Help with a new old piece of furniture
HI.
My wife just took possession of a family “treasure”. It is a desk made of walnut from a tree cut down by a relatives grand father. I have three questions for you all:
1) How do I clean and spruce it up so as not to destroy the original finish? Some parts have clearly been in more hazardess positions than others and show the wear.
2) There is a crack, very narrow, down one side, not all the way. What would you do with it? Fill it with Titlebond, clamp, let dry,etc?
3) Somewhere in its history someone decided the desk needed wheels! So four blocks were glued onto each of the 4 corners of the bottom. Inserted in each was a metal tube into which a rotating wheel could be inserted. The two rear blocks fell off. I told my wife that I thought desks should not have wheels and we should remove the others. I pulled out the wheels. But I can’t pull out the metal shaft. I hesitate to break off the wooden block. Any elegant solutions? Should I just jig saw the block off? For some reason I hesitate. Help!
As always, thanks
Bill
Replies
Original Finish
My opinion - bring it back to the original beauty - refinish the piece and you'll have a new finish that will last 50 years and protect the wood as well as show off the piece
SA
West,
You opinion is as well informed as mine is, if like me, you haven't laid eyes on thedesk or its finish to see what shape it's really in. ;-)
Depending on the age and rarity of the piece and the type and condition of the finish, refinishing might absolutely be the best thing to do, or might significantly decrease its value.
Ray
Finishes
Ray,
I am a believer that when a piece was created - that's how is was meant to be viewed - in all it's beauty. No soil - wear - oxidation, scrapes, etc. with the exception of painted or stenciled pieces - When you refinish you return it to the original state with a finish that was better then originally rendered. The reason it is not recommended so much is because some finishers today power sand away the tool marks or stain the pieces in unnatural colors.
SA
Different strokes for different folkes - I don't like the bright brand new look of furniture finishes, although that's what I normally make for customers. And if the wood looks aged, which the split alone will suggest, a new finish looks contradictory to me. But ultimately it's up to the owner, and SA is right to present the option for consideration.
If the leg blocks were added before 1920's(?) the glue is most likely hot hide glue which can be softened with hot water, or sometimes the glue joint broken with a sharp rap (said rap should NOT have the potential to break or dent wood).
West,
While I affirm your right to hold whatever beliefs you want to, the treatment of an antique, ought, I believe to include some consideration.
While you deplore the sanding away of tool marks, you are in favor of a new finish that is "better than originally rendered". Hmm... is that a difference of anything other than degree? When does the removal of tool marks differ from the removal of scratches, dents, chips, splits, stains or other signs of the piece's history? Removal of an old finish is also removing part of the piece's historical record, and ought not, in my opinion, be done as a matter of course without some deliberation. Restoration is a different thing from conservation, and depending on the piece and where and how it will be used, one may be preferable to the other.
Ray
History
Ray -
You're 100% right in all you say - history is important and removing original surfaces can cause diminished value. I still say that refinishing in a way that is in line with the original method improves the overall condition - repairing loose pieces, elements are reglued, and overall structure is preserved for the next generation. The new finish provides protection against dirt, handling, and climatic changes. The cosmetic beauty is restored.
If you're working on a period antique - everything you do should be recorded in a document that remains with the antique. So many things are restored - decorative arts, fine arts, Church ceilings, old cars, jute boxes, etc; and their original brilliance is returned without hurting the value. When you walk around musuems most of what you're looking at has been restored.
Conservation is different as you note - but when you conserve - you preserve the original -
When you restore - you are still conserving but returning to - original beauty -
SA
suggestions
My suggestion, Bill, would be to follow Ray's well-considered advice. While the "value" of the desk may be mostly sentimental, that's unclear at this point. You might actually have one of those "national treasures" spoken of on TV. So, it might make sense to investigate and proceed cautiously.
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