Louis XV Commodes

It’s always a pleasure to restore fine pieces of quality antique furniture, so it was a special treat to receive two almost identical commodes attributed to Louis N Malle. Cabinet maker, or the correct French term, ébéniste to Louis XVth. Both commodes were in the classic bombé shape that you can see from the photos and each heavily decorated with gilt ormolu. Both featured panels of lighter rosewood against a darker surround. However, the timber species of surround veneer differed, Kingwood was used for the larger commode, while a species of Ebony, ébéne verte, was used on the smaller more delicate commode. Both commodes had marble tops, one of these was clearly the original, while the other, I suspect was a 19th century replacement. Moving these marble tops aside one could clearly see the maker’s stamp and seal, leaving no doubt to the provenance.

While the main structures were relatively sound, damage to the veneer from shrinkage of the supporting timber was pronounced as was substantial wear to the drawer runners and drawer bottoms. Apart from these two major items conservation consisted of careful cleaning and finish repair, the results I hope speak for themselves.

Shaker Rocking Chair

A friend of mine recently asked me to make a few replacement parts for an impressive French walnut armoire that he is restoring. By way of compensation he suggested he gave me a rather sad looking # 7 Mount Lebanon rocking chair that he had acquired locally. Looking at the condition of the chair, most people would probably think this was not much of a deal. It’s true the rockers are missing along with the shawl rail, the bottoms of the legs are rotten and woodworm have been feasting on other parts. If this was not enough, someone thought it a good idea to hide the original ebonised finish with white paint. Then cover the seating tape with calico, in fact they did this in reverse order so that they could paint most of the calico at the same time. Never the less I was delighted and immediately agreed, it’s probably the best chance I will ever have of owning a real Mount Lebanon Rocker of this vintage, c1880. I imagine a good one would fetch about $3000, but I couldn’t be sure in the present economic climate. Its not likely that another would turn-up locally, so crating, shipping to France with insurance maybe half as much again. Then again this aspect doesn’t really interest me so much as the chance to work on an iconic chair that I have copied so many times; I find this prospect more exciting than owning a new one. It’s going to make a really interesting project and I shall be featuring it here, as work progresses. The other items in the picture are a few pieces of Shaker ephemera and more about this later. My friend, Roy of the wardrobe, is researching Shaker history and has turned-up many interesting artifacts and as yet unknown facts about the Shakers and France. Unfortunately I'm sworn to secrecy until he is in print, so I must ask you to be patient.

Shellac, French Polishing

Once you have mastered the polisher’s mop as described in an earlier post, I am sure you will be eager to progress and try your hand using a “rubber”. This is the tool used for achieving a faultless finish on a flat surface or even a curved one if the radius of the curvature is large enough. Generally though the surface will be flat and horizontal, which will catch the light, making it imperative to have a surface free of brush or wipe marks, that would break up the refracted light and stand out. There is a certain mystique about French Polishing and it is true, there would be a huge amount to learn if you wished to set up business professionally. However, there is no reason why you should not achieve spectacular results on a small or uncomplicated project for yourself. However, it would be wrong of me not to point out that large, complicated or high value pieces should be referred to a professional.
That said, a lot of pleasure and satisfaction can he had finishing or repairing smaller or less valuable pieces; and if you catch the bug there is nothing to prevent you from honing your skills by attending a short course at a school of polishing or further reading and practice.

However the first thing to do now is make your rubber. When these are properly made and stored they can be used again and again, over many years. The one I am currently using is several years old and is used on a regular basis. Or at least the fad part is, the cloth cover will need changing from time to time, because of wear. I should explain; the rubber consists of two parts, the “fad” and the “rag”. To make the fad, you will need a small piece of upholsters skin wadding. Grey skin wadding is best. Cut this into a 9inch square and fold in half top to bottom. Now fold in the corners of the folded edge (as opposed to the cut edge) to form a delta. Fold and tuck in the cut edge about an inch while folding the delta again into the centre. You should now have a conical pear shape about 3 inches from point to bottom with a seam along the top edge.
This will be springy so place an elastic band around the middle to hold it in place while you cut a piece of clean white cotton cloth, about 10 inches square. You can buy this in 1kilo packs from finishing suppliers, or an old cotton sheet is ideal if you have one available. Place the fad into the centre of the rag with the point towards one of the corners. Place this in the palm of you hand and grip the fad through the rag. Turn your hand upside down so that the edges of the cloth hang down. Now working from the point, twist the leading edges, while maintaining the point and work back along the fad to form a rope shape, which should lie against the back of the fad. When you come to the end of the rope, give it a twist around your finger, to form a loop on itself and tuck it in.

The cotton should now be tight around the fad. Place another elastic band around your neatly formed rubber and soak the whole thing in methylated spirits with a little shellac added and set aside to dry. This trains the fad to keep its shape and makes it easier to use. You will only need to do this once, in future after the rubber has been commissioned, you will want to avoid letting it dry out again, even a little. Therefore you must store your rubber in an airtight container. A small Tupperware box would be ideal.

I shan’t repeat the method of preparation for the work piece as we have covered this in earlier posts, except to say that it must of course be clean and dust free.
To begin you will need to charge the rubber with shellac. Remove both the elastic bands. Next, hold the rubber in the palm of your hand, then while gripping the fad, open the cotton rag covering it and let the edges fall away. Now slightly open the seam at the top of the fad and pour a small amount of shellac along this seam. Naturally you are going to need slightly more the first time you do this than on later occasions. I’ll just mention, decanting the shellac into a handy sized bottle will make controlling the flow much easier, every time you re-charge the fad. Lastly, close the rubber tightly as before, laying the rope edge so that it will nestle in your hand comfortably. You will need to test the rubber before using it. Do this by pressing it against a clean piece of paper, which it should just wet, without an excess of the shellac flowing out. If you do find the rubber is overcharged, squeeze out the excess shellac and move to a clean spot of paper to test again. Repeat until you are satisfied its right. Over time you will learn to judge the right amount and it will only be necessary to dab the rubber against the palm of you hand to know if you have it right or not.

