When all the necessary patching and repairing have been done to a piece of antique furniture and the old finish has been removed, one of the best ways to refinish it is by rubbing it with oil and polishing it with wax.

You may wonder why the removal of the old finish should be delayed until after the patching has been done. That is because it is not the best practice to wash off surplus glue from newly made joints. If the gluing is done before the old finish is removed, the surplus glue comes off with the old finish. If the finish were removed first, the surplus glue would have to be scraped off, and the scraping would mar the surfaces.

Genuine boiled linseed oil is the best agent for giving a deep, lustrous appearance to old wood. Brush the oil out thin so as to apply no more than will be absorbed by the wood. The oil will require from twenty-four to seventy-two hours to dry thoroughly, the time varying with the temperature.

There are a number of opinions as to how linseed oil should be applied - whether full strength or diluted, whether boiled or raw. A very hard wood will not absorb as much oil as a softer one, so it is well to examine the wood and dilute the oil enough so that all will be absorbed. A good practice is to use one part boiled oil and one part turpentine for all wood, but to apply more than one coat if the first coat sinks in so that it is clear the wood will absorb more. If too much oil is applied, the surplus will dry on the surface and must be removed with steel wool - a very tedious and annoying job. It should, therefore, be avoided.

The accepted method for refinishing antique furniture is to leave it in the natural wood, that is, to polish the wood without the use of stains or varnish. If this finish is desired, allow the piece to stand a day after removing the old finish so that the varnish remover will evaporate entirely; then oil the wood and allow ample time for drying.

If the patches appear new and of a lighter color than the surrounding wood, there are a number of ways in which they may now be treated:

1. Make a paste of dehydrated lime and water, the consistency of thick cream. Apply this paste about 1/16 in. thick to the new wood, let it stand for a day, and remove it carefully with a scraper and steel wool. If the wood still does not look old enough, repeat the process.

2. Dilute nitric acid with an equal amount of water and apply with a fine brush or a small swab to the new wood. Allow a day for the action of the acid and then wash it off with alcohol. This method is convenient and is used by many, but has several serious disadvantages. The acid is dangerous in the hands of those who are not accustomed to using it; and, furthermore, it often seems to give the wood an unnatural appearance.

3. Commercial wood dyes of the alcohol type, or spirit stains, as they are sometimes called, can be diluted with alcohol to the desired shade. These dye the wood a fast color and can be given a rubbed oil finish without difficulty.

When the new wood matches the old and the entire piece has been well oiled, polishing can be started (Fig. 24). Use any good grade of floor wax. Apply it with cotton cloth that has been washed and is perfectly free from lint. Rub the wax back and forth across the grain or use a circular movement. Continue rubbing until the wax has been rubbed in and both the surface and the cloth are almost dry. Apply more wax and repeat the rubbing. Continue until the grain of the wood is thoroughly filled.

Let the piece stand until the turpentine in the wax has evaporated and then give a final polish. A good rubber for this purpose may be made from a piece of wood 2 by 2 by 8 in., padded on one side and over all of the face edges with a layer of cotton from ¼ to ½ in. thick, and covered with strong cloth. Tack the cover to the block halfway up the edges and ends. Place over the rubber a loose cloth.

You will find the rubbing is strenuous exercise, but the result will be a polish to delight those who appreciate a beautiful patina.