Wood 1021 Wood Refinishing: More Before & After Pictures

We are wrapping up really fast, and a lot of great furniture is being turned out by the students. I just wanted to share some more of the work.

This bamboo chair came it in rough shape, as you can see! But some great work and a little shellac, and we've got a beautiful little side chair.

Here is a picture of a Mission Library Table that had an ink spill on the top. With a little artistry and skill, the ink stain has been removed from sight. a little shellac and some spot repair, and this table is set for another 100 years.

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.

Wood 1019 Spot Repair II: Working field trip to St. Paul's Cathedral

Getting out into the real world and doing some service with our new found skills is a big part of the NIWF program. Today we took a trip to the Cathedral in St. Paul where the students had the chance to attend to some real wear and tear on actual furniture in a public place.


In the past we have done work at the Governors Mansion, the State Capitol, any number of different churches, The Glensheen Mansion and The Landmark Center to name a few places.

Wood 1019 Spot Repair II: Mirka visits to demo new products for polishing marble

A representative from Mirka came in today to demonstrate new materials for removing the scratches from marble. Information like this is so valuable for doing on-site touch-up and spot repair, it just adds another service that the professional touch-up artist can provide.

products are always evolving in this competitive marketplace, we are always happy to have our students getting the 1st hand demonstration of the latest innovations from the professionals!

Wood 1032 Furniture Conservation: Cleaning & Conserving

Sometimes furniture comes in that doesn't need, or shouldn't be refinished, sometimes preserving the original finish is the way to go. In fact, there can be some wonderful surprises in store when preserving a finish. This chair came in and the goal was to clean the years of grime and build up that had accumulated.

After determining what the finish was, the right solvents and cleansers were chosen, and the chair was meticulously cleaned.

After a bit of careful, skilled work

we discovered beautiful, ornate painting that was previously covered with years of dirt and oil.
Learning to make these decisions of refinish vs. refurbish is something that sets NIWF grads well on their way to a successful career in wood finishing technology.

Wood 1032 Furniture Conservation: NIWF and the Minnesota Institute of Arts National Antique Show

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts was conducting their 25th Annual National Antique Show October 23rd through October 26th. This show has some of the finest furniture, art work, jewelry, paintings and glassware that you can find.

The DCTC students have portered in these valuable artifacts for every one of those 25 shows. It has been very rewarding being a part of this show and the opportunity to handle millions of dollars worth of art. The dealers involved with this show have always been willing to share their knowledge with the students.

Andrew Wellesley (red shirt) from Lake Forrest Illinois always has some really wonderful furniture. Andrew is always willing to stop and answer questions about the history of the pieces he sells. The chest on chest has a date written inside the cabinet with the makers name and the date of 1795