Pop's dining room table

**RicB** · 3rd October 2012, 01:39 PM

My father in law, known to all as Pop, passed away about 4 years ago. Now his legacy is his furniture that he made the family over the years. As the kids upgraded their furniture Nan has taken it all back as she didn't want it to leave the family.

One of these items is a dining table. Now Pop didn't make what you would call heirloom type furniture. It was pretty rough and ready and made up from whatever he could scrounge, usually MDF, but it was the thought that counts of course and we all loved his gifts of furniture. But I digress. We were at Nan's sitting at the table, which wobbles a lot, and I was asked if I could repair the table. No problem Ma, says I. After looking it over I was surprised it lasted as long as it did.

It has turned pine legs with MDF frame and top. Obviously the dowel has split the MDF frames and there has been several attempts to "shore" them up.

I said that it is a lost cause and not really worth the effort. The look on her face reminded me of when I told my kids there was no Santa.

I should have waited until they were older I think, perhaps 5, anywho....after looking at her face I asked if she would like me to replace the frame and top but keep the legs, explaining that the turned legs were the prominent "look" of the table and Pop's feel will still be in the table. She was pretty happy with this.

We discussed it further and she would like the square meals type table with the country look, white legs and frame with a nice wood top. To this end I got some old Jarrah posts to glue up the top. They all looked grey at the yard, but after cleaning them up there is quite a difference in color. Is this something that I can match with stain or not? Is it an acceptable "look" to have different strips? I will post some picks of the WIP, see what you think.

**dr4g0nfly** · 4th October 2012, 07:05 AM

Originally Posted by Soredust

Now Pop didn't make what you would call heirloom type furniture. It was pretty rough and ready and made up from whatever he could scrounge...

...but after cleaning them up there is quite a difference in color. Is this something that I can match with stain or not? Is it an acceptable "look" to have different strips? .

From the way you describe your Grandfathers work, I'd not only say it was appropriate but very 'In-Keeping'. I'm sure if he looks down at it from on high, he'd approve.

**RicB** · 25th October 2012, 06:43 PM

Well, made some progress with the help of my new Domino, wow, what an amazing bit of kit (as the English say). Each leg has a double loose tenon, so 32 mortises all up in about 10 minutes and all accurate thanks to the indexing pins. Great fun to use, clever people these Germans. (don't mention the war though).

Glued up the top with some salvaged Jarrah. Quite a heavy top, hope Nan doesn't like to move the furniture when she Hoovers.

**Christos** · 25th October 2012, 07:20 PM

Might be Pop's table but now added to by his son in-law. Great work to keep some aspect of what was originally made.

**IanW** · 25th October 2012, 07:56 PM

Yep, I think it's a "sympathetic restoration", and your client should be well-pleased. Sounds like the MDF would have completely disintegrated in another year or two, so you arrived in the nick of time!

I've faced similar dilemas 'fixing' a few of my own father's pieces - he got a pretty rough toward the end as his eyesight went to hell, but my sisters value even his most 'rustic' creations, so somehow or other, they have to be made to stand up again (and safely, too, as in the case of the librarry steps he hadn't quite finished!

).

Cheers,

**Robson Valley** · 31st October 2012, 01:55 PM

At the end of the day, sit down with a "slurp" of something and ponder the woodworking world of your FIL.
I believe that it is entirely appropriate for you to step up to the wicket and bat off what you can to keep the table stable. The top= different colors of timbers. So what? What possible choice(s) might he have had.
Do it up. Finish it off. Live on it. That's family.

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