Too many options. Help please.

I have a rectangular table top, circa 1950s vintage, dark brown, extensible by adding in extra leaves.
One of the pieces has a 2 mm wide shrinkage crack across the whole width.
At the moment it’s French polished but I don’t like that because French polish is way too easily damaged (by heat, scratches and solvent).

Option 1. Fill the crack with wood filler, sand back and polish.
Option 2. Disassemble top (it’s screwed from underneath), push crack shut and glue with PVA or yellow wood glue, sand back and polish.
Option 3. Take to a furniture restorer.
Option 4. Take to a furniture restorer who specialises in antiques and French polish.

As for sanding and polishing, which polish? Is there a clear polyurethane polish that gives heat and scratch resistance? Could I match stain colour?

I don’t have an electric sander or polisher, or suitable clamps.

Ideally this is a job that I want finished ASAP, like tomorrow.

mollwollfumble said:

Too many options. Help please.

I have a rectangular table top, circa 1950s vintage, dark brown, extensible by adding in extra leaves.
One of the pieces has a 2 mm wide shrinkage crack across the whole width.
At the moment it’s French polished but I don’t like that because French polish is way too easily damaged (by heat, scratches and solvent).

Option 1. Fill the crack with wood filler, sand back and polish.
Option 2. Disassemble top (it’s screwed from underneath), push crack shut and glue with PVA or yellow wood glue, sand back and polish.
Option 3. Take to a furniture restorer.
Option 4. Take to a furniture restorer who specialises in antiques and French polish.

As for sanding and polishing, which polish? Is there a clear polyurethane polish that gives heat and scratch resistance? Could I match stain colour?

I don’t have an electric sander or polisher, or suitable clamps.

Ideally this is a job that I want finished ASAP, like tomorrow.

3

mollwollfumble said:

Too many options. Help please.

I have a rectangular table top, circa 1950s vintage, dark brown, extensible by adding in extra leaves.
One of the pieces has a 2 mm wide shrinkage crack across the whole width.
At the moment it’s French polished but I don’t like that because French polish is way too easily damaged (by heat, scratches and solvent).

Option 1. Fill the crack with wood filler, sand back and polish.
Option 2. Disassemble top (it’s screwed from underneath), push crack shut and glue with PVA or yellow wood glue, sand back and polish.
Option 3. Take to a furniture restorer.
Option 4. Take to a furniture restorer who specialises in antiques and French polish.

As for sanding and polishing, which polish? Is there a clear polyurethane polish that gives heat and scratch resistance? Could I match stain colour?

I don’t have an electric sander or polisher, or suitable clamps.

Ideally this is a job that I want finished ASAP, like tomorrow.

tablecloth.

sarahs mum said:

mollwollfumble said:

Too many options. Help please.

I have a rectangular table top, circa 1950s vintage, dark brown, extensible by adding in extra leaves.
One of the pieces has a 2 mm wide shrinkage crack across the whole width.
At the moment it’s French polished but I don’t like that because French polish is way too easily damaged (by heat, scratches and solvent).

Option 1. Fill the crack with wood filler, sand back and polish.
Option 2. Disassemble top (it’s screwed from underneath), push crack shut and glue with PVA or yellow wood glue, sand back and polish.
Option 3. Take to a furniture restorer.
Option 4. Take to a furniture restorer who specialises in antiques and French polish.

As for sanding and polishing, which polish? Is there a clear polyurethane polish that gives heat and scratch resistance? Could I match stain colour?

I don’t have an electric sander or polisher, or suitable clamps.

Ideally this is a job that I want finished ASAP, like tomorrow.

tablecloth.

My thoughts too. Happening by tomorrow won’t happen.

JudgeMental said:

sarahs mum said:

mollwollfumble said:

Too many options. Help please.

I have a rectangular table top, circa 1950s vintage, dark brown, extensible by adding in extra leaves.
One of the pieces has a 2 mm wide shrinkage crack across the whole width.
At the moment it’s French polished but I don’t like that because French polish is way too easily damaged (by heat, scratches and solvent).

Option 1. Fill the crack with wood filler, sand back and polish.
Option 2. Disassemble top (it’s screwed from underneath), push crack shut and glue with PVA or yellow wood glue, sand back and polish.
Option 3. Take to a furniture restorer.
Option 4. Take to a furniture restorer who specialises in antiques and French polish.

As for sanding and polishing, which polish? Is there a clear polyurethane polish that gives heat and scratch resistance? Could I match stain colour?

