• Inspect - take a very close look at the piece from top to bottom, inside to out.  Determine how it was built and with what woods/veneers.  Also determine what repairs and modifications were made.  Determine the type of finish used (i.e. alcohol based - shellac/lacquer or oil based)
• Clean first with mineral spirits, then soap solution (one oz. of Dawn detergent for 16 oz. of water).
• Rinse with fresh water.
• Renew the finish, or strip/refinish

•  9:15 — Ben Hobbs - Period Hardware and Fasteners.  Includes what to do if you don’t have access to real period hardware for your project.
• 10:30 — Ray Journigan - Carving a Tidewater rococo mantelpiece (Part One); selection criteria/scaling/ creating templates
• 11:30 — Steve Dietrich — The Ferry Farm Story-Steve’s furniture pieces.  (Also, Ben will comment on his pieces.)
• 1:00 — Ray Journigan —Mantelpiece (Part Two); layout/carving/making and using castings
• 2:45 — Don Williams — Strategy, procedures, and materials for color and finish matching (e.g. new wood repairs on old pieces).
• Species and grain matches
• Commonly available materials versus conservation materials
• Finishes

Note that this meeting is free and open to nonmembers.  However, a hat will be passed for donations to defray the travel expenses of the presenters.

• Next month will be our "Dovetail Extravaganza".  To make this a valuable learning experience, presenters are still needed to show how dovetails can be made on the bandsaw and tablesaw.  Contact Jim Francis if you're interested in participating.
• The topic for May's program is furniture repair/refurbishing/repurposing.  So, bring your project to May's meeting, and we'll investigate/discuss what it needs and what you want to bring it back to life.