This English drum table, circa 1800, exhibited its age with loose glue joints, missing and loose veneer as well as a completely worn out leather top.

   We disassembled and repaired the loose glue joints, then reassembled them using animal hide glue. The missing veneer was matched and replaced. The remaining pieces of veneer were tested for looseness and reglued where necessary. The appropriate tooled leather for the top was obtained and installed. The finish on the drawer section was in extremely poor condition. Consulting with the client, my recommendation was to remove the remnants of the existing finish. This was done meticulously to prevent loss of the aged wood’s color and smoothness.
We then replicated a finish for a table of this vintage and superior quality. The original hardware was missing. Substitutes that were the wrong style had been mistakenly placed on the piece. The correct location for the hardware was determined from evidence detected on the faces of the drawers. Appropriate replacements were obtained and installed.