To Restore and How?
This is a little more on point than my previous question.
While I worked for a good while in furniture manufacture, I worked for a good while in furniture restoration before that. Did work for some national museums. Followed a similar path with musical instruments. Now I'm around half of Southcoast Ukes, but for several years before, I bought, restored and sold vintage instruments.
While I'm not involved in restoration any more, it would be fun to hear the underground take on the subject. I'll use furniture references again here. The "battle lines" in furniture have been pretty clearly drawn. It seems things aren't as clear in musical instruments, but the ideas seem to flow along the same lines.
With furniture, you have (#1) the European museum philosophy: a restoration means putting a piece back in the condition in which it was when it was originally built. This means removing all damage and often removing and reapplying finish. With truly fine historical pieces, it will involve research into the wood purchases and inventories of 200 year old cabinet shops, and searching for woods from the same locales for replacements. The process can run decades and the cost can be astronomical.
Then you have (#2) the American museum philosophy. Do not remove damage, do not change out damaged or replaced parts, no matter how inappropriate, and "restore" the original finish. This will involve a cleaning and "re-flow", of the original finish, followed by a topcoat of whaterever the original finish was. In other words, the American philosophy is to bring the piece back far enough to show it's beauty, but leave it's history intact.
Finally, there is (#3) the "Antique Dealer's" philosophy. This one is gaining or has gradually gained prominence. "Leave everything just as it is. Change anything and all value as an antique is gone!" Coincidentally, this philosophy also allows antique furniture dealers (and dealers in vintage instruments as well) to turn the highest profit.
I've got my own ideas. What are yours? What would you do. for example, with Skitzik's remnant or the Ukuleleblues Bluebird?