Repairing a Split Tabletop - Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Restoration
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ต.ค. 2024
- Tom Johnson of Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Restoration in Gorham, Maine remedies this late 19th c. plant stand whose solid top has split over the years, owing to seasonal variations in temperature. Tom has been restoring furniture professionally since 1979. Visit our website at www.thomasjohns..., or write us at thomasjohnsonrestoration@gmail.com. And for those on the west coast looking for custom framing, be sure to check out Tom's daughter's shop, www.emcollier.com (@emcollierframes on Instagram).
This is clearly the best restoration channel on youtube.
Thanks!
This and Baumgartner Restoration: th-cam.com/users/BaumgartnerRestoration
@@rossomachin
Yes, that guy is realy awsome too, maybe a bit smaller but since we allredy talk about other channels, if Thomas don't mind i wish to mention Ross Taylor, he restore brooken furniture found in trash.
@@sheep1ewe We have watched and rewatched Thomas. He is my favorite. So I will check out Ross Taylor for a nice alternative. I wish Thomas uploaded every week, but we know how impossible it would be to do that with all the recording and editing.
@@SparrowStockwell Yes, but i fully understand that it takes a lot of time to make the videos and he probably hawe a famly and the animals to take care of. 🙂 Unfortunatly ince i posted here Ross has going trou a long period of personal disaster with sickness, concerns about old relatives, etc so he could not do as much work as he wanted too this season. I really do hope for the best for him and i had of course gladly helped him with what i could if i lived closer.
I'm always impressed not only by the craftsmanship, but also the videography! Wonderful.
Thank you!
Thanks for doing these videos Thomas, I know they are a lot of work but I truly enjoy them and find your work captivating and serene at the same time.
You're welcome! I like making them
I second that! I'm learning a lot.
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YOU ARE A MASTER! I love this video! I understood the issue before you explained it. Just wish I would have run into you 15 years ago...Also hope your daughter is writing all this down for my grandson! Thank You Thank you!
You're welcome!
I admire so much that you fix anything! I enjoy watching you fix so many different things. Great way to learn from you!!! A Master at work is something I can't see except on your channel!
Thanks!
I am learning a lo from your expertise . I appreciate that include in depth step by step on how each tool used works, the pace is easy to follow! Thank you!
You're very welcome!
I really appreciate your videos. Your calm demeanor and attention to detail remind me of my dad. He said at least once every time we were working on a project "never rush." It was good advice.
Thanks! I have to keep reminding myself of that!
I always look forward to your repair videos, Tom. Plus, the nature clips are appreciated.
Thanks!
The nature clips just add that extra character, like a beatiful finish on a nice piece of furniture
Tom, I don't repair fine furnishings but for some reason, I watch your videos. Thank you for sharing.
You're welcome! I'm glad you do!
Thank you for sharing some of your techniques - I think that's what I gain most from your videos. Apart from the general overall relaxing experience... therapeutic AND educational.
You are so welcome!
This came at the perfect time. Next project is a library table with cracked top. Thank you.
You're welcome!
My late grandmother used a Magic Marker to touch up black furniture. It’s fun to see an expert doing the same thing.
Smart Lady!
Nice to see you cover seasonal wood movement in a video Tom. Thanks for sharing this so others can hopefully avoid split wood tops, or a least understand how to repair them. Well done!
Thanks!
Love the high def camera. Your work, as you know, is superb. Some very helpful tips. The llama or alpaca threw me for a loop, but he/she was just chillin', watching the world go by.
Thanks! Yes, someday I will go out and spend a day with the alpacas, just doing nothin'
I like the way you do things. It is not only necessary to fix the problem but do it in such a way that it won't happen again.
Thanks!
Great content on wood grain directions and direction of wood movement. Thank you
You're welcome!
I am glad you cured me of the notion that you can't successfully beautify your old wood pieces without doing a total stripping and staining. I felt it was a bit lazy just to do minimum touchups but you made me realize less is better.
Thanks! Yes, less is better, but at the same time you have to make a piece look the way you want it, so it depends on your expectations, and the other furnishings in the room
Very good editing and instruction. Thanks
You are welcome!
Outstanding work as always👍
Thank you so much! 😀
Beautiful piece, amazing work Tom! Thank you for posting it!
