Repairing broken veneer on antique slant front desk
Good morning all,
This is my first post, I hope its in the correct place. I’ve been woodworking for about 10 years now, and have always built pieces, until now that is. I just purchased an 1800-1815, cherry slant from desk. Over all its in great shape, except for a few veneer chips, and a water mark.
Do you think I should replace the entire piece of veneer on the front of the base, or should I try to splice in new pieces where they are needed? See photos #1 and #2.
In general, what do you think I should do with the overall finish with the piece? There is so much darkening/patina/grime, call it what you will, that it is hard to see the inlay work. Is it better to bring it back to its original condition, or respect it’s age and gently clean it, or do nothing about the finish? There is a large water stain on the top, that I plan on fixing. See picture #3, and #4.
Any thoughts or advice would be greatly appreciated.Thanks for looking!
John
Replies
Do you know the desk is from the early 1800s or is it a guess? The design is from the late 1700s but that doesn't mean the desk was made then, widely reproduced even today. It's unusual for a slant top from that period to have a veneered apron, the brasses don't look correct and detailing isn't what I would expect. Finish looks like typical shellac from late 19th century, early 20th. Pictures from underneath, the gallery, drawer joints front and back and interior construction can help with dating. Regardless, it's not a $50,000 plus piece that shouldn't be refinished.
First thing is finding veneer with grain that matches. Not as easy as it sounds. The front looks like nicely figured, curly, cherry and a face lift would bring that grain out to the open and look fantastic. I would only repair the missing area with a patch and not do the whole apron. In the refinishing process, I use artist oils to paint in some grain characteristics to help hide the repair. Since it's a small area, it won't be all that visible. I would make the patch before stripping the finish. Then use the stripping gunk to help color the patch.
Shellac will wipe off with denatured alcohol. You could rub a little on in an inconspicuous area to confirm. You can strip the piece with alcohol but it's messy, sticky, may come out uneven and will take more work than a chemical stripper. Try not to sand, the piece has already been expertly sanded and there is no need to do it again.
The top may have some problems. Looks like a ceramic plant pot occupied the top. It may be necessary to use wood bleach, just dabbed on the ring stains with a Qtip, neutralized and lightly sanded. If minerals and the staining go deep into the wood, you won't be able to remove all of it. The veneer can be very thin and easy to sand through.
How you refinish depends on your skills and experience, as well as how the stripping comes out and what it reveals. I would have a piece of curly cherry to run samples on and also prep that with some stripping gunk so it's closer to the actual piece to start. You can get an approximation of how it will look with only a fresh top coat by wiping on some mineral spirits.
Antiques
I would patch before replacing the entire veneered section. You need to tap with your finger nail all along the apron to check if anywhere else is insecure. Cut back the void to make straight lines for the patch to fit in nicely. I would completely refinish - water stains can be treated with oxalic acid. Careful regarding: breathing in the dry dust of the acid either when mixing or sanding off.
SA
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