Now, some polishers advocate adding raw linseed oil to the face of the rubber to lubricate. This is not really necessary and if overdone can cause problems. All I do is to dip the tip of my finger into the linseed oil and spread this tiny amount over the face of the rubber and only then, if the rag has been changed or the piece covering the fad moved due to wear. It’s probably not necessary at all; I just think it conditions and smoothes a new piece of cloth.

Hold the rubber firmly in you hand, as low down as possible without danger of your fingers touching the polished surface. If held too high, you will have no control over the rubber and it will stick at some point, causing a “rubber burn”. Begin by gliding the rubber onto the surface and work around the edge of the piece in small circular movements. Once you have completed one circuit, glide the rubber off again. There should be no obvious marks left on the surface, however if you have a heavy build up, wait an hour and sand back with 400 grit paper. Re-test the charge in your rubber and now try again. You should feel some resistance as you pull the rubber over the work and you should be able to see a damping of the surface behind the rubber, which will begin to dry immediately. The pull should not be so great that the rubber judders or sticks. If you pull the palm of you hand over a clean windowpane, this will give you an idea of the correct resistance you should experience. Although you will notice a slight increase in the pull as the rubber dries out. When this happens, increase the pressure on the rubber, then, finish the run you are working on and glide off at the end, re-charge.

Once the edge has dried for a few moments, look at the surface and mentally divide it into 4 tracks. Working each track in turn, proceed by making small figure of 8 strokes along the grain, gliding onto the surface at the beginning and gliding off at the end. It would be perfectly natural to form these figures of 8 movements with the wrist. However, this is not good a good way to work. A far better technique and less tiring method would be to keep the wrist stiff. Making all your movement come from the elbow and shoulder. Let your strokes overlap the imaginary tracks about a 1/3 on each side and keep the figure of 8 strokes tight enough within the track to cover the entire surface. Next re-work the surface with two tracks overlapping as before and then one track. Repeat as necessary. As we are repairing a surface rather that building one up, you should not require many coats before you see a shine appearing. When you do change to working along the grain with strait, slightly overlapping strokes. Gliding on and off at each end of the stroke. Continue until you see the shine deepen. When satisfied, leave overnight for the polish to dry back and harden.

The next day, or later, very lightly cut the surface back with fine synthetic wire wool, using the gentlest of stokes and wipe clean. Follow with one or two coats in the same manner as you finished with the night before and leave for twenty minutes. While you are waiting you can prepare your rubber for “spiriting” or stiffing. Do this by charging with clean methylated spirits and press the rubber against a clean piece of card or paper, squeezing out as much shellac mixture as possible. Do this twice. Then give one pass of the rubber over the entire surface, The thinned shellac and meths rich mixture will liven-up the previously applied polish. Now drip a few drops of meths onto the face of the rubber, dab the rubber against your palm to distribute the methylated spirits through the fad. Go over the surface with straight strokes as before. You should feel a slightly greater resistance, than when using the shellac full strength but this should not be excessive. Keep a close eye on the rubber making sure it is neither too dry, causing it to stick. Nor wet enough to leave a visible deposit. This will in a short time dramatically improve the quality of the shine. However, you must again leave overnight before proceeding, in fact it’s better if you can leave it several days. You should then find that any slight rubber marks have disappeared as the polish has hardened and dried out. In fact the shine will probably be so good it will look unnatural for a piece of antique furniture. It may pass as fine for a piece of Louise XIIII, dripping with gilt ormolu. However, a shine like this will look brittle on traditional “brown” furniture and will need dulling down with your synthetic wire wool and wax in the exactly the same way as mentioned before. Only this time pay particular attention to the direction of the grain and use the lightest pressure. I’m sure you will now glow with the greatest of pleasure yourself, as with a flourish you buff the wax until it gleams.

Shellac, Using a Mop

Having already looked at repairs and cleaning I shall move on here to talk about the final touches, toning and polishing of your repaired work. The most appropriate and traditional finish for any piece of antique furniture made in the last 200 yrs, is shellac, sometimes, called French polish; although, ironically in France it is known as “Vernis à Tampon”. There are two basic methods of application. Most commonly with a “rubber”, a specially prepared pad, (the tampon) this is used for large areas such as a tabletop. Or with a “mop” these come in various sizes and are normally used for mouldings, small objects or cylindrical parts, such as the table legs.
I shall be talking in the context of refinishing or repairing an existing finish rather than starting from scratch (no pun intended) on new bare wood, this would require a lot of preparatory work, like grain filling, that is mostly unnecessary on repaired work and will be covered at a later date.

Recently I described a typical chair repair, so it may be useful to carry on from there and describe how this newly repaired chair should be finished. With the exception of one or two unusual cases, using a “mop” is the preferred method of applying shellac to most chairs. A No 10 mop is the ideal size for this job and this will cost you about £25 for one with a soft hair mixture. Squirrel would be best, if you can find it, but be prepared to pay about three times as much for the genuine artical. The good news is, that if properly cared for, either will last a lifetime and actually improve the more you use it. Anything else will just not apply the polish in the same way, or hold anywhere near, the same amount of shellac without dripping. The shellac itself, you can buy already made up or mix your own by dissolving shellac flakes in mentholated spirit. However, if you are new to polishing it’s best to start with some that has been commercially prepared… it is one thing less to worry about. It does come in different types, which have odd names, like Button, Garnet, Lemon etc. The lightest of them all is Blond and this is the one I would recommend you start with. It is practically colourless, has been de-waxed and can be safely used on any shade of wood. You will also need some good quality methylated spirits; 400 grit silicone carbide abrasive paper (NOT wet and dry); clean rags and a few containers like jam jars or similar (pickling jars are ideal or even better an old stone Jar); “0000” wire wool, the synthetic kind is best; a small dish.

