Thread: Advice needed for some new projects

Hi Lawry

Thanks, yes slow progress is better than nothing and I needed to take my mind off some really sad news I received on Saturday. A good friend of mine passed away on Thursday suddenly, and it came as such a shock, having only seen him a week or two ago and he seemed basically fine, just really tired. He was only 42.

Anyway back to woody stuff. Yes I think you are right, I am not sure at this stage what the timber in the dresser top is, I suspect probably Kauri, rather than the normal Baltic pine. The back boards are incredibly wide which suggests to me that it is an early piece. I bought it off a mate, who bought it many years ago from down the Port Arthur way, though whether or not it is associated with the convicts, who knows, probably not.

But it will come up well. I want to take my time carefully to remove all the paint, (its only had 2-3 coats of paint on it), and especially not to burn the wood with the heat gun. That is part of the trick in hand-stripping. I think it is preferable anyway to dipping in caustic as that bleaches the colour out of the timber anyway and with some timbers it damages the grain, let alone of course the animal glues they used back in the day, not that this itself is an issue with the dresser top.

Buying a cheap piece to practice on is actually really smart, as if it doesn't all work out ok, you havn't lost much and gained in the experience. I too have done this in the past. I rebuilt an old side table, kauri sides, and top with turned blackwood legs. The table was in about 15 pieces and was missing one side rail and the centre drawer. I only paid $30 for it at auction. It actually came together really well.

The thing with such old paints is always to wear a mask (and I don't just mean a paper mask), plus always have good ventilation and also vacumn up/clean up all the old paint, once burnt/stripped off. Don't sweep it though. The other thing I usually do is not to work on this sort of thing day in day out. Lead will excrete from your body with time, if you are exposed to it, but best always to be careful.

Ahm, confession re starting with the shellacing of the table before all structural repairs are finished, I am impatient and wanted to get a bit of colour and protection back on to the repaired areas, especially after also the filling of the old screw holes with putty and sanding back. I am trying not to disturb the polish/colour of the majority of the centre turned section of the table, as it appears to be ok, ditto the underside of the tabletop. I think all I will need to do to these areas at most is a 0000 grade steel wool and wax on/wax off.

I must get the dowels next (been a little slack) so I can sort out the main leg break. Onwards from there.

Oh do you recall we were having the discussion re prices for antiques on this thread a little while ago, well down here in Hobart on Saturday they had a special antiques auction and the top price of the day went to a very small occasional table dating back to around 1810. It was made of casuarina, and Huon secondaries. With a hidden drawer, delicate square tapering legs and provenance (from the original owner's family). The table is believed to be the oldest known example of early Tasmanian made furniture. It sold for.............$122.5K !!!

There were quite a number of other examples of early colonial furniture and paintings which also sold for fairly high prices. So the market is still there for such items if you are cashed up big time.

Myself, I operate on a much more modest budget !

Dave, sorry to hear about your news. That sort of thing really hits home, particularly at that young age, and with no warning. I wish you many fond memories of great times you have undoubtedly had together over his life, and that you remember those good times often! This always hits our 'perspective' buttons, so maybe we can all take a moment to notice our own.

Hopefully you can find a little bit of quiet solace in your passion for the work your'e doing on these pieces..be in your own head for a while mate!

Re your progress...yup..I figued you were a little impatient, and I love your quick rationalisation/ comeback in saying you're getting a bit of protection back in the timbers!! Well done!

The prices you speak about..wow! I would love to be in a position to be able to identify potential opportunities to pick up something needing work cheaply that would transform into a piece of value...wouldn;t we all!

Take it easy Sansay HC! Lawry

Hi Lawry, thanks mate, yes it certainly hit me really hard, as I had known Chris for over 20 years. He was a chef, a bloody brilliant and creative one at that, had a great sense of humor, but was also really humble and generous. His energy levels always staggered me, the hours he put in. From being a chef working with some of the very best in the industry both here in Aus and internationally he went on to run a couple of really great restaurants down here before running with two friends of his the best (in my view) cafe/bakeries here in Tassie. Google Chris Jackman, (Jackman and McRoss) and you will see what i mean.

I know he struggled after his father passed away this year, though why Chris died or how, I don't know. Anyway the weekend felt really flat after receiving the news, hence progress was slow and I just wanted to be on my own working on a project or two. It helped a little, as like also working on my country place. It was something we shared as he too had a place in the country and we often used to talk about what we were doing at our respective properties and have a laugh about some of the things that happened.

It will be hard going in for the morning or lunchtime coffee etc without seeing my mate. But you are right, I have many great memories of times spent together, conversations had etc and that is something to hang on to.

