Q. I have been accumulating nice old furniture for several years now with the intention of opening my own antique shop.  However, my husband is starting to feel cramped in our house and wants to convert our basement into a shop. He says we could store all the "antique junk" as he calls it, in one of those storage trailers. I don't think that's a good idea because there is no climate control in those things. What are some of the guidelines for storing antique furniture?

A. The basic rule of thumb is that if you would be uncomfortable in an environment so would the antiques. Heat is much more damaging than severe cold but any extreme in temperature can cause movement in the wood that is not good for the furniture. There is natural movement in any piece of wood but it is very gradual and generally causes no short term harm. The relatively rapid movement caused by repeated heating and cooling can ruin a nice piece. The other major concern of course is moisture. An environment that is continually damp leads to loose joints, mildew and rot.

      The best, and of course the most expensive, storage is climate controlled with a very narrow range of temperature and humidity fluctuation. A sealed storage trailer, left outside in all seasons, is one of the worst choices. Another possibility is to impose on a relative or friend with an extra room or two in their house. A small rental arrangement might be just the ticket and it too could be tax deductible, just like a storage facility if you do open a shop in the future.

Q. I have an old card table that I think belonged to my great grandfather. I never paid much attention to it until we moved and when the table was upside down I saw the name "Geo. Henshaw & Sons" on the bottom. Since my family was originally from Pennsylvania I assume that Henshaw was a manufacturer there. Do you have any information about the company?

A. Actually George Henshaw worked mainly in Cincinnati. He was an English cabinetmaker who immigrated to New Orleans in the 1840's and relocated to Ohio by 1847. He opened a furniture factory there and continued his work until his death in 1881. His sons of course were also in the trade. While he was alive the name of the firm included the phrase "& Sons". After his death the company was known simply as "G. Henshaw Sons. That indicates your table was made before 1881 and the style of your table is more in keeping with the 1860's than the 1880's. Signed Henshaw works are fairly rare but they do show up in better shops and auctions occasionally.

Q. I am in the process of refinishing a mahogany chest of drawers which my wife bought at an estate sale. I have stripped it, repaired it and am now ready to finish it but my wife says it is too red. She wants a browner, more walnut look to it. She doesn't like the red. How can I cancel out some of the color? I have tried brown stains on some areas but it still looks red. Thanks for any help.

A. If she doesn't like red she shouldn't have bought mahogany or she should be prepared to wait a hundred years or so. Over time red mahogany loses some of it red and turns browner. Walnut also turns but has a tendency to turn to the red side so that over a very long period of time the two woods looks strikingly similar.

Assuming however, that your wife doesn't want to hear any of that there are a couple of things you can try to get the red out. Instead of a brown stain, use one that has a green tint to it. Red and green (which is made of blue and yellow) make brown so adding green will help enhance the brown tint. You can actually just buy some green universal colorant at an art supply store and add it in small quantities to a brown stain until you get an acceptable color. Black colorant will also help since most modern blacks include a green base. Just be aware that you probably will have to go pretty dark with the color to get the desired "less red" effect.

If that doesn't satisfy, then you may have to do it the hard way and bleach the cabinet to remove the base color. That is time consuming and dangerous to both you and the piece of furniture but it probably will eventually work. Use a two part bleach designed for use on wood. It is generally more effective and more controllable than the other alternative, oxalic acid.

 Visit Fred's website at www.furnituredetective.co Fred Taylor's new book "HOW TO BE A FURNITURE DETECTIVE" is now available for $18.95 plus $2.00 S & H. Send check or money order for $20.95 to Fred Taylor, PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423.

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