You're welcome!
Greeting from sunny California, enjoying your channel immensely! Thank you.
Thank you! from Maine, where I just came in from snowshoeing! (It was beautiful out there!)
I don't think I've seen a stand quite like that one. Excellent repairs.
Thanks!
Always so much to be gleaned from your channel and all your videos!! Thanks so much, Rocky
You're welcome!
I love the care and detail you put into each wonderful piece. 👍👍
Thanks for watching!
It looks great! Thank You Tom once again for an informative and interesting post.
You're welcome!
Another great video, Tom! Thanks! One of these days I hope to see you fix broken spindles on a comb-back Windsor chair. Keep it up!
You're welcome! One will come along, I'm sure
That is a nice little decorative piece. Perfect for a plant. It seemed factory...like you mentioned. Some survive intact and some give. Its odd that a furniture manufacturer wouldn't forsee the possibility of failure. One would expect they would know the Way of Wood.
You would think so! Maybe production costs out weigh doing it right
I wouldn’t have thought of warming up the putty knife too while you’re heating the glued joint. Good idea!
Thanks!
A well-reasoned approach to the problem of a split top on an older, but not especially fine, piece. It's a treat to see how you approach these projects and the techniques you use to address the problems you find. Was the glue attaching this top applied at the factory, or was it applied during an earlier repair? As you noted, it seemed to be unusually difficult to break the glue bond between the top and the base and its glue blocks. Thanks for the excellent video and the shots of the animals. That llama in your front yard seemed to be very curious about the passing traffic.
Thanks! I think it was factory, seems strange to me
Once again, nicely done Tom, I'm a neophyte when it comes to woodworking and I learned years ago to attach things just the way you showed here today. Hopefully it will help to solve that problem of attachment. thanks again for sharing.
You're welcome! Thanks for watching!
Thanks for sharing, Tom; I've found that the felt-tip pens used for touch-up leave a blue or purple sheen, so I now use Indian Ink, which does a much better job.
I find it strange that some early cabinet makers did not allow for lateral shrinkage of the wood - I see it quite a lot on stuff I work on, but perhaps they didn't expect it to be around 100 years later?
You're welcome! I see the purple too but usually it's not a problem.
Very good and useful tip was given in this video, thanks 👍👍👍
You're welcome!
Great job, ..... no words!!!!
You're doing a great job of watching all my videos! Thank you! I appreciate it
Very instructive. Thanks for sharing.
"...in Gorham.......Maine." Aaaw, I miss the "Gormet".
😉
Makes me smile when he says that
Thanks!
I'm glad!
I visited Acadia NP lay year and had to stop by and see the town that shares my name.
Nicely done. Glad to see someone else use a Magic marker. :)
Thanks! A little secret!
Great job Tom! Thank you for always sharing with us.👌😎👍JP
You're welcome! And thanks for being such a loyal viewer
Thanks Tom! your very welcome :) have a great week!😎
Nice work. Great example.
Jim
Thanks!
Another great one. Thanks for posting.
You're welcome!
Nope! no overalls!
I wish I had those pipe clamps. Bought a nice art deco table on a flea market, lately. The tabletop is composed of five solid oak boards, which have shrunk and split. The tabletop was connected to the aprons with metal Z-hooks, which were severely rusted and stuck , so they did not allow for any movement of the wood. I need to glue those boards, so I'll have to find a couple of stout, long clamps. These pipe clamps are probably more expensive than what I paid for the table.
Yeah, at least the clamps will be available for use in the future. I wonder if you can rent them at a tool rental place?
Another fantastic instructional video, thank you for all your tips and the effort you put into these videos,, it is really appreciated.
You're welcome!
Always learning something new. Thank you!
You're welcome!
Trying to scrape off all that glue would probably push me right over the edge. You have so much patience.
Thanks! For some reason it doesn't bother me!
Simply The Best!
Thank you!
@@johnsonrestoration I have a question: Do you ever use the technique French Polish with pad?
Have you had marker ink 'bloom' with a bit of a purple hue?
This episode is so important. Really solid info for the future. Thank you.
