Making Outdoor Log Furniture

Logs have several uses. It is, however, mostly used for the making of furniture. Log furniture, in fact, is often considered to be superior to other furniture because of its strength and durability.
Historically speaking, log furniture is usually crafted for function, form and fastness. It's aided by the fact that logs are easy to obtain and natural and have been used for centuries to make benches, tables, bed frames, cabinets, wardrobes, sturdy chairs, sofa frames, bookcases and several other items. Logs have been traditionally used outdoors for constructing benches, tables, lawn swings, gazebos etc.
One doesn't have to be a master wooden craftsman to make wooden furniture from logs. Using a simple-to-follow-plan, an amateur woodworker can easily craft beautiful and useful pieces of interesting furniture that can be enjoyed through generations.
Here's how you can do that.
Harvest the log
Locate dead or standing dry trees that have knots, curves or mineral staining that complement your design. You have to remove the branches with the help of a hatchet, axe or a chainsaw. A correctly identified branch can also be included in your design. Use a draw-knife for removing the bark. Dry the logwood under a covered area or a shed. It takes a year to air-dry logwood. The wood must have less than 16 per cent humidity to work on it. While insect holes and cracks in the log are nothing unusual, discard pieces that are cracked or split. These can compromise with the integrity and strength of the log.
Design the project
Sketch and design your project and make note of the finished measurements. Most log furniture is manufactured from mortised joinery and wedged pegs. You can get log furniture plans online. Follow the plans carefully.
Cut logs as per plans
Use sharp hand tools or a new saw-blade for ensuring a clean-cut in the log according to plans. Pay attention to the detail and sand each piece carefully. Use 100-grit sandpaper in the beginning and finish off with a 200-grit one. Execute a final sanding once the piece has been crafted. If you want a more rustic finish, leave some pieces of the bark attached to the log. Sand only where the slivers and splinters are more evident.
Assemble the pieces
Assemble all pieces of your log furniture. Ensure that all the joints are tight and snug. There are many logwood craftsmen who prefer using screws and waterproof glue for joining the pieces. Other workmen often prefer using hand carving and wooden pegs for crafting a joint. You can insert some leather pieces into the joints for cushioning the movement. If you're using wooden clamps for joining glued pieces, pad up the clamp with pieces of foam for preventing scratching or denting on the wood.
When you have carried out all the above processes, you have to rub the wood again for sanding it. After this, apply a polyurethane coating or a waterproof sealant on the furniture.
Remember, always wear dust masks and gloves while scraping and sawing the wood.

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Maintenance Tips for Teak Furniture

All furniture requires maintenance. Regardless of the type of wood used in their manufacture, all furniture must be maintained on a regular basis. If this is not done then they may become prone to damages within a few years of their purchase. Whether you use soft wood or hard wood for manufacturing your furniture, maintenance is a must.
Teak is one of the common types of wood used for making furniture. It's mostly used for making outdoor furniture. This is because teak is very durable. Teak is expensive and it's only natural that you would take the best possible care for it. Hence, there are certain things that must be kept in mind for maintaining this furniture made from teak.
Cleaning
Cleaning teak furniture is comparatively easier than other furniture. If your teak wood furniture isn't very dirty, you can simply wash off all the dirt with water, using a garden hose pipe. However, if the furniture is indeed extremely dirty, you would have to use soap, soft sponge and water for cleaning. You must always avoid using a hard brush as this could damage the typical grey color of the furniture.
Oiling
Teak is naturally oily and thus doesn't require any treatment for outdoor use. Just apply more oil to it regularly so that the furniture can uphold its appearance. Oiling the furniture would help in preventing stains to settle on the grains. Clean and dry the furniture thoroughly ahead of oiling.
Stains
Teak furniture occasionally gets stains. When the stain is difficult to wipe off with water and soap, you have to rub sandpaper on it. Use fine-grade sandpaper for this purpose. Make sure that you rub the paper only in the direction of the grains. Apply a coat of teak oil after sanding. Make sure that you dry the wood properly after you've applied the oil.
Covers
Many people love using covers for protecting their teak furniture. Covers, however, should not be used. If you're using covers, moisture is likely to get trapped below them. Besides, the furniture won't get enough air for breathing properly. Such conditions are perfect for encouraging molds to start growing on the surface of the furniture.
Molds
A regular cleaning is necessary if you want to keep your teak furniture away from gathering molds. Foreign substances like dirt and moisture are favorites for molds. Regular cleaning of your teak furniture is thus necessary. Mix some bleach with water for wiping off moulds. Allow the mixture to soak into the water for at least 20 minutes and then wash off your furniture with water. Let the furniture dry under the sun.
These were some of the common tips to maintain teak furniture. As already said, a periodic application of oils is necessary to keep the furniture in top-notch condition. Make sure that you only use oils that are approved for teak furniture and are prescribed by experts. Application of some spurious oil can permanently damage your furniture. If needed, take recommendations from a seasoned consultant.

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Identifying Antique and Vintage Furniture

Whether you are decorating your home with vintage furniture or simply scouring the local flea market for some nice antique pieces for your den, it's of undeniable help to know something on how to spot antique furniture ahead of purchasing.
A piece of furniture may not be worth buying, simply for the fact that it has several years on it. Again, just any piece that's good in shape could hold some value even after a century. While many of these pieces may not be high quality antiques, they nevertheless attach some value to themselves over time.
A good way to spot vintage furniture pieces is whether it has been dated and signed by the manufacturer. Many pieces are, but most often they are handwritten at the underside and fade over the passage of years.
Don't always trust your eyes for identifying antique furniture like Chippendale or Queen Anne. Watch out for deceptively similar looking reproductions that could be as beautiful as the original. While original pieces are mostly found in museums these days, a rare piece may occasionally come under the hammer at auctions.
Typical designs found on Queen Anne pieces are the flared-out wide seats and the clawed feet. One way of identifying whether the piece is genuinely antique or fake is by turning over the item. If the furniture sports a paper tag or some traces of it, it's unlikely an antique furniture. In fact, most genuine vintage furniture won't have any markings or tags. This is because it wasn't required by law then to label the pieces. Fake pieces don't have tags and are usually "beaten" in the factory. Chains and many other similar instruments are used to hit the wood to make it look older. Look for some repeat patterns on the wood. If you notice a mark with three small scratches together, chances are that the item is a fake.
As the years passed, it became common among furniture manufacturers to attach printed tags to the items that listed the country of origin, the manufacturer's name as well as the year. Remember that these tags could be forged. So any time you consider purchasing an expensive piece of antique furniture, have an expert examine it.
While examining tags, they could appear as faded or covered in varnish because the furniture has been refinished. Thee tags could even be missing complete. They are nevertheless a fine way of determining the age of the furniture, if the year of manufacture is listed. However, never get fooled by the label. Simply because a purported piece of antique furniture has a good-looking label comprising the name of the manufacturer, the year and the country of origin, it hardly means that the item is a rare collector's piece. If the label on the furniture is intact and the piece truly turns out to have a vintage value, the tag would add to the item's worth. Buying furniture that has a tag which documents the age is always a plus while buying furniture that has antique value.

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