I don’t have an electric sander or polisher, or suitable clamps.

Ideally this is a job that I want finished ASAP, like tomorrow.

tablecloth.

My thoughts too. Happening by tomorrow won’t happen.

Why the rush?

JudgeMental said:

sarahs mum said:

mollwollfumble said:

Too many options. Help please.

I have a rectangular table top, circa 1950s vintage, dark brown, extensible by adding in extra leaves.
One of the pieces has a 2 mm wide shrinkage crack across the whole width.
At the moment it’s French polished but I don’t like that because French polish is way too easily damaged (by heat, scratches and solvent).

Option 1. Fill the crack with wood filler, sand back and polish.
Option 2. Disassemble top (it’s screwed from underneath), push crack shut and glue with PVA or yellow wood glue, sand back and polish.
Option 3. Take to a furniture restorer.
Option 4. Take to a furniture restorer who specialises in antiques and French polish.

As for sanding and polishing, which polish? Is there a clear polyurethane polish that gives heat and scratch resistance? Could I match stain colour?

I don’t have an electric sander or polisher, or suitable clamps.

Ideally this is a job that I want finished ASAP, like tomorrow.

tablecloth.

My thoughts too. Happening by tomorrow won’t happen.

I have four metres of red gingham. I fold it for my table. Sometimes it goes over two trestle tables for a buffet style. I’ve been using it now for 20 something years. It has been good value.

sarahs mum said:

JudgeMental said:

sarahs mum said:

tablecloth.

My thoughts too. Happening by tomorrow won’t happen.

I have four metres of red gingham. I fold it for my table. Sometimes it goes over two trestle tables for a buffet style. I’ve been using it now for 20 something years. It has been good value.

must be five metres…Sometimes two doors have been used on the trestles..

buffy said:

JudgeMental said:

sarahs mum said:

tablecloth.

My thoughts too. Happening by tomorrow won’t happen.

Why the rush?

Ukraine / Russia peace talks

Shellac is extremely easy to repair.

It is my go-to timber surface protector. Dissolve it in metho, strain it through a stocking, paint it on. It’s ready for the next coat in a few minutes. Very, very easy to get a matt to semi-gloss finish.

You might be able to repair the damaged shellac with a cloth dampened (but not wet) in metho. First in the damaged area and then across the entire table. But you wont get the French Polished finish that way. The extreme gloss of French Polish is quite an art and takes a lot of practise.

buffy said:

JudgeMental said:

sarahs mum said:

tablecloth.

My thoughts too. Happening by tomorrow won’t happen.

Why the rush?

his parents are coming home and he doesn’t want them to know he had a party

Emma Chizett worth?

by tomorrow, yes a table cloth
long term, a professional restorer
since French Polish is a complicated
undertaking even without color matching
to disguise the repair, followed by protection
such as

> 3

Ah, good. Makes sense. Slight problem, haven’t found a straight-forward furniture repairer.
I tried the local upholsterer but he wouldn’t touch it and doesn’t know a furniture restorer.
Other stores within 10 km are all antique restorers specialising in French Polishing.

> tablecloth.

mrs m’s solution. But she wants padded tablecloth 5 mm thick to protect the surface from heat. I used to have that on this table and hated it.

> Why the rush?

miss m moves into a new house tomorrow and wants something to eat off. I couldn’t fix it earlier because I hadn’t figured out how to disassemble it until today and without disassembly it’s too big to fit through the car’s back door. (Even disassembled it may still be too big).

> Michael V said:

Shellac is extremely easy to repair.

It is my go-to timber surface protector. Dissolve it in metho, strain it through a stocking, paint it on. It’s ready for the next coat in a few minutes. Very, very easy to get a matt to semi-gloss finish.

You might be able to repair the damaged shellac with a cloth dampened (but not wet) in metho. First in the damaged area and then across the entire table. But you wont get the French Polished finish that way. The extreme gloss of French Polish is quite an art and takes a lot of practise.

Hey, that’s brilliant. I can try that on scratch marks first to see if it helps.

> Emma Chizett?

With the crack as it is, nothing. With the crack repaired, haven’t a clue. With crack repaired and scratches and stains removed probably a fair bit. It’s darn heavy. We spent $500 on upholstering the chairs that go with it. One website calls it “vintage French period style” with “trestle style legs”. It extends using two removable central leaves that have to be stored separately.

The crack and some scratches.

The tabletop end-piece with crack, scratches and solvent marks.