Before you can begin polishing, some cleaning up, is bound to be needed. Start by thoroughly removing any excess glue and then clean the chair by washing as described in an earlier newsletter. If the old polish is crazed or there is an excess of old wax you can remove this with a wash over with methylated spirit using the wire wool. Have a small dish of the meths into which you can dip the wire wool before you use it to wash down the chair. Use a rag to remove the resulting residue before it dries. Don’t overdo this, as you do not want to remove the delicate patina, only the old surface polish or wax. Follow this by washing with soap and water, then leave to dry.

Dilute a small amount of the shellac 50/50 with the methylated spirit into one of your jars. Apply one or two coats to the chair by dipping the polishing mop into the diluted mixture and squeezing out the excess against the edge of the jar. Then using long graceful strokes rather than stabbing ones work in a methodical manner, starting with the chair upside down and polish from the inside to the outside of the cage formed by the legs and stretchers. Begin your brush strokes at the top and work down. You will notice that the shellac foams and runs slightly. This should not matter too much, if it is sufficiently diluted. If, however you find a suggestion of a run when the first coat is dry, dilute the mixture further. The idea is to apply numerous coats so thin that they will leave neither runs nor brush marks, but a smooth even film built up as the methylated spirit evaporates. After finishing the lower section, flip the chair over and complete the upper part using the same technique. If you are working on two or more chairs at once, you will be able to work continuously. If only one, you must wait a few minutes for the polish to dry between coats.

The filling of surface defects is best carried out after you have applied at least two coats of shellac. This will have sealed any bare wood and prevent the filler contaminating and staining the timber. Proceed as described earlier. When the filling is finished and tidied up, go over the whole chair with the 400 grit abrasive paper. You only need to use the lightest of strokes here to remove nibs, work in one direction along the grain.

Now is also a good time to adjust and unify the colour.
What I’m going to tell you now is one of the closest guarded secrets of French polishing, so I think it is worth taking a few moments to explain fully. There is a wonderful substance, known as Vandyke. This can transform a mediocre looking piece of furniture into an expensive and desirable looking antique. Vandyke crystals are available from finishing shops, however they don’t come with the right instructions and you must make sure these are real Vandyke crystals made from the husks of walnuts and not Van Dyke dye. Liboron Vandyke, sold by Axminster Power Tools, is the right stuff.
To make up a reasonable amount, put about ½ pint of clean water in an old saucepan and get it nice and hot, but not boiling. Start adding the Vandyke a little at a time, stirring as you go to dissolve the small granules. It will start to thicken and become quite stiff, but continue slowly adding the Vandyke until no more will dissolve. Now tip the thick paste you have made into a jar. A pickling jar is ideal or even better an old stone Jar.
(Remember not to put hot liquid into cold glass jars, or the jars may crack)
Tamp the paste down as best you can and leave it to cool.

Now you are ready to return to your chair and continue building up the finish and colour. Start by sprinkling a few drops of water onto the Vandyke and then, using a 1-inch brush, work this around until you have a mixture the consistency of single cream. Brush onto the chair, working one area at a time. Then, taking a barely damp cloth, formed into a wad, wipe the mixture lightly along the grain repeatedly until the water evaporates leaving an even effect without streaks. Don’t worry if it is not right first go, you can wash it off and have another try until you develop the right technique and you are satisfied with the result. The small scratches and dings that are characteristic of any genuine antique piece will take up more of the Vandyke and appear darker. As will corners, joints and recesses. This is desirable and will give the look of an aged and correctly polished antique. Further coats can be applied. However, you must seal each one with two or three coats of shellac before applying the next.

The Vandyke can also be used for graining and matching larger repairs, or to imitate the build up of dirt in mouldings or recesses. Here, wiping with the wad will naturally highlight high spots, leaving the recesses dark, making the chair look “right”. When the Vandyke has dried, just run your hand over the surface to remove any gritty deposits that sometime are left. Now, continue with your polishing, applying successive coats of shellac as before. It is hard to say exactly how many coats will be required, but you should start to see a good shine after about 10. Once you are satisfied, set the chair aside and leave at least overnight or a day or two longer, for the polish to harden.

The shine you will have achieved will look a little too bright for a convincing antique, so you will need to soften this back to imitate the sheen of a well-used and polished antique chair. Do this by applying a good quality bees wax polish with the “0000” synthetic wire wool. Apply the wax sparingly and leave for a few minutes, then buff with a soft clean cloth or duster.
All you have to do now is stand back and admire your work. I am sure you will be truly amazed at the results you have achieved and will be encouraged to tackle even more ambitious projects in the future.

Polishing Furniture; an introduction.

Whether we are building up a surface or repairing a damaged finish, polishing is the final process after making or repairing and some will say the most important. Because a mistake here can render an otherwise splendid job a disaster. Or on the other hand, poor work can be made to look superficially good, as can be seen with a few items to be found on offer along the high street. Not that I would advocate covering up poor work, however a tired and used piece can be given a completly new lease of life with a few simple techniques.