You're welcome! Absolutely! It's purple, but on raw wood it's not bad
I love it when engineers comment! Always learn something new
I recently built a new antique hall table (well it will be in a hundred years or so). Because of the placement on a stair landing and the floating top design I didn’t want to see any fasteners when going up the stairs. I needed to allow for movement of the Birdseye maple one piece top. So I used magnets to hold the top in place. You can pick up the table by the top, just don’t jerk it. Works great.
Wow! That's interesting! I might have to try that sometime. It could actually solve a few problems
Like you, Norm Abram always took extra steps when he fastened cross--grain table and cabinet tops. He made little hardwood clips that slid along wooden rails.
Thanks! Yes, I've done that too - I'm glad he showed that
such a lovely little table!
Thanks! Yes, I really got to like it
I think it may have looked even better with the top refinished, but hey, great job.
Thanks! Yes, maybe, but when you put a plant on it........
I agree. In some views, it shows defects close to the crack, which you can plainly see. I would have thought the crack would be filled with a wood putty that could be stained to better hide the crack. I would have used some putty on the feet and stained that black. I was expecting a lacquer finish followed by the wax. It does look better from a distance. I think it was very clever the way you made expansion areas and washer and screws to attach the table.
I love your work I question if that stand was even worth the effort but I guess the owner loved it enough to have you sort it out. So kudos to you.
Thanks! It definitely meant a lot to the owner
Like the slant top desk in the background.
Yes! It will be a video too
Looking forward!@@johnsonrestoration
so many neat techniques
Thanks!
Really glad I found your channel.
TKS
Me too! thanks for watching!
Just an FYI, I made a narrow table for my stair landing using a single piece of Birdseye maple for the top. I didn’t want any fasteners to be seen when coming up the stairs. I used magnets at the four legs where they met the top. Works great.
Wow! That's a great idea!
Great work as always.
Thanks!
I need to repair a split on my grand dad's old desk. It has split on either side panel as well. Started thinking it would he best to partly disassemble it and treating each split on its own. Some of these techniques should be useful
Thanks! Yes, good luck! Everything depends on what caused the splits
I love this shorter episode, doing just what is required or requested by the client.
Would you suggest others that have similar solid tops think about removing the top and securing properly so they can expand?
Thanks! No, like I said in the video, a lot of tops come in that are not secured properly and have never split. Better to just leave them alone - don't go looking for trouble!
I have seen a big round table top which was made to allow the wood to expand and contract, but it still cracked. I got it for free because it was being thrown away at a second hand shop. the piece wasn't vintage or expensive so I used the wood for my woodworking projects, I used it to make new tops for a mid-century modern side table on casters
Thanks! It’s great that the wood could be repurposed!
The fretwork makes it look oriental. A nice plant stand for a fern.
Thanks! Yes, I like it
"And it looks pretty good" and " let me show it's feature" and Dear Thomas allow me to humbly ask you something I would really appreciate - considering your immence craft and experience : please, PLEASE show us also, everytime, the way these wonderfull pieces of furniture were jointed and assembled (along with your own precious opinion) . Remarquable regards
Thanks! Ok, I will try
Thanks Tom another great vid
You're welcome!
Nice repair on the top and it was very instructive as to the reasons why. However the finishing was highly entertaining. You went from a careful respectful repair to complete hack job. I did however enjoy the video and will look forward to seeing another one, if for no other reason but to see if there will be such a jarring contrast between repair and finishing.
Thanks for watching!
Nice video as usual. This one brought together some questions I have been wondering about. What’s the application for hot hide glue vs not hot? Do you use hide glue just so it can be taken apart later? It can be removed with water or do you need to mix it with a cleaner for the top.
Thanks! I always use it hot - I like this glue: www.oldbrownglue.com/ It's compatible with the old glue and yes, just plain water
Great job!
Thanks!
Very nice work! Thanks for sharing
You're welcome!
Yep looks pretty good
Thanks!
That will last another 100+ years now. Great job as always. Pleased the owner did not want the top refinished as it would have removed the character it took it years to obtain.
Thanks 👍 Yes, true!
Very Beautiful
Thank you!
There is a lot new camera angles in this video. Pretty neat :)
Thanks!
Keep it up another GREAT job!
Thanks!
Nice one Young Thomas!!!
Thank you Sir!
