Is this table worth restoring?

hi,
I have a very old hinged top table which I would like to restore.
I was told that in the 1930's it was painted with something called "No Scuff" which is a dark brown color. I was also told that the wood used was maple.
I suspect that the table top has been replaced at some time.
It has some interesting turned columns underneath and carved leaves on the feet.
I would like to restore it to it's original lighter color if possible. I did a sample rubbing with Metho on the table top which produced the light brown area that you can see on top.
Some of the veneer below the top which runs around the edge is also lifting a bit.
What do you think? Is it worth restoring? Any ideas on how to tackle this job?

nice table...and well worth keeping , I would probably take it back to original timber and french polish it ....it would suit that period without making it "look" rebuilt....
this is one of those things that if you overdo it ....you may decrease the value .....kinda like putting mag wheels on a rolls royce.....just not done ...good luck with it ..:2tsup:

Yes! Definitely one to restore:)

cheers
Wendy

Can you recommend any good strippers to get the old finish off?

can you post a clearer pic of the top?
If its vaneer, steer clear of stripper, try strait meths.

Astrid

It is a nice table...it is worth restoring.

Ultimately, it is what it is worth to you.

I have and old red cedar Table that belonged to my great grand parents, in much worse condition than yours and realistically is only fit for firewood or salvaging the timber for some other project. But it is worth something to me because it belonged to my family so I will repair and restore it.


Cheers,

Chipman:)

Hi Astrid,
sorry for the delay - I have been kept busy while my son rewired the shed to take my new equipment - it kept tripping the circuit breaker. He is the skilled electrician, I am just the trench digger and general gofer!
Here are some close up pictures of the table top. While it is quite scarred it has some character - I am thinking that the best solution might be to repair the old dark finish on the table top??
I think that the old veneered top was replaced many years ago and that this is a solid timber top.

No offence intended at all, but a table of that calibre should be restored by a professional - it is a special piece, almost certainly made from Australian Cedar - if it is an heirloom then restoring it correctly .... and by that I mean so it can be enjoyed and fully used for years .... not done so it becomes a DO NOT TOUCH ornament..... will retain its signs of age and patination.

A Rant Follows: :D:D:D

If it is 'just a table' to you, then I suggest selling it and buying something that really appeals to you personally. I say this as someone to whom such a table was once just some stodgy old hunk of dark brown furniture. After reproducing/repairing and restoring hundreds of antiques I now have a different view but as I look back, I cringe at some of the things I did in the name of DIY restoration.

Your table can be lovingly restored, which will make it either very enjoyable for someone if not you, or you could learn how to do it properly and get a wealth of lifelong & transferrable experience as well as tremendous satisfaction, knowing you did it and did it well.

One final word (sorry) - Australia's largest woodworking show is on now at Jeff's Shed. Inside there will be a stand by this forum's owner 'ubeaut' - they have a range of excellent products for restoration and can probably advise on courses or restorers you could approach.

Other than that, I would be happy to assess the table for you, but it would not be for a week or two as I am in Kilmore and am finishing a home office for a client until then.

Ditto.

You have possibly already devalued the table with your test patch. :C Before you do any further damage to the table, I would decide whether it is of little personal value and you just want to have a bit of fun restoring it, or whether you're interested in any actual or sentimental value that may be inherent in the table.

If the former, go for it. If the latter, either put it back where you got it and just look after it for others that may follow you, or take it to a reputable professional restorer, not to ask for advice on how to tackle it yourself, but for an estimate on how much it will cost to restore properly. I do stress 'estimate' as restoration can often throw up unforeseen issues that need addressing and therefore the price can vary from the estimate. It will be an expensive exercise and if you ask for a quote, then be prepared for a shock.

Yes, I'm with the 2 above me here. I'm an avid watcher of the Antique Roadshow and you have got a valuable table there. (It's a pity someone covered it in that stuff. But then there are lots doing the estapol thing now! ) Lots of people come along with self-restored items and they are worth almost nothing. What they are looking for is originality, perhaps a bit of wear here and there where hands open a drawer- things like that. Where we rub it back or put a new piece in.
Have to confess 'cleaning up' an 1860's theodolite back to the brass and silver myself.
They have some of those tables on the show. I've seen them.
I read in one of the magazines recently about a guy who has a whole workshop dedicated to restoring and all of this stuff just for matching colour on the varnish.

I don't envy you making the decision.

Graham (ex stripper.........not that type!)

