Thread: Restoring an old table

The investigation saga of my old table continues. I am hoping to drop into the Keswick Army Barracks Museum on the weekend as I have found out that the hospital I was told the table came from (Hillcrest) which was formerly proclaimed in 1929 as Northfield Mental Hospital, was actually an Australia General Hospital (Army) prior to that and may have been used for traumatised return soldiers from the Boer War and WW1 (shell shock patients). This fits with the potential age described by Rob (auscab) and the markings. I'm hoping to find out a little more about the hospital, what markings may have appeared on furniture, and the possible original location of the table. This is all quite fantastic research given the potential for the table to be over 100 years old with a history of returned soldiers dining around it for so many years.

As AUSCAB has said above, Australian cedar and the pines are very different.

Australian cedar is what is called a ring-porous timber. Each year as it grew the tree produced layers of wood containing both fine tissue (parenchyma and tracheids) and much coarser/more open vessels - these are long hollow tubes to carry water up the tree from the roots. The diameter of those vessels changed through the growing season, large diameter in spring down to much smaller as autumn turned to winter. That means that the wood contains circles of different sized pores. When the log is sliced those circles are sliced through and, when back-cut it produces the typical "flame" figure. You can distinguish Australian cedar from Mahogany because Mahogany is not ring-porous, in it the flame figure is from lines of lighter coloured tissue.

Conifers (pines) do not contain any vessels at all. The wood contains only tracheids and parenchyma so there are no pores. The figure in conifer wood is created by the changing density of the tracheids produced through the seasons. This is called early-wood (softer tissue with tracheids well spaced by softer parenchyma) and late-wood (densely packed tracheids produced late in the autumn turning to winter).

So, if the timber does not have open pores, but bands of softer and harder tissue, then it is almost certainly a conifer. Conifers from colder climates like the northern hemisphere pines (e.g. Baltic) and our Tasmanian Huon Pine, have the early-wood/late-wood banding much finer and more closely spaced than conifers like Kauri or Radiata that grow in warmer climates.

I hope this helps with your identification process.

David

Many thanks David
After I assemble the frame and turn the top the right way up I'll have a clearer picture. Regardless, it is becoming great project and I have a belief of a great outcome.

Further updates on the restoration. Although I'm taking some liberties and some purists may say I've been abusive to my old table, it will be used often and is outdoors, albeit under a polycarb roof. I am pleased with the progress, just a couple more coats and she'll be done!

I added a routed edge to the top as the original chamfered edge was pretty basic and detracted from the nice legs. The frame was shortened to allow for remaking the tenons, but this hasn't detracted form the look, I believe. Auscab (Rob), I also have been able to establish through the military heraldry and marking group (whatever their official title is) that the markings are definitely late 19th century making my table over 120 years old Nice to bring life back to the old girl.

Your getting there , well done !
Will you be giving it a cut back and wax to dull the shine a bit ? It looks better than a high gloss , up to you of course.

Rob

Rob

I hear you, especially in relation to an antique look. However, I've found that with some old oak chairs I have out the back, unless I go marine grade high gloss, the heat and sun affects the timber and finish very quickly. Not my preference either, but from a usage point of view, necessary. I'm happy that I have it and I will be using it regularly. I have an 1890s blueware carving plate we got from an antique store in the Riverland and we use it for roasts, etc. This is going to take pride of place on this old table once I've finished.

Phill

Rob

On another note, I have some recovered Oregon (I think) timber from the roof of a 1930s shed next door to me that I am going to make into a BBQ stand. This site, and your inspiration, have brought me to the conclusion that instead of metal screws and bolts, I am going to try a few more mortice and tenon joints and some old school carpentry!

Cheers

Rob

I know someone (he's in his late 70s I think) who has a large shed full of Huon, Macrocarpa and other more exotic timbers. He sold me the old table and I have to visit him to show him hard copy photos (he doesn't use the internet). I think I might ask if I can buy some of his well aged, fine timber!

Cheers