When we were young, one of our favorite pastimes was refinishing old family furniture. Our aunts and uncles generously donated old chairs, tables and other pieces. We can still hear their whispers, "What the heck do those Carey boys want with all of that old furniture?"

After we had stripped, repaired, caned, stained, varnished and otherwise restored several pieces, the relatives took notice. The refinished pieces were so strikingly beautiful (if we do say so ourselves) that one aunt wanted her furniture back. She even offered to pay for the materials we used to bring her old cane chairs back to life.

Some pieces were finished with tung oil, others with linseed oil and some were waxed, shellacked or varnished. But regardless of the final finish, each piece began its journey to rehabilitation in the same way. First, each was disassembled to make it easier to strip off the old finish. The most important part of antique restoration is stripping away the old finish without damaging the furniture. Green's Liquid Stripper, works best for us. It stays moist the longest, removes the most coats of paint per application and is the easiest to clean once the finish has been dissolved.

All paint strippers are extremely caustic and thus present a danger throughout the stripping process. Eye protection is an absolute must as are rubber gloves and protective clothing. With paint strippers nothing is safe. Also, don't forget to protect the work area. Newspapers work best. Spread them out on a large canvas dropcloth. Using the dropcloth will provide an extra level of protection as the newspapers slip and slide. Follow the stripper manufacturer's application instructions carefully. Use an old paintbrush to apply the chemical - brushing in one direction. Once applied don't brush again. Doing so will reduce the effectiveness of the stripper. Don't attempt this process in the sun. Once the stripper has dried it stops working.

Wind has the same negative drying effect. Wait until the paint starts to bubble and soften. Test a small area by scraping with a putty knife to see if it's ready. Be sure the putty knife is dull as this condition will reduce the chance of gouging the wood. Rub the blade on concrete to file it dull or purchase one made of plastic. In any event, the blade should be pliable and from 2- to 6-inches wide. Scrape in long sweeping strokes with the blade at about a 25-degree angle to the surface. Put the excess into a disposable container such as a painter's throwaway paper bucket or an old coffee can. The key is to remove the paint and then the stripper without damaging the piece or the surrounding area. Water soluble strippers are all right, but you might be confused into thinking that washing off the stripper with water is the right thing to do. Wrong! Wood and water don't mix and nothing can do more damage in less time than wetting an antique with water. Wipe the excess stripper away with a dampened cloth or paper towel and then with a dry one.

Besides a putty knife you will want a brass brush and plenty of steel-wool pads. The brass brush and steel wool are great for removing paint, varnish and stain in scroll work, sculptured areas and around other intricate carvings.

With the raw wood stripped, lightly sand and a give it a thorough rubdown with steel wool. With varnish, the final surface luster depends on the quality of the varnish and how well it is applied. With tung oil and linseed oil the final luster depends on how smooth the wood surface is before the oil is applied. With oil, raised wood grains, sanding marks, scratches and other refinishing flaws can't be hidden. Polishing the wood with steel wool or extremely fine sandpaper removes even the slightest imperfection and causes the wood to shine naturally. The oil simply enhances the finish.

You can prevent damage to the gloves you are wearing by stuffing the steel wool into half a tennis ball. Use a kitchen knife or a razor knife to cut the tennis ball in half. Use the stuffed tennis ball to grip the steel wool so that the metal splinters won't end up in your gloves - or your fingers.

We recommend an all-natural tung or boiled linseed-oil finish because you don't have to worry about hairs, bugs and lint getting caught in the final coat of finish. Most people don't have a spray-painting booth that professionals rely on to eliminate flaws in a painted or varnished finish.

In years to come additional coats of oil can be added. With an oil finish the surface gets more silky and smooth with use. It's amazing. Rubbing your hand across the surface of an antique that has been refinished with oil is like touching satin.