The Furniture Doctor: A Guide to the Care, Repair, and Refinishing of Furniture

by George Grotz

The best-selling guide to keeping furniture in the finest and most beautiful condition, with complete information on proper repair and refinishing techniques from the legendary expert on antiques and their restoration.

B & W photographs throughout

Genres: Woodwork, Nonfiction, Reference, How To, Crafts

384 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1962

Reviews

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun read, the uncle George stories are silly and the finishing advice still works. Flexner is a better and much more modern author on this subject though. Covers shellac, old fashioned varnish, milk paint and linseed oil as well as removing them from furniture, which covers all the finishes I currently use.

Also covers faking and fakes, make your own antiques. (May be illegal in some states ;))

[Apryl Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My one and only master! I'm glad to see that this book is still in print.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book felt like I was working alongside a no nonsense grandpa in the workshop. There is so much information tucked into this book, which is beneficial for anyone starting to refinish furniture. The tips are down to your base products like oxalic acid, shellac and more. With very little brand name dropping. This means refinishes outside of North America will find the information Grotz shares as useful.

The only negative is that there is no pictures other than Grotzs drawings. So visual learners may struggle.

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have no intention to try furniture repair but I read this whole thing cover to cover because I loved the tone of it so much. I don't really think this would be helpful for me as a manual, but it perfectly provided the experience of sitting down with someone who knows their stuff and listening to them go off for a few hours.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars, but I still couldn't finish it.

The information is good and the opinions are entertaining at the paragraph level, but the overall organization and structure of the text is lacking. Probably more useful as a reference for people who already know something about woodworking.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Filled with useful fundamentals. Grotz outlines why and how various techniques are used for specific woods, desired outcomes, particular problems, et cetera. A very nice reference book.

[Alana White · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy buying old furniture and refinishing it, or just help with identifying the period it was made, this is a wonderful book for you. I first stumbled over my 1962 copy (the original edition) in a used bookstore. My copy is now dog-eared (one corner completely chewed off), and I wouldn't replace it for anything, though I am happy to see the book is still available to new customers. It not only covers how to identify finishes (so you'll get off on the correct foot and will know what grade steel wool to use,) but also provides a short history of furniture styles (the subtitle is "Being Practical information for everybody about the care, repair, and refinishing of furniture/Exploding the Myth of the Chippendale Gang." Love it!

[Foxtower · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good overview on how to make that old beat up chair work as good as new yet still show it's wonderful patina from age. Grotz includes many tips and tricks such as using vinegar to loosen old glue, but in his section "tools of the trade", his crude drawings (My edition has no photo's) don't really do justice to what he's written. The information is there and invaluable, but may require the reader aquire some knowledge and experience beforehand to really appreciate and understand his narratives.

[Donald Small · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been my go to reference for refinishing and restoring furniture since the 1970's. It may seem to be a bit dated, but if you follow George Grotz's lead you will have some very satisfying results restoring your antique finds! (Just don't touch the finish on a piece that might have been touched by George Washington!)

[Fishsanwitt]

stamped

[Karin · Rating 2 out of 5]

While some of the information is not only out-of-date but completely unethical, there are useful sections on furniture styles, dating methods, and identification of wood species.