The table with which this problem deals was found in an old furniture
shop among a large number of pieces probably of equal antiquity but
of poor design; for all old furniture was not conceived on beautiful
lines. Much of it was quite as ugly as some of the modern furniture.
This table, however, when separated from the rubbish which almost
concealed it, was found to have good proportions, with simple but
graceful elements designed to make it useful as well as attractive. It
was a drop-leaf table, the leaves being cut in with a double curve at
each of the four corners. The legs were of turned stock and fluted,
terminating in brass thimbles with casters. One leg was broken off, one
of the leaves had broken away entirely from its hinges and the other
was partly broken, the table top had received some hard knocks, and
the entire surface was so begrimed with dust and dirt that it was with
difficulty that one could tell the kind of wood of which the table was
made. It took some imagination to conceive the possibilities which lay
in this much abused and dilapidated old relic.
The first thing to do was to wipe off the dust and dirt as well as
possible with a damp sponge. The part of the top that remained on the
frame was then removed so that the repairs could be easily made. The
broken leg was replaced by boring each of the broken parts and setting
them together with a 3/4-inch dowel, glued in. The brass tips and
casters were removed and set aside to be burnished. The missing parts
of the top were replaced by new pieces of baywood, fitted in, glued,
and stained to match the original wood. After the necessary repairs had
been made the entire table was treated with varnish remover and the
old finish scraped off with a putty knife. This part of the process
was completed by washing all the surfaces thoroughly with turpentine,
carefully picking out with a pointed knife from corners, cracks, and
openings of any kind, all remnants of the old finish and of the varnish
remover. After carefully wiping off the results of this treatment with
clean cheese cloth all the broad surfaces were then smoothed off with
fine sand-paper. It was found that the wood was well filled, so that
all it now needed was a final finishing with wax. The transformation
from the begrimed old table found in the shop to a graceful and
beautiful article of antique furniture was complete.