Have at it:
French Polish Process

Ogmog said:

Have at it:
French Polish Process

Knob polishing can be quite interesting I heard

Cymek said:

Ogmog said:

Have at it:
French Polish Process

Knob polishing can be quite interesting I heard

> French Polish Process

Ta. Reading now. Not that I want French polishing, I want to get rid of the old French Polish.
I need something safer than that against burn marks, scratches and solvents.

So. If I’m doing this myself.

Start by unscrewing half the cracked panel from its backing timber strips.
Then glue – any wood glue, taping underneath and carefully wiping off all excess glue above.
Carefully cut 2 mm off the backing timber strips.
Then re-screw, carefully, I don’t want the screws pulling the crack open again.
Carefully scape off loose and lumpy stuff on the table top with a plastic scraper.
Then wash with water.
Then wash with turps to remove the old varnish.
(Do I then need metal polish or paint-cutting fluid applied with a rag? Or not?)
Then top off with a top quality furniture polish, instructions on the bottle.

That’s quite cheap.

> Knob polishing can be quite interesting I heard

You’d better be referring to HMS Pinafore.

mollwollfumble said:

Cymek said:

Ogmog said:

Have at it:
French Polish Process

Knob polishing can be quite interesting I heard

> French Polish Process

Ta. Reading now. Not that I want French polishing, I want to get rid of the old French Polish.
I need something safer than that against burn marks, scratches and solvents.

So. If I’m doing this myself.

Start by unscrewing half the cracked panel from its backing timber strips.
Then glue – any wood glue, taping underneath and carefully wiping off all excess glue above.
Carefully cut 2 mm off the backing timber strips.
Then re-screw, carefully, I don’t want the screws pulling the crack open again.
Carefully scape off loose and lumpy stuff on the table top with a plastic scraper.
Then wash with water.
Then wash with turps to remove the old varnish.
(Do I then need metal polish or paint-cutting fluid applied with a rag? Or not?)
Then top off with a top quality furniture polish, instructions on the bottle.

That’s quite cheap.

> Knob polishing can be quite interesting I heard

You’d better be referring to HMS Pinafore.

Turps won’t remove French Polish (metho will). If it’s a varnish, you may need acetone or another strong organic solvent.

Polyurethane is the modern finish of choice:

https://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-Varathane-200061H-Water-Based-Polyurethane/dp/B000FPCKBW/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Polyurethane%2BSealant&qid=1646247004&sr=8-3&th=1

As for heat scorching, isn’t that what pot pads are for?

https://www.kitchenwarehouse.com.au/Kitchenware/Storage-Organiser-Kitchen-Organisers-Trivets

roughbarked said:

As for heat scorching, isn’t that what pot pads are for?

https://www.kitchenwarehouse.com.au/Kitchenware/Storage-Organiser-Kitchen-Organisers-Trivets

Seriously
My set is Solid Oak
I just make it my business
to take precautions when using it.
I keep it covered with a felt backed oil cloth
table cloth overlaid by a clear acrylic anti spill protector
an oversized Corningware cutting board as needed and trivets.
The Seats have padded seat cushions and slider-cups on each of the legs.

It cost a LOT when purchased 30+ years ago and I have no intention of replacing it!

This is the table going to be used for the Russian / Ukraine peace talks isn’t it ?
Don’t stress too much as they may not even notice

Cymek said:

This is the table going to be used for the Russian / Ukraine peace talks isn’t it ?
Don’t stress too much as they may not even notice

Maybe that’s how it got cracked in the first place

Ogmog said:

Cymek said:

This is the table going to be used for the Russian / Ukraine peace talks isn’t it ?
Don’t stress too much as they may not even notice

Maybe that’s how it got cracked in the first place

The infamous Nikita Khrushchev’s UN shoe banging incident.

Tamb said:

Ogmog said:

Cymek said:

This is the table going to be used for the Russian / Ukraine peace talks isn’t it ?
Don’t stress too much as they may not even notice

Maybe that’s how it got cracked in the first place

The infamous Nikita Khrushchev’s UN shoe banging incident.

SPOILER ALERT :-P

Cymek said:

This is the table going to be used for the Russian / Ukraine peace talks isn’t it ?
Don’t stress too much as they may not even notice

It would be suitable for the Russian / Ukraine peace talks if it were bigger. Because the legs are solid enough to stop a von Stauffenberg bomb.

I got talked into spending a lot more than I had planned for restoration.
$1900 including delivery. More than the cost of a new equivalent table?

