Is this table worth restoring?

AJ · 4th November 2008, 11:29 PM

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.

AJ

**steck** · 5th November 2008, 08:57 PM

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.

**astrid** · 5th November 2008, 09:16 PM

Originally Posted by Arrogant-One

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

Best Regards,

AO

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.

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

**Andrew_B** · 18th November 2008, 09:55 PM

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

plenty of info here and with the use of google you have everything you need to know at your finger tips

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