There are a number of finishes that can be used on furniture and which one you choose will depend on the piece to be finished and its intended use, or the existing finish which requires repair. The main finish types are Shellac, oil, varnish, wax or paint.
I’m going to leave paint aside for the moment as it is quite a varied subject in its own right and deal with it in the future. Of the three remaining finish types Shellac is by far the most common finish to be found on antique furniture after the 18th century. Its also one of the most versatile and useful finishes we can use on new work; however it can be easily susceptible to water and heat damage. Therefore final use is an important consideration.
Oil also an attractive finish and one that can either be mat or highly polished. It’s extremely easy to apply, is quite resistant to heat and liquid and can easily be repaired in the event of an accident.
Varnish today comes in two main different types, oil based or water based. Within these two categories is any number of sub-categories, each designed to solve one problem or another; not always successfully.
Wax can be used over any of the other finishes to enhance them or it can be used on its own, however being the most delicate of all the finishes it is not really suitable on its own for areas that will receive heavy or constant use.
It will not be possible to adequately explain or teach all the nuances or the ‘’feel’’ that is necessary to produce some finishes to professional standard. That would require personal tuition. It should however be possible to dispel some of the mystique that surrounds polishing and explain the rudiments that will allow you to experiment and achieve satisfactory results.

Chair Repair, a restorer's dream job. Part three.

Now all the parts are dry, check them over to see if there is any old glue lumps you missed, if there are these will generally pick off. Also have a good look at the tenons and mortises for any splits or other damage. Everything ok? Then you are ready to start gluing up. Glue-up, is probably the most stressful part of furniture making or restoration, get it wrong and at best its back to clean-up at worst, we wont even think about that. Here would be a realy good place to talk over procedure; yes it is dull, just like all good advice. First a word about cramps and glue. You will need at least two cramps possibly more. The webbing strap type, with a ratchet, are an excellent choice for chairs, as these will adapt to different shapes and angles and are relatively inexpensive. I’ve already mentioned hide glue, which is essential for antique repair. You may be put off and not equipped with a double wall glue pot for the traditional hot melt type. Also, the short open time may prove tricky if you are unused to working with it. Luckily help is at hand in the form of “Franklins Liquid Hide Glue”, which is exactly the same thing, but chemically retarded. Second, spend a little time planning the glue-up; push all the parts together for a dry dummy run. Use the clamps to pull-up the joints and check if they close tightly, you will probably need to adjust the cramps to achieve this. If you are using conventional screw cramps you are going to need to make shaped wooden blocks to protect the chair and also to ensure that the line of force is directly in line with the screw. Don’t consider time spent on this as time lost, it is most definitely time well saved.

Ok let’s get on with the interesting bit; commence with the back of the chair, working in the reverse order to that of dismantling. You will need a cramp or two for this. One placed about a third down from the top of the back leg, with the other about a third up from the bottom, this should do it. However, check that this will evenly pull up the joints without distortion. Check the back for overall squareness. This is important and will affect the squarness of the whole chair. Unhelpfully most chairs have contoured parts, or the parts are set at obtuse angles. This makes it impossible, or at least extremely difficult, to check the angle using a square. I get round this by using my eye and if you trust your own eyes you will find them more reliable than you probably think. However, if you are unused to using your judgement in this way, to begin with you will find it helpful to have a datum to work from. Stand the chair against an upright, which you know to be vertical, the edge of a closed door, for example. If you judge the back to be yawning in one direction or another, a little pressure exerted across corners will generally rectify. Do this by placing one leg of the chair back on the ground and push down from above on the other. Which leg you chose would, of course, depend on which direction the chair is yawning. Keep checking until you are satisfied.

Continuing with the chair back, apply a coat of glue to both surfaces of the joint, a generous amount in the mortise, with just enough to wet the surface of the tenon. You don’t want to apply an excessive amount of glue, but at the same time you want to make sure the joint isn’t glue starved. However, don’t apply glue to the shoulders of tenons. This will add nothing to the strength of the joint and only result in a messy squeeze out that shall need cleaning up. All excess glue, by the way, will wash off with a cloth and a little warm water. Push the joints together; hand pressure is all that should be needed. However, you will need to cramp overnight or longer, while the glue sets. Most glue takes a few days to realise full strength and hide glue is not exception. So please resist any temptation to “test” your work for a day or two at least.

Once the chair back has been successfully tackled you will discover the front fairly plain sailing. If the front legs are joined with stretchers as well as a seat rail, like, for instance a Shaker Chair, I glue this up as a separate unit in a similar way to the back. Of course, making sure all is square in the same manner as before. If you have enough clamps the front assembly can be glued at the same time as the back. If, on the other hand, the chair doesn’t have stretchers directly between the front legs, as with Georgian style chairs, or without stretchers at all, as for example a Queen Anne, it is better to glue up all in one go. Whichever way the front legs are assembled proceed as follows: Lay the back down flat, mortised side up and apply glue to the inside surface of mortises, including those for the stretchers if present. Some types of stretcher will now need assembling in an H format. Now glue all the mating tennons of the side rails and push home into the mortises. Whether or not already assembled apply glue in the same manner to all the mortises of the front legs. Join the front legs together with the front rail. Apply a small amount of glue to the remaining tennons of the rails and stretchers now standing upright from the back. You could simply bring the joints together. However, I always lay the front assemble flat and lift and reverse the chair back, bringing it down onto the front legs. This stops any glue running out of the mortise while you are aligning the joints. Stand the chair upright and place one of your webbing clamps around the back and front legs at the height of the seat rails. Have the ratchet at the chair front, along the line of the front rail. Take up slack in the webbing with the ratchet ….. Now check that the webbing is central to the joints so that the joint pulls up evenly. If all is in place give a few more clicks on the ratchet to pull the joints up tight. Proceed in the same way for the stretchers if present. Check alignment of your chair by placing on a flat surface and checking all four legs are resting evenly and that the chair isn’t rocking. You may not be able to achieve perfect results here for a number of reasons, such as wear or distortion of parts, therefore you may find it necessary to build up or trim one of the legs.