The restorer says it’s made of blackwood. Possibly https://www.woodsolutions.com.au/wood-species/hardwood/blackwood I’m not totally convinced but the timber is naturally dark with a bit of red in it.

Work to include crack repair, sanding right back, scratch repairs, chemical attack repair, latex surface gloss.

I still have doubts about it fitting through the door at its destination.

mollwollfumble said:

Cymek said:

This is the table going to be used for the Russian / Ukraine peace talks isn’t it ?
Don’t stress too much as they may not even notice

It would be suitable for the Russian / Ukraine peace talks if it were bigger. Because the legs are solid enough to stop a von Stauffenberg bomb.

I got talked into spending a lot more than I had planned for restoration.
$1900 including delivery. More than the cost of a new equivalent table?

The restorer says it’s made of blackwood. Possibly https://www.woodsolutions.com.au/wood-species/hardwood/blackwood I’m not totally convinced but the timber is naturally dark with a bit of red in it.

Work to include crack repair, sanding right back, scratch repairs, chemical attack repair, latex surface gloss.

I still have doubts about it fitting through the door at its destination.

Have you considered replacing it?

sarahs mum said:

mollwollfumble said:

Cymek said:

This is the table going to be used for the Russian / Ukraine peace talks isn’t it ?
Don’t stress too much as they may not even notice

It would be suitable for the Russian / Ukraine peace talks if it were bigger. Because the legs are solid enough to stop a von Stauffenberg bomb.

I got talked into spending a lot more than I had planned for restoration.
$1900 including delivery. More than the cost of a new equivalent table?

The restorer says it’s made of blackwood. Possibly https://www.woodsolutions.com.au/wood-species/hardwood/blackwood I’m not totally convinced but the timber is naturally dark with a bit of red in it.

Work to include crack repair, sanding right back, scratch repairs, chemical attack repair, latex surface gloss.

I still have doubts about it fitting through the door at its destination.

Have you considered replacing it?

Or even just accepting that it’s got character? It would appear that it is basically functional.

buffy said:

sarahs mum said:

mollwollfumble said:

It would be suitable for the Russian / Ukraine peace talks if it were bigger. Because the legs are solid enough to stop a von Stauffenberg bomb.

I got talked into spending a lot more than I had planned for restoration.
$1900 including delivery. More than the cost of a new equivalent table?

The restorer says it’s made of blackwood. Possibly https://www.woodsolutions.com.au/wood-species/hardwood/blackwood I’m not totally convinced but the timber is naturally dark with a bit of red in it.

Work to include crack repair, sanding right back, scratch repairs, chemical attack repair, latex surface gloss.

I still have doubts about it fitting through the door at its destination.

Have you considered replacing it?

Or even just accepting that it’s got character? It would appear that it is basically functional.

Love.

I mean if it is a family heirloom it might be worth it. But the value of brown furniture heirlooms has crashed and thusly you could pick someone else’s heirloom in pristine condition for less than 2k.

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

sarahs mum said:

Have you considered replacing it?

Or even just accepting that it’s got character? It would appear that it is basically functional.

Love.

I mean if it is a family heirloom it might be worth it. But the value of brown furniture heirlooms has crashed and thusly you could pick someone else’s heirloom in pristine condition for less than 2k.

Even as a family heirloom, it should show its experience. Our furniture tends to look loved. I got a family table (pine top, with lino stuck onto it, turned blackwood legs) when we got married. It belonged to one of my great aunts who no longer needed it, so it was probably from the 1800s. I scraped off the lino, hand sanded it and used a matt finish varnish on the top. It is presently sitting in a sheltered part of our verandah, well covered. Because there is no room in the house for it, but I would not give it away except to someone special. It spent some years at the Casterton house. I thought it would be good for a cutting table for my sewing, but then I got the vinyl topped reception desk from the practice and that works exceptionally well for that purpose, especially as I’ve still got patient records here in the library/sewing room. Things will sort themselves out. Eventually. If I hadn’t had to keep buying book shelves over the years we might have more space…

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

sarahs mum said:

Have you considered replacing it?

Or even just accepting that it’s got character? It would appear that it is basically functional.

Love.

I mean if it is a family heirloom it might be worth it. But the value of brown furniture heirlooms has crashed and thusly you could pick someone else’s heirloom in pristine condition for less than 2k.

I said love, I said pet.
I said pet, I said love.

Chuck a tablecloth over it and worry about it later. It does seem to have certain value, so fix it properly when there’s more time to spare to do it.

sarahs mum said:

Have you considered replacing it?

Yes. mrs m won’t allow that.