Welcome to the gallery Restoration of a table or sideboard top.
A sideboard top, already restored 10 years ago, which has suffered since the throes of a zealous son in charge of watering the plants, the floor heating, and numerous other aggressions
Different gaps will necessitate to be filled with some wood strips. To avoid any widening of the gaps, the wood must be acclimated for several weeks. The wood piece here will serve to make the strips and has been hidden behind the sideboard for three monthes.
The top is stripped using a cabinet scraper, properly sharpened. A rounded shape will help.
An old restoration. A first filler strip and then some hard filler wax.
The old strip can be kept, but the wax must be carefully removed in order to allow the glue to stick correctly.
As very often, some custom scrapers, designed on purpose can be used.
Measurement of the gap.
Preparation of the strip. A first edge is planned straight.
Using some calipers, transfert the width of the gap on the strip. Right side.
On the left side, an also in the middle.
Cutting the strip following the line.
Cut to length.
Planning the depth, very progressively, checking very often.
Trimming the length with a knife.
Checking. The strip is not planned with straight angles, but slightly in a wedge shape. It must be pressed fit.
The joint must be seamless.
Another strip.
Gluing the strip.
Pressing the strip. Avoid hamering to prevent any breakage.
A 2mm strip, glued.
For a wider gap, the hole must be glued either.
Once the glue has dried, planning the strip.
Scrapping the strip flush to the top.
The strip ready for finishing.
A freshly planned wood is too clear, it must be darkened before staining the full top.
The strip, masked.
The top ready for staining.
We apply the stain using cotton waste.
If possible, use alcohol based stain, it will less raise the grain compared to water based.
Wipe the stain up before it dries in order to even out the color.
Lightly sand out using steel wool. Here, one could think that all the stain went off, but it is just an effect of the flash light.
Applying the grainfiller. again prefer some solvent-based product, unless you are not in a well ventilated area.
Light sanding the grainfiller.This layer will bring strength against water marking, but also helps the wax to keep its shining depth. Without grain filler, a wax will get dull rapidely.
Using filler wax to fill the big remaining holes.
It is melted using a soldering iron.
Trimming the wax with a spatula wich is heated with the soldering iron.
Erasing the flaws with steel wood.
Last cleanup before waxing.
Applying the wax with some cotton waste.
Once the wax is dry (one hour), make shine , vigourously, with some cotton or wool rag.
The result.
One little day of work.
The sideboard, in position. It is a Breton piece, circa 1920, made in the town of Guénin, department of Morbihan, Brittany, France.
All contents under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA license.
Older readers comments