Featured Antique octagonal table.

Hello folks,

Furniture is certainly not my thing, though I do love working with wood, so I need a bit of help and advice please.......

An octagonal coffee table has come into my possession, well it will be in my possession tomorrow, that has suffered neglect and abuse, so needs some desperate TLC. I haven't actually seen the table for a few years now, so I am not even sure what wood it is yet, but probably oak?
Opinions please, should I carefully strip it, though I am only at the moment thinking of stripping the stained top, and then what.....french polish or simply perhaps stain and wax it?
I have seen a lot of similarly carved furniture from the lowlands, Belgium and Holland etc. It will be gorgeous when it is done, of that I have no doubt. I am assuming it is probably late 1800's.
Any ideas and advice would be gratefully received. I can take and post more pictures when it is in my possession.

Thank you,

Russ

 

You are right. Dutch Renaissance/Baroque Revival, ca 1890.

 

Thank you AJ.

There is a rather sad story behind this table. I helped look after an elderly lady here, shopping, moving things, cuttting grass etc.etc.etc. Anyway, we would always have coffee together afterwards, and one day she told me the story of the table.......

It belonged to a family, who knowing that they would be arrested (this was war time, probably 1942), gave some items to the old lady's father-in-law for safe keeping until they returned. Unfortunately, they were Jews and never returned.....

The old lady passed away last August aged 90, and her family asked me if I'd like the table. So it is soon to be in my possession and at least part of its sad history retained and remembered.

 

Many Jewish people expected to return, they thought they would 'only' be sent to work camps. They could never imagine how brutal conditions in the work camps were, much less that so many people were sent straight to their death on arrival.

Good that you want to preserve that memory. Not just that they never came back, but also how a family gathered around that table and had some good times.

 

It is oak. Does not look too bad. I probably would not completely strip this. Some lacquer thinner should cut the finish without removing all of it. Hopefully, the stains are in the finish and not the wood. If they are in the wood, some light sanding may be necessary to reduce the appeaance and some judicious staining would put back some color. A new coat of finish and you should be good to go.

 

@the blacksmith , Thanks for telling the story and for your future care with the table.

 

good for you @the blacksmith ......!!!

if the table could only talk !!

 

I often think of the history of some of the edged weapons in my collection, and think if only they could talk. But then when I think of it, perhaps it is much better that they cannot!

Thank you one and all for the help and advice, it is much appreciated. @verybrad I had thought to scrape the top and edges and then perhaps very fine garnet paper or flour paper. I could french polish it, but that would not look right I think, so as you say, a light stain and then a generous wax finish is probably the way to go. It will be stunning when done I think.
i think that the old lady would be very happy that I will have it and look after it.

 

I know she would !

 

@verybrad What kind of finish would you use? I was perhaps thinking of jsut a light oak stain and then a liberal coating of Liberon wax? I'd really like to french polish this table, but that would be quite wrong IMHO.

 

Yes it would. Think Dutch Golden Age tavern painting tables.

 

Good thinking AJ , it will go nicely with my original Vermeer and the Rembrandts!

 

Just for the record, the table, which is now in my possession, is 31"(79cm) across, and 23" (58.5cm) high.
Yes, as we thought definitely oak. I think that the stain is only light and will gently rub out. The base also has four beautifully carved legs. I originally thought that it only had three, though with an octagonal top this was perhaps unlikely. As I said, it was many years since I had actually seen the table, but now that I do, it is even more beautiful than I remember it.

 

I hope you'll post an updated photo in this discussion thread after you finish!

 

Yes, I certainly will do so, hopefully in a couple of weeks or so. I am looking forward to getting started!

 

When my Grandmother came to the US with her parents, it was the kitchen table she missed the most. The best memories are made at tables is what she always said. I am so happy that you have something to remember her by.

 

A friend of mine who is extremely ill has moved into a care assisted flat at a care centre. We tried to find some furniture and effects from his house to take down to the flat to help make him feel at home. The most important thing was the antique kitchen table! Unfortunately, he is one of those people that the bigger the table, the more clutter he can have on it!
Interestingly, when he got the table , about ten years back, he carefully cleaned the surface and treated it with..............................plant based margarine! It didn't smell too nice for a few days, but when the margarine had soaked in and the table was buffed it looked and felt amazing, and even now after years of abuse, it still does. So much so, that many dealers when they have visited him at home have asked to buy it! has anybody else tried this? Not that I am planning to do this with my table though!

 

sorry to hear he's in a bad way........

food grade products , are not meant for that task.... but rules are meant to be broken !!!

 

I mean I guess..... It's probably an oil of some type, right? So you COULD use a plant oil? But why would you when you could buy an inexpensive oil or wax fit for purpose?

 

I like a tung oil varnish. There are some readily available products or you can make your own. Equal parts tung oil, oil based varnish, and mineral spirits. Easy to apply with a rag. Use multiple thin coats for the best results.