About Stanley Furniture

 

Materials

 

Stanley Furniture is hand-crafted from fine quality woods, and often incorporates other quality construction materials such as aluminum, steel, glass, plastic, leather, and marble. Since wood is the main component, we’ll focus on how it’s used to make fine quality furniture.

Hardwood

Refers to all leaf-bearing trees rather than any degree of hardness. Those most often used in furniture construction include ash, birch, butternut, cherry, gum, mahogany, maple, oak, pecan, rosewood, teak, walnut and yellow poplar.

Woods for Frame Construction

Ash, gum and yellow poplar are often used in frame construction and other interior areas for their strength, stability and shock absorption qualities.

Wood Preparation

Wood contains natural moisture that accounts for as much as one-third of the total weight of lumber when it is first received. “Curing” lumber requires tremendous care and expertise.

Our wood is air dried three to six months, depending on its thickness; then placed in a dry kiln for two to eight weeks. Moisture content of six to eight percent assures the stability of finished furniture, in either humid or desert climates.

After the lumber is properly dried, it is planed and cut to various widths and lengths, then matched for color. Even within the same tree, color varies greatly.

Softwood

Trees with needles or foliage that remains green year round. These include cedar, fir, pine and spruce.

Woods for Exterior Surface

Cabinet woods are those used on exterior surfaces and must be carefully worked, carved, finished and polished. Cabinet woods include birch, cherry, mahogany, maple, oak, pecan and walnut.

 

 

 

Finishes

 

Sometimes the name on a piece of furniture describes the finish rather than the type of wood used in its construction. For example, and oak finish can be applied to an entirely different species of wood. Be sure to check the finish color and species of your furniture.

An overview of Stanley's 30-Step Finishing Process

Even in our state-of-the-art finishing plants, hand finishing is why our finishes are so beautiful and durable. Here’s an abridged version of our hand-finishing process.

  • After the piece is hand sanded, an undertone stain is applied.
  • Next, a washcoat seals the stain. It is hand sanded again, and filler is applied and packed into the wood pores for a smooth, even surface.
  • Excess filler is wiped off by hand and a sealer coat is applied.
  • The piece is again hand sanded.
  • Next it is hand padded to mellow the tone.
  • A specially prepared luster glaze is applied liberally and rubbed in by hand on both‚ at and carved areas to highlight and subdue the prime color.
  • Antiquing or distressing follows the glaze operation and is done by hand.
  • It is then ready for protective coatings.
  • After drying, it is hand waxed and hand rubbed prior to final inspection before shipping.
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