A great filler I use is fine sawdust off my horizontal sander mixed with PVA glue in to a paste....so even saw dust has a use. and as its the same wood its also an exact colour match
Thanks! That's great. I've tried that in the past without much success, or I should say I just like Famowood better
Since the crack repair is not part of the original construction, did you consider using modern pva glue instead of hide glue? Or is hide glue as good or better for a repair like this? Great work as always.
Thanks! Either glue would work fine. In my videos I almost always use hide glue
Loved this. Thank you. What glue do you use?
You're welcome! On period antiques I use hide glue, specifically "Old Brown Glue" www.oldbrownglue.com/. Regular yellow carpenter's glue is fine also
Looks Great!!!!
Thanks!
I wouldn't have done the repair any different in my Shop except for that damn Hide Glue ! Good old Tight Bond carpenters glue for me !
But you can't undo TiteBond like you can with hide glue...
Well, I prefer it also! But I like working with the hide glue
Thanks, but not true. Tite Bond softens right up with a little heat
I would love for you to tell a video story about your life becoming a restoration carpenter. Beginnings, trials, tribulations, and blessings.
Thanks! That would be a tough one! technically, I mean
So when you were spraying the finish on the underside to cover the exposed wood, were you not concerned that overspray would pass through the openings in the latticed side panels and mar the finish that is normally visible on the outer surfaces? I would have expected those openings to be covered from the underside with tape and maybe newspaper or the like, in order to prevent that sort of unwanted overspray situation from happening.
Yes, thanks! It certainly didn't happen, but I should have taken some precautions
Hello, I really like watching your videoes. I would like to ask what kind of glue you use? It appears clear to ever so slightly yellowing gel.
Thanks! I use hide glue on antiques. Here's a video I made: th-cam.com/video/AmFot8H_2Kk/w-d-xo.html
It is hide glue 2/3 bones glue 1/3 nerv glue ,you fill your pot 1cm above the glue with demineralized water ,wait a a day or so to hydrate the glue then heat it like chocolate.
These videos are really terrific! It's such a pleasure to watch you work. I have one small question. I have noted that in several restorations of a split top you simply glue the two sides together and hold them with clamps. I have never seen you use biscuit joinery to add strength to the split. Perhaps the use of biscuits is unnecessary or just for amateurs, or perhaps their use compromises the piece in some way.
I'd love to hear your opinion of biscuit joinery in these circumstances.
Once again, many thanks for your inspiring work.
Hi Jack, thanks for watching! I just don't think they're necessary. I don't have a biscuit joiner, but sometimes I have used dowels. Most tops are well supported by the base of the table, and an edge glue up is fine.
@@johnsonrestoration Jack, there is a lot of misunderstanding of what makes for a strong glue joint, and what role-if any-that supports like biscuits (or dowels) play in a joint. The editors at Fine Woodworking have done testing, using various techniques and glues, where they edge-glued boards (as Thomas was doing here) and then attempted to force the joint to fail. The FW editors also tested the force needed to force that failure. The takeaway was that just edge gluing boards together makes for an incredibly strong joint, and in fact the wood will break before the glue joint will fail. Thus making the case for what Thomas demonstrated here.
Regarding biscuits, in an application like this they add virtually zero strength to the finished product. In table top construction, it’s true that biscuits can aid in alignment, but if you don’t need that help, it’s not worth the time and trouble to include them in your design (or repair). An example of when biscuits can play a crucial role would be in situation where you would struggle to form a strong joint, like a miter joint, where glue is wicked up by the wood’s end grain.
Another great video experience, Tom. It struck me that the benefits of hide glue are obvious when restoring furniture. I expect some items come into your workshop having been subjected to previous repairs. Should a piece have been repaired with modern PVA type glues, what if any solutions would you suggest to release this type of glue bond. David.
Thanks for watching. I find the heat works on all adhesives, even epoxy
Lovely!
Thanks!
Great job Tom! I love watching your videos!
Would you be able to tell us how many hours you spend on each project? It would also be very informative to have a ballpark of the cost of each repair. Thanks!!!
Thanks! I'll try to do that going forward
good work my friend
Thanks!
Another option would be black duct tape, but yours turned out better. You win.
Thanks! Good idea about the duct tape, after all, we are in Maine! Thanks!
