Profession furniture restorer

Furniture restorers analyse materials and techniques in order to assess the state of an old piece of furniture and to identify and classify it according to art and cultural history. They use old or modern tools and techniques to restore the piece and give advice to customers as to the restoration, conservation and maintenance of such objects.

Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional
• Realistic / Artistic
• Realistic / Investigative

Knowledge

• Art history

  The history of art and artists, the artistic trends throughout centuries and their contemporary evolutions.

• Conservation techniques

  The procedures, instruments, techniques, materials and chemicals used in conservation and archiving.

• Technical drawings

  Drawing software and the various symbols, perspectives, units of measurement, notation systems, visual styles and page layouts used in technical drawings.

Skills

• Sand wood

  Use sanding machines or hand tools to remove paint or other substances from the surface of the wood, or to smoothen and finish the wood.

• Create wood joints

  Use the proper tools and processes to create the joints where multiple pieces of wood fit together.

• Estimate restoration costs

  Estimate the cost implications of restoring and replacing products or parts.

• Apply a protective layer

  Apply a layer of protective solutions such as permethrine to protect the product from damage such as corrosion, fire or parasites, using a spray gun or paintbrush.

• Create smooth wood surface

  Shave, plane and sand wood manually or automatically to produce a smooth surface.

• Join wood elements

  Bind wooden materials together using a variety of techniques and materials. Determine the optimal technique to join the elements, like stapling, nail, gluing or screwing. Determine the correct work order and make the joint.

• Provide conservation advice

  Formulating guidelines for object care, preservation and maintenance, and providing professional advice on possible restoration work to be done.

• Apply restoration techniques

  Select and apply appropriate restoration techniques in order to achieve the required restoration goals. This encompasses preventive measures, remedial measures, restoration processes and management processes.

• Do historical research

  Use scientific methods to research history and culture.

• Select restoration activities

  Determine restoration needs and requirements and plan the activities. Consider the desired results, the level of intervention required, evaluation of alternatives, constraints on actions, stakeholder demands, possible risks and future options.

• Document restoration

  Record the type and state of the object to be restored as well as the restoration processes applied by means of pictures, drawings and written accounts.

• Operate wood sawing equipment

  Operate various machinery and equipment to cut wood in different sizes and shapes.

• Evaluate restoration procedures

  Evaluate the outcome of conservation and restoration procedures. Evaluate the degree of risk, success of treatment or activity and communicate the results.

• Assess conservation needs

  Assess and list the needs for conservation/restoration, in relation to current use and planned future use.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB