• How long does it take to make a piece of furniture?
This all depends which piece of furniture we are making… a simple coffee table for instance could take around 8 hours to make followed by a further 3 hours to stain and polish.An intricate dresser with 3 doors and 3 drawers in the base and glazed doors in the top can take up to 75 hours of cabinet making followed by 12 hours of staining, polishing and finishing.
• Can you match the new piece to my existing furniture?
Yes, we have a superb polishing department, with top quality expert finishers; they are able to match to your existing colour and finish. All they require is a colour sample (door, drawer or chair) and they do the rest.
• Is your furniture made by one person?
Yes, we find that is the best way… it gives the cabinetmaker more satisfaction to work on one piece from start to finish. They also put their own personal mark on each piece of furniture they make. Also one polisher will finish each piece.
• How hard wearing is the finish?
We used to French-polish all our furniture, but wanted a more hard wearing finish, so we now use a specialist lacquer finish. Whilst no wood finish can be described as heat proof, we can say that our finish is at least heat resistant.
• Can I choose my handles and other fittings?
Yes you can, we have a complete catalogue of reproduction period furniture fittings and brassware, and the same for more contemporary designs. Choose your own particular style or let our experts advise on which might be the most suitable for your piece.
• How do I look after my furniture?
The finishes that we use take very little looking after, but we do recommend that you use a small amount of a of a good quality furniture polish (not spray) that will not only make the furniture look good but will also help to protect it.
• Does the price include delivery and VAT?
All prices quoted include VAT and delivery within a 25-mile radius of Shrewsbury; outside this distance we make a small charge for delivery.
• Does your timber come from sustainable sources?
Yes all our timber comes from sustainable sources.
• Does the timber you use come from the UK?
Some of our oak comes from the UK, but mostly it comes from French and German forests. We also use American Cherry, and the mahogany is from Africa. Other woods are sourced from the most appropriate areas. Please look at the “Story of Oak” (provide a link to this)
• Just what does handcrafted mean?
Handcrafted means that we have no production line, nor do we mass-produce any items. Each piece is designed, drawn up on paper and then one of our craftsmen will physically cut the timber required out of rough-sawn timber, plane it on the planer, and then proceed to craft it and shape it into a recognisable beautiful piece of furniture using time honoured methods, combined with modern glue.
• Is the furniture made on your premises?
Each piece that carries the name of ‘Rushworths’ is indeed made, and finished here on the premises, and accompanied by its own Certificate of Authenticity. Also, we encourage our customers to visit our workshops.
• Do you use traditional methods?
Yes we still use dovetailed joints and mortise & tenon joints, as craftsmen have done for centuries. We do however use more modern glues, which give a better adhesion.
• How old is the wood that you use?
Oak Trees mature at between 120 to 150 years but most European oak is not harvested until it is much older. Typically we use oak that can be up to 300 years old. Other woods that we use mature at different rates but we ensure that we always use mature timber, and that it comes from eco-friendly sources. You may be interested to read “The Story of Oak” under the heading “Our Philosophy”
• Will my furniture warp over time?
The timber we use is first of all air dried, and then kiln dried to a moisture content of 10%, which is a widely accepted standard. All timber retains some moisture content, but because we finish the underneath and backs of our pieces with the same amount of stain and lacquer as the fronts, the timber should not warp or distort. However that is not to say that prolonged exposure to bright sunlight will not have an effect on the appearance of the piece.
• Can you restore an old piece for me?
Rushworths started out as antique furniture restorers, and we always like to ‘keep our hand in’ and love to repair, restore, or simply re-polish any furniture as required, be it a simple chair repair, or a full scale dining table re-polishing job.
• Do you do upholstery?
We have an excellent local upholsterer with whom we have worked for many years. They handle all our upholstery work, from a chair seat to a 3-piece suite or a bed headboard.
• Can you repair damaged furniture?
Whilst we cannot guarantee to be able to repair every piece of furniture, we have yet to be confronted with a problem that we were unable to solve.
• What timbers do you use?
We are probably best known for our Oak and Mahogany furniture, but we also make in Beech, Ash, Elm, Cherry and Walnut.
• If you can make all types of furniture, why do you offer other companies products?
We recognise that our individual handcrafted pieces are expensive and that some of our customers need furniture that will fall within a tighter budget. The other ranges that we offer can meet this need and are produced to the highest standard, but are not handcrafted as our range is. Most of the ranges we offer are from manufacturers which use production line manufacturing techniques, and are thus able to produce multiple pieces at one time. The quality of their product is excellent but for a totally unique piece of furniture, tailor made to your own specifications, a Rushworth piece is the only answer.