Tom On my computer the color of the low heat burn-in stick appeared to be a dark brown. If so why did you not use a black burn-in stick? I am not criticizing your work, just wondering. If you did use black and it only appeared to be dark brown, please excuse my obsavation.. Very much enjoy your show. And as a former repair person for a large furniture store, I know how difficult it can be to match colors.
Thanks Vincent! I didn't have a black one!
Just curious why you did not re-joint the the top pieces with a very thin plane cut. It would not have removed enough would to shorten the top noticeably. And the true flat surfaces would likely have joined more seamlessly not requiring the wax filler to hide. The finished seam would have been less visible.
Thanks! It was tough to decide. I don't like planing these joints. You always have to do more than just a light pass, and then the ends don't match up and it's necessary to sand the edge. I'm not saying it's a bad idea, I was on the fence
You must have spent days matching the color on the extensions to the sleigh bed rails, but for this job you used a Sharpie and an off-color wax? Why the difference?
Good question! It just depends on what you're trying to achieve. And the bed rails are a good example of going too far!
I know you answered this before but when do you use hot hide glue vs the stuff in a bottle? Do you have a preference on brands?
The bottled hide glue is fine. I think I use the flakes and heat just to make a point. But I don't know what that point would be!I should try the bottled glue again. It does have a shelf life though, I'm not sure how long
I have a table that the top folds in half to make an entry table. You can unfold the top to make a square table and there is cloth in the middle. When the table is folded, the top doesnt sit flat, its warped. How do I get to flatten out?
Thanks! I have never had any luck getting a warp out of a piece of wood. I hope to have a video about that sometime
Yes it is!
Thanks!
Would putting a bouquet in the split make it stronger?
Thanks! I just didn't think it was necessary, it's a small top and well supported
I've noticed a few of the hairy speed cameras that are beginning to appear on some roads, grass fired ones. Liberon black bison do a black wax, but I find it to be a very dark blue. They also do a black polish, which is as black as you'll get.
You know, it didn't occur to me to use shoe polish! Thanks!
Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Restoration. Sorry to mislead, it's not a shoe polish, it's shellac based black finish. In my own opinion, the French company, Liberon, make top quality products, well worth looking at. Of course, you may have trouble getting it your side of the pond! But as you obviously know, the right way is the one that works!
A fun piece of Victoriana, Tom.
Thanks!
Looks pretty dad-gummed good. (The auto-generated captioning actually got Gorham, Me right this time.)
Thanks! I must be pronouncing it better!
Bravo Thomas 😍❤✌🤝
Thank you!
Buonasera Thomas Johnson come mai non ha usato una cera nera per stuccare il piano? Dal video sembra cera marrone scuro.Quando devo fare dei ritocchi su mobili dipinti di nero preferisco usare il pigmento nero (nero fumo o semplicemente un ossido nero ) mischiato con gommalacca, evito l'uso del pennarello perchè il colore non lo trovo stabile alla luce.
Concordo con lei sul metodo di fissaggio del piano anche se una volta venivano semplicemente inchiodati oppure fissati con code di rondine scorrevoli.
Grazie per i suoi video
Grazie! Solo perché non avevo cera nera. Che ci crediate o no, il crack è andato bene di persona ma la telecamera ha davvero messo in evidenza la fessura. Devo prendere della cera nera
Slotted blocks, something else filed for future reference. Why would something so basic not be used as standard? A single piece top is more likely to split than not I believe.
Thanks! Correct. But we see solid tops all the time that have been installed incorrectly, but are fine. Go figure
Absolutely love your work. It always "Looks pretty good" to me too. I have a question. On todays glue up, the crack though closed was still visible. On other projects the surface may be filled with putty or epoxy. Is that a customer request, age of piece or project dependent? Or all of above?
Thanks! It's funny, the crack was much more visible and annoying on camera than in real life. When you put a plant on the table the crack won't matter
And your completed stand would be the perfect place to sit a antique phone for display.
That's a great idea!
Sorry for all the questions, I'm so new I haven't even started yet.
So is there a solution to use on the old glue if you don't have a heat gun?
Hot water, or hot vinegar can do it, but you can also use a hair dryer. The problem with liquid is you have to get it to where the glue is, so it can involve some damage