HOW TO TELL WHAT TYPE OF WOOD A FURNITURE PIECE IS
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Debra
+6
I buy used furniture to paint/stain and then sell it. I have a problem with identifying what type of wood a piece is. It usually is a wood stain piece of furniture but I can't identify what type of wood it is to determine if I want to destain it or paint it. Is there an easy way to figure this out? I appreciate any advise that you can give. Thank you for any help that can be offered.
7 answers
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The back of the furniture! where its not stain or the inside of the piece. I never worry about what type of wood it is, my main focus is to see if the wood is in good enough shape to redo for staining. Then I look at the style of furniture, does it have enough charter for me to go through all the extra work of de-staining, sanding and all the rest of the work to bring it back to its natural state or not? The other thing I consider is my market that I am selling to. Do they prefer natural or painted furniture. I have redone pieces and re-stained them placed them in my booth for resale and the customer that buys it wants to paint it......I have come across beautiful old pieces of furniture and started sanding, sanding, sanding only to find that some person had restain it against the grain leaving ugly deep stain lines...way too much work for the price the going market would pay for the finished piece. The tell tail sign for most wood is the dark grain lines, their width, pattern, style, the color of the wood. A good rule of thumb is the closer the grains the harder/denser the wood the more expensive the cost to build some thing from it, making it a higher valued wood. I would do a Google search for "furniture wood types pictures" it will give you the basic wood type that are usee in furniture and what they look like.
Louise Perkins
on Apr 05, 2014
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Thank you Louise that is helpful. Also I have furniture that does not have any mark or name of a maker, I like to do a little research on the item. Is there any thing I can do to find that out? My pieces are usually vintage.
Debra
on Apr 05, 2014
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I would look on ebay under vintage or antique furniture to see what others have listed them as. then do more searches on that information. the other place I would look is a google image search for vintage ( ) pieces both searches have been helpful for me. There are places that you can send them a photo of a piece of furniture. they may be able to help tell you what you want to know. I don't have any place at this time to suggest. you could talk to a vintage auctioneer they know a lot about antiques.
Louise Perkins
on Apr 06, 2014
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I saw online that there is actually a kit you can purchase that has small chips from tons of wood. I wish I could remember where I saw it....want it. If you find it, please post the link. Could be very useful to many of us on here.
Found & Fancied Goods
on Apr 06, 2014
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What do you know...here it is...LOL! http://www.amazon.com/Sauers-Wood-Identification-Kit/product-reviews/B003F0C9EW/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?showViewpoints=1
Found & Fancied Goods
on Apr 06, 2014
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Hands down this The Wood Database is the best resource I've found with great photos and information on various wood types from native to exotic. In getting the link for you I noticed they now have a Pinterest page which is where I'll link you. http://www.pinterest.com/wooddatabase/ I'm obsessive about wood so I have folders on my computer dedicated to photos of wood species. To me, it's fine art the Master Himself.
Z
on Apr 06, 2014
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Thank you, I will try to find it . If I do I will post it for sure.
Debra
on Apr 06, 2014
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