten through all the other sections and we are at the point where we put it all together. We must establish the need and use of the object, then make informed decisions as to what the appropriate course of action would be, then we execute that plan. You can see that we are stripping and staining some chairs. This is real world, hands on experience, and the students can point to some of these projects as a culmination of their year here at DCTC.

There is a great pride that can be taken in the knowledge that you began a project, planned it out, can justify your decisions and have a beautiful piece of furniture at the end of the process!