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Old furniture deserves a second life. So do the animals at the sanctuary.
I rescue used wood furniture from homes across Niagara, refinish it by hand in my workshop, and put what it raises toward an animal sanctuary in Wainfleet.
Three steps, in order — a piece has to pass each one.
Nothing skips a step. What arrives broken gets fixed before it gets finished, and what's finished gets sold before a dollar reaches the sanctuary.
Rescue
Dressers, tables, chairs and cabinets that still have solid wood underneath, but nowhere left to go.
Refinish
Stripped, repaired, and finished by hand in my workshop, using the same coatings knowledge I bring to my day job.
Raise
Every piece sold funds the animals at the sanctuary in Wainfleet. This is a side project, not a business.
What a typical piece needs
No two pieces arrive the same way. These are the kinds of jobs that come through most often — not a specific past client, just the shape of the work.
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Dresser
Drawer joinery re-glued, veneer chips filled, old lacquer stripped back to bare wood before refinishing.
Finished in three coats of Danish oil.
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Cabinet
Hinges rebuilt, hairline cracks in the door panels filled and levelled, hardware polished and reset.
Finished in hand-rubbed shellac.
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Dining table
Water rings and heat marks sanded out flat, leaf mechanism freed up, top brought back to one even tone.
Finished in sprayed lacquer.
Not sure your piece fits any of these? Send a photo and I'll tell you honestly whether it's worth rescuing.
A few things people usually ask.
Do you pick up, or do I need to drop it off?
I'm based in Fort Erie and travel through St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland, and the rest of the region most weeks, so pickup is usually easy to arrange.
How long does it take?
About a week for most pieces. Sometimes longer if I need to source matching wood for a repair.
Is there any cost to me?
No. This is a side project, not a business — donating a piece doesn't cost you anything.
What if it's not worth rescuing?
I'll tell you honestly. Send a photo first and I'll let you know before you go to any trouble getting it to me.
Every sale funds TAMS, an animal sanctuary in Wainfleet.
They take in animals that have nowhere else to go — the same idea behind the furniture, just on four legs. This project doesn't take a cut: 100% of what a piece sells for goes to their care.
I keep the two separate on purpose: the woodworking is mine, the cause is theirs, and the only thing that connects them is where the proceeds land.
Rescue. Furniture that would otherwise go to landfill gets a working second life instead.
Sanctuary. Every completed piece is priced to sell, and the full proceeds go to their care.
Overhead. None. One person, one workshop — nothing skimmed for running the project.
Tell me what you've got.
Email me the details: wood, drawers, joinery, finish, whatever's wrong with it. Photos help, but a description is enough to start.
- What kind of piece it is
- What's actually wrong with it
- Roughly where you are in Niagara
I'm based in Fort Erie and pass through St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland, and the rest of the region most weeks, so pickup is usually easy to arrange. Turnaround is about a week for most pieces — longer if I need to source matching wood.