Q. I am restoring a tea cart given to me by my grandmother. It has seen some big miles around her house over the years and the rubber tires on the wheels are absolutely gone. Its just running on the rims. I can't seem to find ones that will fit. Any ideas?

A. First try Van Dykes Restorers, PO Box 278, Woonsocket, SD 57385, 800-558-1234 or try them online at www.vandykes.com.. They carry a pretty good assortment of wheels, tires and accessories for tea caddies. If that doesn't work go the auto parts store and try fitting the wheels with fuel line or vacuum line. You will have to cut this continuous type line at an angle to make it fit the wheel without a bump. Join the ends of the line around the wheels with a small dowel inserted into the line and glued in with epoxy if necessary.

 Q. I have determined that I really like modern furniture. It has taken me some years to reach this conclusion and I am way behind the curve in learning something about the genre. Most of the reference books and articles I seem to run across are about antique furniture and really don't address the modern parts at all. Can you recommend a decent book on the subject?

 A. Actually you will need more than one book for modern just like you need more than one book to study antiques. I have three books on the subject that I have found to be very useful. They are  "Fifties Furniture - With Values" by Leslie Pina, Schiffer Books, "Mid-Century Modern, Furniture of the 1950's" by Cara Greenburg, Harmony Books and "Heywood-Wakefield, Modern Furniture, Identification and Value Guide" by Steve Rouland and Roger Rouland, published by Collector Books. Also you want to get on the mailing list of the combination of the Treadway and Toomey galleries, Toomey is at 818 North Blvd, Oak Park, IL 60301, and Treadway is at 2029 Madison Rd, Cincinnati, OH, 45208, www.treadwaygallery.com.

Q. I made a mistake on a piece of furniture I am working on. I glued the wrong parts together with a two part epoxy glue and now I need to separate them and do it right. I really don't want to have to cut them apart or break them if there is any other way. I have been told that vinegar dissolves glue but it hasn't done anything for the epoxy. What is the solvent for epoxy glue?

A. There really isn't one that goes directly to the problem but I have bailed myself out of similar  under-brain-powered situations by using a lot of patience and some methylene chloride stripper. The MC based stripper is usually thick enough to stay where you put it and has enough wax and soap in it to keep it from evaporating quickly. If possible drill small holes into the glued joint and try to force some stripper into them. Surround the surface around joint with stripper and some it will penetrate enough to start working on the epoxy. It may take a couple of days for the stripper to work but eventually the glue will loosen enough for you to work the joint open again. Then you must clean off the old glue and stripper before you start again.

Q. Is it possible to redissolve and revive a varnish finish like it is with lacquer and shellac? I have an old phonograph that was refinished many years ago by my father who used varnish on everything. Over time it has cracked and crazed but I don't want to strip it since he did the work.

A. Unfortunately the answer is no. Varnish, including urethane, is chemically a very different finish from lacquer and shellac. Varnish is known as a "reactive" finish. As the solvent, mineral spirits, evaporates, a chemical reaction with the oxygen in the air takes place and a new substance is created. It cannot be returned to its liquid state. Lacquer and shellac are "evaporative" finishes . When their solvent evaporates what is left is the original dry compound and it can be returned to liquid form by adding more solvent.

The best you can do to preserve the original work is to clean the old varnish well with mineral spirits, light sand it and recoat with more varnish or oil based urethane ( not water based).

Fred Taylor's new book "HOW TO BE A FURNITURE DETECTIVE" is now available for $18.95 plus $2.00 S & H. Send check or money order for $20.95 to Fred Taylor, PO Box 215, Crystal River, FL 34423.

Fred and Gail Taylor's video, "IDENTIFICATION OF OLDER & ANTIQUE FURNITURE", ($29.95 includes S & H) is also available at the same address. For more information call (800) 387-6377, fax (352) 563-2916, or e-mail fmtaylor@aol.com.