That looks like the original finish, although admittedly it's now perished.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Carry Pine

Y
I read in one of the magazines recently about a guy who has a whole workshop dedicated to restoring and all of this stuff just for matching colour on the varnish.

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Yes Graham, was it the guy in the latest Australian Wood Review? Might be worth getting a copy steck for the guy's contact.

Cheers
Michael

Quote:

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Originally Posted by steck

hi,
I have a very old hinged top table which I would like to restore.
I was told that in the 1930's it was painted with something called "No Scuff" which is a dark brown color. I was also told that the wood used was maple.
I suspect that the table top has been replaced at some time.
It has some interesting turned columns underneath and carved leaves on the feet.
I would like to restore it to it's original lighter color if possible. I did a sample rubbing with Metho on the table top which produced the light brown area that you can see on top.
Some of the veneer below the top which runs around the edge is also lifting a bit.
What do you think? Is it worth restoring? Any ideas on how to tackle this job?

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I can't believe you are even asking if you should restore it! This table looks great, or could with some work. I definitely think you should give it a go.

Best Regards,

Alex

OK, looks like the original top.
strip it with any metholine chloride stripper.
Dont sand it yet, get a damp tea towel and a warm iron and try to steam out some of those dings.
If the hollow tubes that make up the wood havent been broken, a lot of that will steam out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by astrid

OK, looks like the original top.
strip it with any metholine chloride stripper.
Dont sand it yet, get a damp tea towel and a warm iron and try to steam out some of those dings.
If the hollow tubes that make up the wood havent been broken, a lot of that will steam out.

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Would you avoid the need for stripper if you sanded it instead?

Best Regards,

AO

OK I'll put my bit in.
You have already found the way to remove the finish ie Methylated Spirits, so it is a 99% chance that the table has been french polished. I would stear clear of any paint strippers as they are messy to handle and the vapours of the methylene chloride (which is what most paint strippers are made of) are not the best in an enclosed area. Wear rubber gloves, get a container of metho and some steel wool (grade 0) do not use grades 1 , 2 or 3 are they are too coarse and will scratch the table. Dip the steel wool into the metho and rub on the table. Work gently and along the grain. It should come off fairly easily. Use an old tooth brush and metho to clean the carvings and any hard to get at areas. Do not use sand paper unless you really have to. Once finish is removed,let the table dry. then get some 0000 steel wool (liberon is the best but expensive) and rub along the grain to give a magnificent smooth finish. Then have a go at french polishing. U'Beaut have a great range of french polishes , including white shellac if you don't want to darken the timber at all. Otherwise go for the french polish (a mix of pure metho and shellac). It will make the red cedar look like magic. Follow the directions on the bottle and you can't go wrong. If you are not happy with the result, go back to step one and remove the shellac (french polish) with metho etc. and no harm will be done to the project. Aahhhhhh the beauty of shellac.

:2tsup: AJ

Thanks everyone for all the thoughtful suggestions. Gives me something to think about, too.
It took me a while to get back to this forum as I have been out of town.
I fell in love with the table when I first saw it. It came to me via my mother in law.
However I haven't had the time to spend on it that I thought I would.
Seriph1 - your comments did ring a bell with me - I do think it is a table that needs to be treasured by someone and I am not sure that I have the skill or time to do it justice.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arrogant-One

Would you avoid the need for stripper if you sanded it instead?

Best Regards,

AO

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If you sand it you'll break the tubes in the grain, (cant think of the proper word)
Then the dings wont steam out.
sanding is messy and unnecessary as the top was well sanded before the original finish was put on.
If the finish is original shellac, lay a cloth flat on the top, soak with meths and cover with gladwrap, this stops the meths evaporating and softens the polish through the years of wax thats prolly sitting on it.
Never use a sander on an old piece unless you really have to, it flattens all the bumps to a uniform appearence that looks just like someone just sanded it.:D

dont french polish it either, a full FP was not originally done one these tables.
A very light sand after youve steamed and filled the worst scrathes and 3-4 coets of shellac and a wax is all you need.

keep some of the dings, after all it is 100 YO:D

as carry pine said,,,
i also saw a simillar table on antiques roadshow not long ago...
the prices on that show scare me lol

anyway, if you want to do it then do it....
who cares what people think.
i have been restoring old furniture since i was a kid....

right now i have a 100 year old coffee table that someone painted flat black and wrecked, im about half way through scraping the paint off (i dont like paint stripper, not good for the wood)
i might do a thread about it when im done :)

but yes, go for it,
it is your table,
so do as you please :2tsup:
plenty of info here and with the use of google you have everything you need to know at your finger tips