Thread: A restoration job and a what wood is this question.

Aspirational work - an amazing restoration.

Originally Posted by EagerBeaver71

Have you got a closer photo of the piece Rob, its just spectacular how you managed to restore it and I'd love to see it up close.

I never took a picture before the top came off Sam and this is all I have. The top with its base. It'll be back together in a week though so Ill take a pic then.

1.jpg

Originally Posted by EagerBeaver71

Maybe I msised it in the post but how thick are the veneers?.

.6 of a mm mostly. Some were a little thicker like .8mm.

Originally Posted by mic-d

Really really great job Rob! Now I see the restored original parts the one you replaced with walnut looks a lot like Sapele veneers I have here. But your colour matching is amazing.

It was a hard choice what to use to replace those sections Michael. Ive had Sapele pieces and veneers before and it didn't remind me of those. I actually think the solid Mahogany base to this table could be Sapele come to think of it. To add to the problem of these sections the ones still in the table have a grain angle slope at about 35 to 40 degrees so your seeing end grain almost . Which gives the light and dark effect when you walk around the top or spin it in its relation to the light. Its also pretty dense wood. The closest thing I did have and almost used was Ironbark. Red Iron bark possibly I think. Pieces I cut from sleepers years ago and use as bearers under large table tops on the work tables. The tight fine grain and the density seemed the same as did the colour. And I was considering very closely cutting up one of my bearers to give me the grain angle as well. The reason I didn't use it was there wasn't a piece that didn't have splits through it in the section that suited cutting up. The splits were dark and oxidized. So I gave that up and went the way I did.

Originally Posted by EagerBeaver71

Sorry for flooding the thread Rob, too many questions!, how old would the table be?. It looks Art-Deco?.

40s or 1950s I think Sam. The owner is about 35 . And her grand father made it. The top is veneered Plywood

Originally Posted by auscab

40s or 1950s I think Sam. The owner is about 35 . And her grand father made it. The top is veneered Plywood

It's good the substrate was plywood and not MDF like we see these days, it would have swelled and never gone back to it's original thickness/shape, great job on matching the veneers and your marquetry skills, there can be more time spent in doing that than making a new top which matches the design.

You did a brilliant job on that. That should be worth a few beers.

Originally Posted by The Spin Doctor

You did a brilliant job on that. That should be worth a few beers.

Thanks. A couple of kegs worth.

Originally Posted by Camelot

It's good the substrate was plywood and not MDF like we see these days, it would have swelled and never gone back to it's original thickness/shape, great job on matching the veneers and your marquetry skills, there can be more time spent in doing that than making a new top which matches the design.

Yep, it wouldn't be fixed if it was made on MDF.
I was thinking while fixing it that making it from new would have been faster. Working out how to fit in new parts with the old and add the stringing took a little working through it to get it right. Once I had it down pat things sped up a little.

How long did it take to restore Rob?.

Originally Posted by EagerBeaver71

How long did it take to restore Rob?.

Between 25 and 30 hours spread out over the last couple of weeks doing the woodworking.

Originally Posted by auscab

Between 25 and 30 hours spread out over the last couple of weeks doing the woodworking.

And that's what separates mere mortals from the professionals, incredible.

Making from new might be faster, but the new one wouldn't have a good story to accompany it.