Heh heh, yep you are correct, re my impulsiveness/impatience to see a level of improvement, plus to protect the timbers. I am a little concerned at this stage how to ensure i can insert the dowl into both legs of the table to get it all aligned correctly, hence doing something I do know felt right. Still once I figure that part out I reckon it should all come together nicely, and like you am looking forward to that final stage in the process.

Believe me, such pieces as I talked of are rare, and I actually havn't too date struck it rich in finding such a barn find yet. I have a few pieces which I have definitely added some value to but that is about it. Still keep on looking as it is always possible.

Once again a little progress to report on, but nothing really substantial. It has been both a emotional week and also busy one. Saturday also got taken up with car club events so that only left Sunday.

I ended up concentrating on finishing off stripping (heat gun burning off), the remaining paint off the dresser top (see picture), and so now it is ready for the 2nd stage, paint stripper and coarse grade steel wool to get rid of the residual paint that is left. It is actually the stage in this process that I totally dislike (mucky) but at the same time, it can be exciting as you finally get to see what the wood looks like. Hopefully it will come up well, and will reveal what timber it is. As I mentioned I think it is Kauri but ???

As to the table, I still havn't finished the leg repair (I know, slow am I not - you don't have to answer that one . But I did do a little more sanding and application of coats of shellac to both the broken leg and one of the other ones. I am trying to sort out the colour differences, plus build up a little protection. One more leg to cleanup and start re-finishing. But yes I know I must tackle the leg repair. Shortly.

Damn, sorry re that I thought I had this picture thing sorted. Will go back and try to see why it didn't work.

Sorry to read about the loss of your friend Horsecroft, very sad news for you and 42 is not long enough at the crease in anyones book.

I was interested in seeing the table that you mentioned, who sold it? I will google it and see if I can track down an image.

Good work on the dresser top, it's coming along nicely.

For sure and thanks Chief, 42 is far too young I reckon in anyone's book, at that age one is getting into one's stride in achieving things and enjoying life.

Regarding the table that sold, it was sold by Gowan's Auctions, they do have a website, and you should be able to find the pictures on the listing of past auctions. It was a lovely "little" table. With the buyer's premium I think the end price was somewhere around $140K !

Thanks re compliments on the dresser top. It should come up really well, I just hope it matches my Huon pine dresser base.

I have just turned 41, so it certainly makes you stop and think.

I had a look on the Gowan's site, some really interesting things there! An interesting table, not sure I would have gone that high for it,...I think I would have pooled my resources and bought all the Huon Pine on offer!

I know what you mean and I am 52, and still have so much to do in my life yet.

For sure there was some interesting items up for sale, most were way beyond my means, while the table, yes I agree, and having seen it in the wood (flesh), even if I had such financial resources, I suspect I would have struggled to justify such a level of expense.

As I was saying to Lawry a while ago, down here I am constantly amazed at what seems to come up for sale. There seriously is still a lot of really high quality colonial furniture around, mind you mostly not for sale. There are two antique auction houses in Launceston, which also from time to time get some pretty special pieces in to auction off.

You certainly could buy a lot of huon pine, oh and some cedar for that sort of $$ outlay for sure.

man...I'm just going to have to head down to tassie and check out this amazing timber, and antique houses!!! Might pick up a bargain or two and up the price range her in brisvegas!!

Originally Posted by Lawry01

Might pick up a bargain or two and up the price range her in brisvegas!!

A very quick little thread hijack here Horsecroft if I may?

Lawry, this isn't the first reference I've seen to "Brisvegas".
It has me intrigued.
I assume you're suggesting Brisbane is now like Las Vegas?
Is that right?

Jim

Urban Dictionary: brisvegas

Excellant explanation. Thank you.
Just for the record, I've always considered Brisbane to be one of our prettiest cities. People tell me Perth gives it a nudge, but I've never been to Perth to know if that's true.
Thanks again.

End of hijack.

Originally Posted by Grandad-5

A very quick little thread hijack here Horsecroft if I may?

Lawry, this isn't the first reference I've seen to "Brisvegas".
It has me intrigued.
I assume you're suggesting Brisbane is now like Las Vegas?
Is that right?

Jim

Jim, I prefer to see the term as being somewhat 'aspirational'! Lawry

Originally Posted by Grandad-5

Excellant explanation. Thank you.
Just for the record, I've always considered Brisbane to be one of our prettiest cities. People tell me Perth gives it a nudge, but I've never been to Perth to know if that's true.
Thanks again.

End of hijack.

Perth has lots of trees - which is good ... except where there is a new housing estate, in which case it is better to create a desert first then add sand and concrete
It also has plenty of beaches, which is good for some.

I liked the look of Melbourne when I was there briefly - history + greenery
I imagine I'd like Tassie even better - must work on that.
Cheers,
Paul