If your chair is the Windsor type you should reassemble, by placing the seat plank upside down and tap home the legs into the round mortises with a rubber or wooden mallet. Of course remembering to replace any stretchers as you go. The only cramping that may be necessary is around the legs to close and hold the joints on the stretchers. Once the legs are attached you can flip over and reassemble the upper part of the chair. You should be able to complete the whole operation in one go.

The upholstery for your chair is too varied a subject to cover in a letter like this, although it can be very satisfying and enjoyable to do this yourself. I would suggest you buy a book on the subject in order to achieve the best results; one I can recommend is ‘Upholstery a practical guide’ by Desmond Gaston. Harper Collins ISBN 0 00 411671 2

I goint to write a post on polishing soon so you will be able to add that finishing touch to your expertly restored chair.

Chair Repair, a restorer's dream job. Part two

Let’s return to our imaginary chair, do you remember, the one that has movement in every joint and needs to be completely dismantled. On this chair there are no broken legs or other parts that may dictate we start our dismantling at any certain point. So we can say without any hesitation, that you should start by removing the front two legs from the side rails or the seat plank if a Windsor type chair. If stretchers are present between the legs, alternate your progress between all of the joints to ensure no one component or joint is over strained. Next, remove the side rails and stretchers from the back legs. If Windsor type removes stretchers from the back legs, then the back legs from the seat plank. Now separate the two back legs. Some types of chairs may require the crest rail removing first. You will, of course, come across chairs, which are a little different and also some with arms. However, the general format as described will be the same. You should now have a pile of assorted parts, all marked and labelled, in front of you. If woodworm has been present, or conditions or the chair’s life have been particularly bad, you may find a tennon or two broken. Now you may feel confident enough and have the means to tackle this yourself, if so and you feel it necessary, please write in for further advice. However, you may find this just a bit too daunting and require some help. Simply take the damaged components and the mating part to a professional repairer and have him/her make the necessary repairs for you. This will still be considerably less expensive than a complete repair to the whole chair and you will still be able to claim credit for the overall restoration. Make sure you first clean up the joints as described in a moment and you will earn the professionals appreciation and convince him you know what you are about.
For the next stage you are going to need hot water, a couple of old paint brushes… one about an inch wide and one about 3/8 inch wide. I keep a couple of old brushes especially for this job. They have a little cut off the length of the bristles; this stiffens them up nicely for scrubbing. This can be dirty work, so make sure you have a plastic sheet down if you are forced to work in the living room. You may also wish to wear some rubber gloves, the dirt really can be a job to wash off. Commence by placing the tennon over the hot water, while picking up some water with the 1inch brush and scrub, washing the joint and letting the water run back into the tub. Personally I use an old saucepan kept warm on an electric hotplate. You will soon be amazed at how much dirt you have washed off and find the water needs changing regularly. Work through all the tenons until you are satisfied they are completely free of grime and old glue. Washing out the mortise is a little more difficult and you may find some old glue left at the bottom of the mortise. This is unimportant unless it blocks full re-entry of the tenon, if so use an old chisel or similar to scrape away. The cheeks or sides of the mortise are the most important to clean. Use the 3/8 “ brush, tipping out accumulated dirty water as you go. Again work your way through all the mortises as you did with the tenons. Finally after all is clean, set all the parts out to dry overnight.

Chair Repair, a restorer's dream job. Part one

Chairs more than any other item of furniture play a daily part in our lives... Rarely appreciated for the ingenuity of their design or the skill of the designer/maker they suffer every kind of indignity and sometimes abuse. Naturally, being the foot soldiers so to speak, there are heavy casualties. Therefore, this is going to be a rather long two part post, dealing with some of the most common problems found with antique chairs, or any chairs really.

Chairs are probably the most frequent visitors to the repair shop and account for the restorer’s bread and butter, so it's not all bad news. Unfortunately on many occasions this is not before some misguided soul thought they had the solution to that loose leg, or wobbly arm. You would not believe some of the items of torture I have removed from chairs. So let’s clear a few things up here first. You cannot repair a joint in furniture with nails, steel brackets, screws, bolts or dowels drilled and inserted form every possible angle. Nor will a squirt of glue in or somewhere vaguely near the joint hold up for more than a day or two. The only thing all these remedies have in common is the cost they will add to the repair bill when eventually the poor old chair makes it to the restorers shop. That’s if they survive at all. I should stop here as this could turn into a rant. So how do we make a lasting repair? Well this is a case where cleanliness, if not exactly next to godliness, is of paramount importance. Just to illustrate, have you ever tried sticking Sellotape to a dirty or dusty surface? It doesn’t work. Well this is exactly what happens if you apply glue to an old joint that may have had decades, possible centuries, of accumulated dust, grime and wax, which has worked its way in there. Not to mention the original old glue which has probably broken down due to adverse conditions at some time in the life of the chair. For example, in times past garden furniture was not widely available as it is today, so people simply took what furniture they had outside into the garden. Naturally they would become distracted, forget to bring it in with the consequence that sun and rain would take its toll. Quite often a chair would be stored in a cellar, loft or other damp place, all of which would contribute to the breakdown of the hide glue. Which, by contrast under correct conditions, will last millennia; as proved by some pieces of Egyptian furniture that have been discovered.
There is only one real answer for a lasting repair and one that will add value to your chair. It must be taken apart and the joints cleaned. You will quite often find that the back can be lift intact and that you only need to remove the side rails, front legs, front rail and stretchers if present. You will of course have to remove the upholstery if yours is an overstuffed design. Many dining chairs will simply have a drop in pad. This type of chair in particular, will have in addition, corner braces, which will also need removing or replacing if missing. Some chairs will also have arms, or in the case of wheelback Windsor’s, braces between seat and bake bow.

