Dear James: Our church has some beautiful old decorative woodwork that needs some repairs and to be refinished. What is the best way to retain the original appearance?—Karen L. Dear Karen: It is possible to bring old woodwork back to nearly its original appearance, but don’t expect to duplicate it perfectly. This will probably require you to do more area than initially needs it. To do this project properly, expect it to take a lot of time and physical, tiring work. To make the repaired areas look good, you will have to replace some of the old wood. Remove a piece of the old woodwork without damaging it and take it to an experienced woodworker or mill in your area. They can tell you what type of wood it is so you can at least start by matching the species. Chemical strippers are the quickest method to remove the old …