March 4, 2021

Now after a 2 months long endeavor in preparation work, we are ready to restore the furniture back to its original color and finish. There is extensive color work to do, requiring a blending the old with the new.

The lecterns required new bases in total, with all new penny points made in our shop, new veneer on the tops and aprons and more miscellaneous repair throughout. We now have a full restoration of these unfinished two pieces. The bottom photo is the old base.

The chairs had similar trouble, but were sound in their construction. We re-veneered the seat aprons, replaced missing parts, scarfed in more walnut where broken and sanded all surfaces.

Not an easy task with the design.

The natural color is varied and it’s now up to our master finisher, Frank Jones, to bring the ensemble together. The photo below shows the stain that will do the job. Mixing colors is an art form and after an hour or two, Frank came up the formula. After the base color, there is still blending to do throughout.

Now the real work begins. The arm on the left is our final choice that captures the original color. Our final top coats will be an acylic lacquer in a low sheen that will protect the material longer from sun bleaching and still have the look of the original oil finish. New tech for a better outcome.