Emerging Beauty

This beautiful old hall tree was literally dragged intro the shop by our neighbor. My best guess is that she is of1880's vintage, a well used and worn red oak hall tree.

For her130 years she has her battle scars. (Yes,  that's a beveled antique mirror behind that newspaper mask.) As you see her here she's well into our stripping process (shhh!) and on her way to a beautiful revitalized look. It will be a look of confidence she has not had for probably eighty--maybe ninty years! Is she gonna be excited or what!!!

She has been a basement dweller for the past 40 years,  and before that.... guesses,  only guesses. We do know she has been in our neighbors' family since the late 1800's. She belonged to their great grandparents. Soon she will belong to a great,  great grandson--still in the family...and again loved and prized.

She stands in this last pic curing. Stain has been applied,  two tones,  waiting for sealing and finishing in a couple days.  It'll be a coming out celebration. ... soon,  FUN. 

That's Wood Talkin for now. ... keep listening.

Glass n Bumpers

From the library to the game room. These two items fit that description exactly. These recent repairs were in and out in about a week, but each left a lasting impression. 


Billiards Table

two of the tables beautiful mahogany legs

Our customer called us to his home to pick-up and touch-up his billiards table before he put it back together following a move. As you can imagine, it occupied a good portion of one of our shop's rooms while we groomed it piece-by-piece. Of course the biggest piece was the frame. But it wasn't long before it was happily going home cleaned, shined and polished with a new lease on the gaming life.

 Glassed Library Bookshelves
 These stacked, glassed book cases sure didn't look at all like this initially. They were literally pea green. Five separate coats of finish, the earliest was a clear varnish and subsequent coats included pink, white, a banana yellow, and the pea green. We did some fabrication replicating side trim on one of the cases sections.

All the hardware was original, brass throughout including the decorative button pulls on each framed glass section. It was a delight to compare the roll-up mechanisms at each with some that are available in the contemporary furniture market. This mechanism was sophisticated, compared to the dime-store type alternatives I've often seen (and I have one on an expensive oak case of my own). Each mechanism worked smoothly and perfectly on each level. This red (pictured) oak frame and case is stained with Minwax's English Chestnut and two buffed satin lacquer top coats.

That's Wood Talkin for today. Keep listening!