They don't make furniture like they used to...

[perlmonkey]

I've been kitting out my flat with some furniture, I hate all the mass produced laminated rubbish sold these days by retailers so I've been buying antique furniture and picking up a few bargains. It's amazing you can buy quality handmade furniture by skilled craftsmen for the almost the equivalent price of mass produced furniture.. anyway I digress..

I wanted to show these Edwardian mahogany dining chairs I bought..

The carving is just stunning.. more pictures here..

http://gallery.amorphix.net/main.php?g2_itemId=123&g2_page=1

Only problem is, annoyingly one of the chairs got damaged in transit (bloody couriers!).. a rather nasty break to one of the rear legs..

It's not broken through completely. I was hoping someone might have some ideas on how to go about repairing it, perhaps you could give me some pointers?

 

[JohnD]

we can't see your

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[perlmonkey]

Sorry I have removed the password, should be accessible now.

 

[JohnD]

your broken leg picture is not clear. Stand back a bit so we can work out what we're looking at

 

[perlmonkey]

your broken leg picture is not clear. Stand back a bit so we can work out what we're looking at

Here is a wider angle shot:

 

[JohnD]

are the joints dowelled or tenonned? are the joints loose enough to knock apart? (probable held with Scotch glue which will have dried, cracked and shrunk by now). This is a leg so probably solid not veneered but might be stained.

 

[perlmonkey]

are the joints dowelled or tenonned? are the joints loose enough to knock apart? (probable held with Scotch glue which will have dried, cracked and shrunk by now). This is a leg so probably solid not veneered but might be stained.

I think they are tenonned. The chair is entirely solid mahogany no veneering.. I don't think it would be possible to knock it apart, seems pretty solidly fixed on the joints, probably glued as you say..

I know very little about DIY and woodworking and initially I was thinking it might be possible to glue the break with some G-clamps on to get a tight fix, but I've just asked my brother who is into DIY and woodworking he said no way..he reckons the only way to repair it is with a dowel pin and a brace of some sort over the fracture to strengthen it..

It should probably be looked at by an antiques restorer professional but since it would probably cost a lot and I didn't pay much for the chairs, I'd rather try and do it myself if it's feasible.. it doesn't matter too much if it's unsightly as the break will face the wall.. I'm more concerned with making the chair secure and safe to use.. you can sit on it as it is and it's fairly sturdy, but you wouldn't want to lean back..

 

[JohnD]

if you can wedge open the crack, clean it out and inject resin glue such as Evo-Stik W (green bottle) then clamp it tightly while it dries, it will probably be about as strong as new. The glue line will be slightly visible. even though you will wipe it with a wet sponge.

W is stronger than the wood itself.

 

[perlmonkey]

John how long do you think it would take to make a chair like that and would that sort of carving be very difficult/highly skilled labour?

 

[perlmonkey]

if you can wedge open the crack, clean it out and inject resin glue such as Evo-Stik W (green bottle) then clamp it tightly while it dries, it will probably be about as strong as new. The glue line will be slightly visible. even though you will wipe it with a wet sponge.

W is stronger than the wood itself.

Thanks I will try that option then sounds like a much less invasive way than using dowel and brace...I have a set of G-clamps and will give it a try, nothing ventured...

 

[JohnD]

put long padded timbers against the leg or your G-clamps will press round indentations into the leg

 

[perlmonkey]

put long padded timbers against the leg or your G-clamps will press round indentations into the leg

Thanks for the tip, I figured something like that would be in order..wouldn't want to ruin the lovely 100 year old patina!

 

[perlmonkey]

I have another repair job, this one is far more tricky though...

Another piece of Edwardian furniture..a lovely little Queen Anne style flame Mahogany veneered chest of draws..also damaged by courier..(I've learned my lesson now after two breakages).. the chest has had a hard life by the looks of it, but it was cheap and I just loved the look of it.

Two or more of the cabriole legs have broken off..

One or two look to be simple fixes like this, where the join has just come clean apart and could be glued? Not sure what glue to use though..

The last leg is not so simple...

The wood looks a little rotten or crumbly, and the dealer who sold me this chest tried to repair it rather crudely with some wood glue and nails. When it arrived, the join had fractured and started to disintegrate..

Is it worth trying to consolidate it and repair somehow, or are we looking at replacing that join (I don't know the correct word, but it's the block which fixes to the underside of the chest which the leg attaches to)..

Remarkably the chest stands on it's legs still and holds a fair of weight in the draws without any problems.. but if it can be repaired I'd like to have a go..

The curve of the legs and the little pad feet just blows me away, astonishing to think some cabinet maker could make such legs out of wood, they have an organic and almost life-like feel to them!

 

[JohnD]

I was going to say I don't like the legs. The first one could be glued, and screwed from the back

as they are not very nice legs a modern repro or pair of second-hand parts on the front might do.

You may be shocked to know that a lot of late Victorian and later funiture and "carving" was mass-produced by machine.

 

[perlmonkey]

I was going to say I don't like the legs. The first one could be glued, and screwed from the back

as they are not very nice legs a modern repro or pair of second-hand parts on the front might do.

You may be shocked to know that a lot of late Victorian and later funiture and "carving" was mass-produced by machine.

I'm flabbergasted you suggest replacing the legs!! But then I guess it's not everyone's cup of tea. I'm quite passionate about antiques particularly furniture.. the Edwardian's liked to copy earlier styles, particularly Queen Anne and late Georgian which were popular..

I had an idea that some of the later 19th century furniture might be done on machine..although it's hard to tell for me which is and which isn't, but it doesn't detract anyway from the appeal for me.. I reckon the carving on my dining chairs certainly looks hand done though..