The first thing to do is determine which joints need to be taken apart. I find the best way to do this is to stand in front of the chair placing one knee on the seat, with most of the weight resting on the front rail. Then gripping the tops of the back leg one in each hand, or in some instances the crest rail, with one hand above the position of each rear leg, flex the chair by pushing gently with one hand and pulling with the other. Then reverse the action and continue gently pushing and pulling alternately. Taking note of all the joints that have movement. Not knowing which of your chair joints will need attention in advance; I shall describe the correct way to dismantle an imaginary chair, which has movement in all of it’s joints. This will also serve you as reference in the future; for any other chair, you may need to repair. First remove any fabric coverings if present and as many of the tacks as you can. This can be time consuming, but will save time later and make working easier and all the more pleasant without pricked fingers.

Look directly at and immediately in the area around all the joints for evidence of nails or screws. They will probably be well concealed with wax or some other type of filler covering the heads. These fixings must be removed otherwise they will split the timber as you disassemble. Screws are relatively easy to remove. Small diameter pins and nails will be more difficult, especially if the head is sunken. It’s possible to make a hollow drill bit especially for removing pins, but this will probably be beyond the capabilities of a home workshop, and in any case not repay the time needed, if only used occasionally. The alternative is to use a long nosed pin punch to push the nail through the joint. A few smart taps with a hammer on the punch should be enough to either exit the pin of the nail on the opposite side of the leg or other component. In which case you can grip this with pincers and pull the nail through. Use a piece of substantial card placed under the pincers to save damaging the wood. If the nail point has not exited you should still be able to sink it deep enough to clear one of the cheeks of the joint. In which case it will probably bend as you remove the captured component of the joint. You will need to exert extra care while dismantling, flexing the components as you go, to encourage the nail to bend. Once you are sure all foreign objects have been removed put a wrap of masking tape around each component and mark each piece in such a way that you will know the order of assembly. This of course wouldn’t be necessary if you are only taking one or two joints apart. Using a rubber mallet, gently tap the joints apart by firmly gripping the male component firmly and tipping the female as close to the joint as possible. Most joints will separate easily enough others may be more persistent and will require the introduction of hot water into the joints.

Traditional hide glue can be reversed using heat and water. This can be a huge benefit or a major drawback, depending on your need or application. It also allows work to be done that would be impossible with any other glue. Now if you can find a syringe of some sort, this will be ideal for getting hot water into the joint. You can even drill a very small hole into the void of the joint. You will find this just forward of the tenon. If you have already dismantled another joint you can measure the length of this tenon to gauge the position of the void. Although choose somewhere inconspicuous to drill your hole and fill this with hot water by means of the syringe. Capillary action will do the rest, but you may find you need to wait a few hours. Flex the joint every now and then to test progress. If you also have access to a spreading cramp (there are a number of cramps available with reversible heads) you will find this makes life very much easier. Place the cramp between the chair legs as close to the joint as possible and use the spreading action to push the joints apart. Take extreme care not to place undue strain on any parts. Continue to wetting the joints and wait as needed. Once the glue has softened, the joint will separate quite easily, unless that is; someone has squirted “Araldite” or something similar into the joint. If you discover this is the case, you may well still have a lose joint but one locked by a blob of indestructible foreign matter wedged somewhere inside. The only option will be to continue (here the spreading cramp will definitely be a necessity) until something gives. Stop occasionally to flex the joint up and down, which will help dislodge the lump or grind the tenon to allow passage. Although do not be too enthusiastic as you may damage the shoulders of the joint.

Drawers. How to fix them

Drawers in older pieces are frequently problematic; fortunately a few of the less serious problems are relatively simple to repair and are mostly caused by wear, shrinkage or glue failure. Let’s tackle the latter first; this will probably be failure of the glue to the front or back dovetails, or both. If these are loose, gently knock the components apart. Having first removed the fixing’s to the drawer bottom if necessary (method described later). If there is resistance apply hot water to the joint, you can do this with a paintbrush if the joint is partially open. If not drape a hot wet cloth over the joint; sufficiently wet that water will penetrate the joint. Leave for a few minutes to soften the glue before trying again. You may need to use a hot iron to get steam to enter the joint if really stubborn. Once apart wash joints thoroughly with warm water and a small brush to remove dirt and old glue deposits. Take care not to damage any polished surface. Leave to dry overnight. Try the joints for fit, if they are close fitting well and good, if not have some small pieces of veneer or similar to hand. Apply a little glue to each socket and pin of the joint. A word here about glue: Use only liquid hide glue on older furniture; it will be compatible with glue left in the pores of the timber and will also make any future repair easier. Modern P V A and aliphatic glues have no right to be anywhere near antique furniture and are a recipe for expensive restoration bills sooner rather than later. Tap the joint gently but firmly home. If the joint is loose place a small piece of veneer cut to size between the tail and pin of the dovetail. Now clamp firmly in place using a block to protect the timber of the drawer. If you don’t have clamps, webbing straps the type with a ratchet for lashing loads are inexpensive and can be used with blocks placed in appropriate positions to hold the joints firmly. Always wax blocks and packers to ensure they don’t stick to the drawer. Check with a tape from corner to corner to make sure the drawer is square. Better still, use cut battens of the right length also from corner to corner to maintain and hold square while clamped.
Shrinkage will most commonly affect the drawer bottom, commonly causing a gap between the drawer front and the leading edge of the drawer bottom. Bottoms are generally cut over length to counter this problem and it will usually only be necessary to move the bottom forward. Do this by placing a thin wide bladed tool between the bottom of the drawer back and the drawer bottom and gently prize apart a ¼’’to ½’’ inch will generally do the trick. If you now press the drawer bottom back into position the heads of the fixing nails will be left proud and can easily be removed with pincers. I’m assuming here that the original fixings are intact and not rusted solid or having being replaced by a forest of the ubiquitous panel pin. If any of these alternatives are present you must adapt your methods for removal. Sometimes it is easier to sink a rusted nail or panel pin whose head is buried, with a pin punch than try to remove it and damage the surface of the wood. Once we finally have the drawer bottom free, it will only be a question of sliding it forward and re-fixing. It’s always preferable to re-fix with 2 or 3 screws pre-drilled and countersunk, than to re-fix with nails. ¾’’ No 6 brass, slot headed, probably being the right size and best choice.
Wear can be a little more troublesome especially if it relates to drawer bottoms or the runners in the casework itself. This is probably a job for a competent restorer. A little easier to deal with, is a sloppy fit in the width, caused by wear (this can also be the result of shrinkage) although frequently by worn, loose or missing drawer guides. These are fitted beside or slightly above the drawer runners and guide the path of the drawer, when moved in or out. If worn it may be necessary to glue a shim to the existing guide, be sure to clean off any old wax or dirt first. Washing with warm soapy water is the preferred method and leave to dry. Extra time spent gauging the thickness of the shim needed will be well rewarded and remember you must shim each side so that you do not alter the line of the drawers run. . Always try out and test by placing the shims in place and testing the drawer fit before finally gluing up. You may need to tape the shims in place while testing. Please don’t use nails or pins to secure the shims, eventually through continued wear the nail heads would be exposed and cut groves in the sides of the drawer. You will most likely need blocks to hold the shims flat while the glue dries; wax as before and hold in place with sprung sticks. These are pieces of flexible timber such as doweling or small section square stock say 1/4'' x 1/4'' cut about an 1/8'' more in length than the distance between the shims and blocks. Simply flex between the blocks and let go making sure all is in the correct position. These will achieve sufficient clamping force to complete the job.

