Blackwood table Restoration

Hi all,
I have just acquired a 1920/30 Blackwood extension table with 3 additional leaves. The top however was badly damaged as were a few leaves and were partially sanded back. The owner gave up and sold the table to me. I had no option but to finish sanding the top back to the bare timber.
My next task is to finish it. Basically I don't know where to start with this. I would like the top to be the same colour as the rest which is that dark colour of that era of furniture made in Tasmania. Also some sections of the top are lighter ( sapwood) which adds another problem to get it all back to the same colour.
Can anyone help me with this delicate problem.
regards
Tony

Hi tonyj53
Just found this post from 2012 but note there were no responses.
I also have a 1920/30 Blackwood extension table.
Mine is approx 1200mm round but winds out using a hand crank mechanism to add one or both extension leaves (approx 300mm each).
Would be interested to know what you did.
Thanks
Terry

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ZRed96

Hi tonyj53
Just found this post from 2012 but note there were no responses.
I also have a 1920/30 Blackwood extension table.
Mine is approx 1200mm round but winds out using a hand crank mechanism to add one or both extension leaves (approx 300mm each).
Would be interested to know what you did.
Thanks
Terry

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ZRed96

The member tonyj53 has not signed on to the forum since Aug 2012. Unless they have email notification setup they may not get back to you.

As you have recently become a I wish to firstly welcome you to the forum. Are you able to elaborate further on the issue you are having with your table? It is the same thing that the other member had brought up? Are you able to provide photos of the issue?

Hi ZRed96,

Australian Blackwood (Acacia melanoxylon) is a hard and durable timber that takes and holds polish well. Without seeing yours I can only make general comments. However, the vast majority of such furniture before the 1920's was finished with shellac, usually Brown Button Shellac (not orange flake shellac) and that imparts a beautiful rich golden brown glow. Sometimes the finish has darkened with age. Later pieces from the 1930's and 1940's often had a dark stain applied to the timber or even in a varnish finish.

It depends on what you want to end up with. I have a 1910 Art Nouveau side table made by Coogans in Hobart. I rescued it from a "restorer" who was going to ruin it - strip it and spray finish it. Unfortunately, they had stripped a small portion of the top with metho. I could not get a good match to repair the original finish (best option for conservation/restoration of furniture is to do as little as possible) so I was forced to strip the top completely. I then re-French Polished the top with Brown Button Shellac. Five years later no one would know it had been re-polished as the top matches the base very well. That doesn't happen with porous timbers like cedar but Blackwood is a pleasure!

Hope this helps, post some photos and I or someone else can provide some more targeted advice.

David

I have since confirmed the top was refurbished about 40 years ago. It is in good condition but patchy due to areas of the shellac having worn off. Looks better in photos than reality.
So any tips would be appreciated for minimal preservation to full sand to remove scratches and refinishing. Is oiling the top to enjoy the natural timber look (and then regular oiling) an option?
Thanks again
Terry


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Hi Terry,

That looks like a shellac/French Polish to me and it looks to be in pretty good condition overall. Please do not sand it back - you would ruin it. If it were mine I would go to an antique shop and purchase some high quality furniture wax (with a high Carnauba wax content, not solely beeswax) in dark brown or so called black wax (which is dark brown) and give it a good wax. Follow the instructions on the can. That will give the table a beautiful soft glow (and nice smell from the wood turpentine solvent in the wax). A regular wax thereafter will keep it looking good, with a nice patinated aged look.

If you really want a "newer" glossy look then you should be able to apply French Polish (you will need to read up on that process and do some practice first) straight over the old shellac finish. The secret there is to clean the wax off with white spirit before you start and keep the "rubber" fairly dry as if it is sopping with shellac and metho it will dissolve the old finish - and when that happens you get a patchy mess. If you do get a patchy mess don't sand it off - just use metho on a rag and wipe the old finish off. Then you can start from scratch as I described doing above.

So recommendation 1. Wax and love it with its patina; recommendation 2 (the harder path) polish over the top (very carefully); recommendation 3 -hardest path- strip top with metho and polish from bare wood.

Good luck.

David

Terry

If it was my table I would go the second option and would have the mind set of enjoying the challenge. :rolleyes: But waxing is a far easier option when all you want to do is get this table back to been used.

Hi David
Thanks for your advice.
Unfortunately the shellac finish isn't as good as the photos suggest. The shellac is patchy with quite a few bare / worn areas.
I want to keep the used / slightly rustic look and wondered about removing the remaining shellac with metho then oiling or waxing knowing I would need to reapply regularly.
What do you think?

PS I only just logged onto the site having assumed I would get email alert of a response to my thread. My first thread.

Thanks
Terry