Individuals who want to enter the furniture restoration business can enroll in training programs that last about a year, such as the program at the Chippendale International School of Furniture. Other training programs, such as Fran Malloy Furniture, last just a few days. These types of furniture restoration schools teach students how to perform tasks such as staining and sealing a new piece of furniture, replacing a section of veneer or inlay, cleaning and re-polishing a tabletop or re-upholstering a chair. Fixing a wobbly chair is another example of a skill that furniture restoration schools teach.
At schools such as the Chippendale International School of Furniture, applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants typically do not need to have woodworking experience but should show an enthusiasm for furniture restoration and must be self-disciplined. International students typically must have a score of 400 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language before being accepted.
Students at a furniture restoration school learn how to use and sharpen hand tools such as chisels and cabinet scrapers and also learn to master machine tools including electric fretsaws, routers, disc and drum sanders, vacuum veneer presses, lathes and jigsaws. In addition, students learn about wood bending in creating contemporary furniture as well as how to do wood turning and carving. Gluing down blisters and concealing joints also are furniture restoration school topics, along with metal work such as burnishing and lacquering.
Another important class topic at furniture restoration schools is how to set up a furniture restoration business. Students learn how to control cash flow and how to market a business. In addition, they review the pricing of work, customer relations and invoicing/credit control. Also, classes cover upholstery repairs using nails, staple guns and new webbing, as well as the skill of making stained glass panels. Finishing and polishing furniture, which includes staining and bleaching, also are furniture restoration class topics.