We Fix Old Stuff

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United States
Seattle, WA
We Fix Old Stuff

We repair and refurbish fine antique and vintage goods in Seattle, WA

12/03/2025

Behind the scenes of this Spanish brass chandelier: a full restoration and rewire, every component carefully considered. No one will ever see this once it’s closed up, but craftsmanship lives in the details — tidy connections, clean runs, and respect for every component.

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Please note! We are currently booked through the holidays. We can do rush repairs for a 50% rush fee. Otherwise, as always, we are happy to discuss your next repair project and schedule work for 2026.

11/06/2025

A client brought us a vintage wallpaper roller and asked if it could become a lamp. (Spoiler: it could.)

We added a brass base with a hidden weight for stability, replaced the rusted interior rod with a sturdier one, and modified a vase cap for a perfect fit at the top. Every metal piece — base, cap, neck, socket shell, and saddle — was antiqued and waxed to match the roller’s tone, so it all feels like one continuous object.

We finished the piece with a new socket, a twisted cloth cord, a rebuilt vintage plug, and a felted base underside. The client will add their own shade, but the hard part’s done. It’s a lamp now.

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Service: Electrification
Time: 5 hours

11/03/2025

A client brought us one of a matching pair of silver-plated candlesticks, its candle cup snapped clean off. She’d been told it needed soldering, but that would’ve risked damaging the plating.

Instead, we drilled, tapped, and threaded a new mechanical connection — no heat, no visible repair line. The cup now sits securely again, perfectly aligned, as though it was never broken at all.

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Service: Restoration
Time: 45 min

10/14/2025

This antique swivel fan arrived completely nonfunctional, its motor and oscillating mechanism choked with oily dust. The fan was disassembled and cleaned, the switch rebuilt, and the fan rewired with a cloth-covered cord to match the era. Now it hums again — smooth, strong, and safe.

This project was completed by our team in a previous professional role and reflects our repair methods and approach to craft.

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Service: Restoration
Time: 2.5 hours

10/07/2025

Two antique ceramic pull-chain sockets came in with bulbs flickering. Inside, decades of sparking had left carbon on the hot contacts, blocking proper connection. We disassembled, cleaned, and rebuilt them.

Worth noting: antique ceramic sockets are leagues better than anything made today. They handle heat well, don’t crack with age, and will last lifetimes with the occasional refresh. Modern sockets? Plastic. Brittle. Disposable. If you’ve got the old ones, refurbish — don’t replace.

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Service: Restoration
Time: 1 hour

09/30/2025

This early 20th-century five-light pan fixture, blackened by years of soot and dust, came in sad and lifeless. We refurbished the ceramic sockets, cleaned and polished the brass, repainted the pan to bring out its details, and rewired it with new mounting hardware. The fixture left our shop with its warmth, depth, and function fully restored.

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Service: Restoration
Time: 7.5 hours

09/23/2025

This early 1900s Craftsman-era sconce, original to the house, hadn’t been opened in at least 50 years.

The paddle switch had seized, but the real culprit was carbon buildup — every spark over decades leaving a trace until the contacts could no longer connect, causing it to flicker.

We disassembled it completely, hand-cleaned each part, and rewired it. Safe, smooth, and ready for another long stretch of service.

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Service: Restoration
Time: 1.25 hours

09/17/2025

Shown here: a pair of hefty cast-brass candlesticks converted into working table lamps.

Each candlestick was drilled, threaded, capped, and fitted with new sockets. Vintage turn k***s were added so the lamps would feel cohesive and period-appropriate. Every visible part — socket shells, harp, saddles, finials, necks — was finished to match. The client had their own shades, so the bases were left lamp-ready.

This project was completed by our team in a previous professional role and reflects our repair methods and approach to craft.

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Service: Electrification
Time: 3.25 hours

09/15/2025

These century-old kick plates, stamped with “NO PEDDLERS OR AGENTS”, were stripped, polished, their lettering repainted, then clear-coated. Back on the doors where they started, they’re once again ready to cheerfully ward off solicitors for another hundred years.

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Service: Restoration
Time: 6.5 hours

09/12/2025

See any cords? Exactly. This rewire was routed and camouflaged so precisely it disappears into the brass symmetry. The wires look like part of the metalwork itself — exceptional cord management, hiding in plain sight.

This project was completed by our team in a previous professional role and reflects our repair methods and approach to craft.

Address

Seattle, WA

Website

https://wefixoldstuffseattle.com/

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