Furniture Service Technician
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 reupholster 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.
Pre-Finishing / Production
Pre-finishers are professionals who finish new wood construction. They are very knowledgeable about preparing surfaces, color matching, and stain application, as well as spray systems, finishing materials, and application techniques. Their work is usually performed in a commercial or industrial setting with a professional spray booth. They may work for a furniture manufacturer or for another business which finishes the furniture for the manufacturers.
Repair / Restoration
Topics covered in this area are: restoration techniques, solvent cleaning, finish removal, wood technology and wood identification, understanding adhesives and re-gluing techniques, bleaching, sanding, basic coloring techniques, color matching, choosing a finish, finish application techniques and finishing procedures. Emphasis will also be placed on working with checked finishes, re-amalgamation of finishes, French Polishing with shellac, consolidation of rotting wood and veneer patching.
The conservation work in museums can be applied to every day furniture, thus preserving the integrity of that piece you are working on. When these techniques are not possible, learn how to safely remove the finish using hand or tank methods.
Wood Working
The wood working segment of this course is intended to familiarize the student with the hand tools, portable power tools and stationary power tools necessary to repair or replace wooden components of furniture. These same skills can be used to secure employment in a shop where construction of new furniture or cabinets is being done.