Another common fault are missing or worn guides which fit above the drawer, sometimes these are simply the bottom of the runners for the drawer above or in the case of a top drawer, part of the side rail of the case or a block, glued under the top of the piece. If any of the above is worn or missing this will result in the front of the drawer dropping when extended. Rectification will be much as described for the side runners, with any necessary modifications for size and position being made. Another very common drawer fault, which you are almost certainly to encounter, is the loss or severe wear of drawer stops. Usually located below the drawer on one of the transoms, although some may be above. These catch the drawer front and stop the face of the drawer from sinking past the line of the case front. Sometimes you will find someone has re-fixed a stop with nails and these have cut into the bottom of the drawer, this should be removed and replaced. It’s important that you replace a missing or damaged stop as soon as discovered, as serious damage can result from continued neglect. You will find it quite a simple matter to cut a new stop by copying the pattern of those that exist. This will generally be a small block of hardwood, with the grain running along it’s length about two inches by one and a quarter and tapering along the short edges towards the back probably about a quarter inch thick. Cleaning the fixing site should be as described earlier making sure all old glue is removed. You may find the makers original mark for the position of the stop, if so place the front (longest edge) of the stop against this line. If you are unable to determine the exact position for the stop you must mark this out yourself. If you have a marking gauge set this to the thickness of the drawer front and transfer this distance to the transom about a ¼ the width of the drawer in from the side of the drawer opening. If you don’t have a marking gauge, you can make one up with a couple of blocks of wood and a small nail.
A rubbed joint will be all that is required for fixing: Apply liquid hide glue to the stop, place in position and rub up and down in the direction of the grain only about a half inch in each direction, until you feel a slight grab. Now finally position accurately to the mark and leave to set.

I know the above will fall short of covering all the many variations you may encounter; therefore you may need to employ some imagination and inventiveness. If, however, you are unable to solve your problem, please write in or email and perhaps we may find a solution.

The Lost Key

We have all lost a key at some time or other, or perhaps you obtained your furniture, new or antique without keys. Either way it is especially frustrating if the missing key is for a cupboard or drawer that is locked shut. There was a time when you could have called someone in to deal with the problem, unfortunately old-fashioned locksmiths that could pick a lock and make a new key for you have long disappeared and are a thing of the past. Today, they will just drill the lock out and leave you with a large large hole in both your furniture and pocket. I have on occasion, repaired pieces where the owner has prised open a drawer or a door in desperation causing a lot of unnecessary damage, some even destroyed the lock into the bargain. Same large hole in the pocket again! There really is no reason for you to resort to such extreme or desperate measures, as we shall see.


Before embarking on more serious methods, which may result in dismantling part of the piece, it is always worth trying to cut a new key first. More often than not this is all you will have to do. There are two main types of lock that you are most likely to encounter, back sprung and lever. I don’t think it is necessary to get too involved with technicalities, as both will respond to the same treatment. Although a back sprung lock is defiantly the easier to deal with. Fortunately these are more commonly found on older furniture. Slots or to give them their correct name, wards, will need to be cut into the bit of the key, either the top, bottom or both. Whereas a leaver lock will in addition require some stepping to the leading edge of the bit. You may find that several attempts are required with this latter type of lock.
Other types of locks, like a Bramah, or Chubb are best referred to a competent restorer, or if you are able, to return the lock to the manufactures (address at the end of this letter).
The tools you will need are a junior hacksaw, a warding file, a small vice, table, bench or hand type will do, if not available, mole grip pliers will serve, and a candle. You may also need a drill and selection of bits.
The first thing to do is find a key of a similar size and type as the one that was lost. You may be lucky and have one to hand. If not you must buy a key blank from your local key cutting service or locksmith. There will not be a large selection to choose from, but you should find a blank that can be altered to suite. The bit will be much larger than you require, it’s a case of one size fits all, but you can easily file or saw this to the size required.
The important points to note are that the pipe of the key is the correct diameter for the pin and that the key bit is the right type to conform to your particular need. Some adjustments to either of these may be necessary to get the key to enter the lock. Once you have done this, see if the key will start to turn, but don’t force it. If so you can proceed to the next stage; if not note where the key is touching the case of the lock and make the necessary adjustment with a file. You may need to remove a handle or escutcheon if fitted to see more clearly. Now light the candle and hold the key bit in the flame to blacken. Next place the key carefully into the lock and turn until the key stops. Remove carefully so as not to remove the blacking. Look for bright short lines on the bit, which will indicate the position of the wards. Then while holding the key in your vice or other means, file slots for the wards, take your time and proceed slowly. It will be necessary to repeat this process a number of times, before succeeding in opening the lock. Once open, if the action of the key is unsatisfactory, remove the lock and then the case cover or cap and inspect the action of the key in the lock. It will be apparent which adjustments need to be made. Once you are satisfied, clean of any rough spots with your file or emery paper. Finely, check that the lock really is working properly before re-fitting to door or drawer and re-locking closed.

Chub Locks

CHUBBWood StreetWillenhallWest MidlandsUK, WV13 1LATel: +44 (0)1902 364 627Fax: +44 (0)1902 364 626email: chubb@locksinfo.co.uk


Bramah Locks
Sales and Service:Locksmiths Services, Lock Fitting and KeycuttingTel: +44 (0)800 970 1603Fax: +44 (0)20 7935 2779Email: locksmiths@bramah.co.uk

Furniture Care

Surface defects on our furniture, such as watermarks, scratches and scuffs are the inevitable result of every day use. No matter how careful we are, sooner or later we will find ourselves confronted with some unwanted manifestation. You may have just purchased the piece and taken it home to give it a polish and clean before placing it for best use and enjoyment. Horror! that tiny blemish is screaming attention. After cleaning, these blemishes may seem more apparent than they did when covered by a film of old wax and grime. The most unsightly are watermarks, as these are completely alien on a prized piece of furniture. The odd scratches although unwanted are more acceptable especially on an older piece. In fact the absence of any signs of past use would probably make you suspicious of the items provenance.
Lets tackle the dreaded white heat mark first. These cloudy looking marks are caused by something hot being placed on the surface. Providing the mark is suspended in the finish and has not penetrated the timber below we can precede as follows. Make a solution of 50 parts boiled linseed oil and 50 parts turpentine. If turpentine is not available white spirit will do at a pinch. Apply a little of the mixture to the affected area with a cloth and leave for 10 minutes or so. Then wipe off. You may need to repeat several times. When finished neutralise the oil by wiping over with vinegar and buff or wax as needed.
A cold-water mark, similar in appearance, to a heat mark, is most commonly caused by a sweaty glass and if caught in time may only need wiping with a cloth and then allowed to dry through evaporation in a warm room. Generally though we are not this lucky and are left with an unsightly ring to deal with.
Sometimes these cold-water marks can easily be removed by rubbing over with metal polish. This is worth a try, but don’t let the metal polish dry out. Wipe all traces off before it does. Varnished surfaces respond to a mild abrasive such as T-cut, used for cleaning and reviving car paintwork. You may have some in your car care kit. A professional would properly use Rottenstone or pumice powder mixed with a little oil. If you can find these fine, if not the T-cut will work just as well. Proceed slowly making sure you do not remove too much of the varnish. On occasions you may need to use both approaches. I was once told that mayonnaise also works well on shellac, I can see how it might, although I haven’t tried it myself.
Scratches cracks and the odd worm hole, can be disguised with wax filler, which is available in stick form at most wood finishing counters or DIY stores. Those made by “Liberon” are good quality and just a bit harder than some others. Choose a colour just slightly darker than the timber you will be filling. Colours can be mixed if you are unable to find the exact shade you need. Start by Cutting off a few flakes from the wax stick and kneed them between you fingers in order to soften. Now would be the time to mix colours if needed. Work the wax into the scratch with a blunt ended flexible knife, which you have first rubbed over some fine sandpaper to remove any burrs. Some small blemishes may only require you to rub the corner of the wax stick over the scratch or crack. You must judge which method will work best in each situation. Once you have sufficient wax in the scratch, run the flat of your fingernail over the wax to firm down and smooth. Then using the BACK, yes I defiantly said the back of some old sandpaper, rub over the wax, frequently changing the area of paper used. This will blend in the wax surface and remove excess wax from the surrounding area. Leave to harden for say 20 minutes or while you have a cup of tea, then buff to a shine. Please don’t ever be tempted to use any scratch repair products containing oil or that come in liquid form. These will penetrate to the timber below and leave a permanent stain. The above method will not produce an entirely invisible repair, but good enough if not directly in light. A coat or two of finish will always improve the look and I shall be explaining how to apply these in a latter post,

Slight scuffs will respond best to a mild abrasive as that mentioned earlier. Scuffs usually contain some of the colour of the object that scuffed them, like a white painted door frame for example, knocked when you were moving the piece from one room to another. Once the scuffed area has been abraded enough to remove the colour, the scuff will generally disappear. Now burnish with a little wax to finish off.
A final tip: Antique furniture does not have a hard shine, it’s a little more subtle and muted. This may cause some burnished areas to stand out. You can cure this by applying wax with a synthetic wire wool ‘000’ grade. Steel wool ('0000' grade) will also do the same job, but can leave minute particles. Which could cause staining on some timbers with open grain such as Oak. Apply the wax in exactly the same way as you would if using a cloth, making sure to keep in the direction of the grain. Use gentle strokes and blend in with the surrounding area. In fact you may just as well cover the entire surface while you are at it, just to make sure.