Your restoration techniques are really inspiring Tom! Here in the UK my main hobby is restoring writing slopes, where a great variety of these are still available. I’ve done several some of which include ‘secret’ drawers and brass fittings. I do like the way you keep the original character of these antiques by restoring sympathetically and not spoiling the earlier finishes. Wonderful. Bravo! and keep it up..
AMAZING TO SEE THE AMOUNT OF WORK REQUIRED FOR SUCH A SMALL ITEM, TOM. I'M CERTAIN THE GRANDPARENTS WOULD BE SO PLEASED TO SEE THAT THIS REPAIRED HEIRLOOM MAKES IT GOOD TO GO FOR ANOTHER HUNDRED YEARS AND MORE! YOU DID THEM PROUD, SIR TOM!!!
Referring to the wonderful mural in your dining room. Seeing it immediately took me back to my late parents Connecticut home. My father hired a local artist who specialized in murals to paint a CT shoreline mural in their dining room. Complete with local flora and fauna. It added a warmth that made going home for visits that much more enjoyable.
It's really early here in Oregon, and while your work, Tom, is a wonderful way to spend my early hours, it is not a good treatment for insomnia. I had to watch your whole video! Thank you for keeping me engrossed. What a beautiful slope.
I really like watching restoration videos such as yours. Whether it's furniture, cars, toys, tools, houses or watercraft, there's something quite satisfying in seeing something old and deteriorated being renewed. This tells me that if it's pleasurable to watch, it's even more so to be the one accomplishing the restoration.
Caught this video before work. I just started a new job in sales at a motor company and this video made me realize there's more to this craft than just the woodworking itself. The customers don't just show up at your door with trust and 100-year-old pieces to work on lol. There's probably this great customer interaction that I'm sure would be difficult to catch on film. But I bet its half of the business and people would probably be amazed at that perspective and the exchange of words that transpire to accomplish running this business and have people trust you with their heirlooms. And you know...also get paid for it.
Hi Tom, while watching you do this thoughtful restoration I realised just how much you rely on what you have inherited. Not only tools, but also veneers and inlays passed down from your Dad and older brother. Not forgetting of course the skills which you put to such good use. It is so fitting that these combine in your hands to restore pieces which have been in families for several generations. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! I like what you've written. I'm a 3rd generation woodworker so a lot is going through my hands to the tools - and helping save these objects created by other hands...
I have two or three of these little wonders awaiting more information to assist me - especially the clever bits. Thanks for covering the issue, it is well worth the waiting for!
I’ve been watching you for a few years now Tom I’m a bit older in my 70s and I still appreciate all your videos knowledge experience and sharing them. Excellent work as per usual thank you very much.
Stare meble potrafią opowiadać swoją historie. Plama atramentu, wywany zawias, rysa, wypaczona deska. Mistrz Thomas potrafi słuchać i opowiada nam historię mebla. Pozdrawiam.
Ella was such a sweetheart! What intricate repair on the veneer, and the patina you brought back to life on the writing slope's cover looks so rich and luxurious! Thank you for sharing your spectacular abilities Mr.Johnson; you add much good to our world.
Woke up from a bad dream at 4:00am and the aftereffects are still there and I gravitated to UA-cam and luckily to this video. I've been watching this channel for quite some time now, and this (early) morning I've got something to enjoy and calm me down. Thank you, Thomas. Greetings from Honolulu.
Always a pleasure to watched your work! You have an amazing talent, Tom, working with wood and I'm looking forward for more videos. Love from Galveston, Texas.
17:52 usually they had small tabs of leather or felt pinned to the board, but they break very easily, particularly if there is friction from the sides because the two boards warped in (or did the bottom shrink and pull them in?) I wonder if the lock was inserted without forethought by the cabinet maker: the other side seems to have a finger notch (easily visible at 20:29), but the lock is where that would go on the thinner end of the slope. I'm amazed at how little colour you had to add to the patches. The veneer you used is _very_ nice. I'm also surprised that they seem to have used bird's eye maple for the lining/box structure - or was it veneered on the inside too?
Thanks! Yes, the veneer inside was a nice surprise. And yes, I have added tabs to these boxes many times. Locks are always a problem! You would think a small box like this would not have all the problems with wood movement that this one has. This could very well be the only box the Grandfather made, although he certainly had a lot of skill as a woodworker!
I love that writing slope and the history it represents. I also like the approach you took to getting it back together and letting the patina tell the story of it. The warpage is pretty common on thinner pieces like that no matter how old they are, I'm afraid. Great work, Tom.
Eu gosto de assistir vídeos de restaurações. Tenho visto alguns de cair o queixo, fico triste pois alguns restauradores de vários lugares, antes de fazer uma limpeza no objeto, vai pintando ou envernizando, os remendos por cima de cola antiga e muito mais erros para restaurar os objetos. Fazem isso pois tem muitos outros que assistem os mesmos vídeos elogiam e batem palmas. Eu já disse várias vezes que você é o melhor restaurador, basta ver o seu toque nos objetos antigos, até uma madeira é tocada como se fosse um cristal raro, a colagem é inspiradora, transforma, reforma, sai de suas mãos com novas. Gosto dos animais que dão um brilho e reforçam a beleza da natureza.
Muito obrigada, Celia! O que você diz é tão verdade, eu me encolho quando essas pessoas pegam suas lixadeiras elétricas e tentam fazer uma peça velha parecer nova. Fico feliz quando posso mostrar às pessoas que você não precisa fazer isso, nem elas deveriam querer! Agradeço seu apoio
Beautiful job as always. Glad to see my gift is still useful. I head off to retirement at the end of March and I've already got a waiting list for those items! Thanks for the video!
You're welcome Lou! Oh yeah, I use it all the time! I'm thinking of changing out those cap nuts, they're a bit too high. I might use regular nuts and file them smooth
I have restored the family writing slope. I found that, as ours was made of solid wood, the wood had shrunk and caused the box to warp badly. Also the writing slope leaves had warped so they didn't fit in the box. Every one of them I have seen either has a baize or leather covering to the leaves. That is the first I have seen with bare wood leaves. The best one we have has a leather tab to lift the leaf in the base box and a little catch to hold the leaf in the lid so it doesn't drop open when opening the box.
Not only are his skills superb but you get to hear how he approaches each repair. He tells you when he overlooks something and he tells you when he changes his plan for the restoration. Not well I sanded, painted, stained and here is the finished piece. You see the steps and the how he may change his strategy on a particular part of the repair.
Yes! That's great! I was just saying: who uses a writing slope anymore? People don't use handwriting anymore! Goes to show what I know! Please tell your wife she has made me very happy!
@@johnsonrestoration You are welcome, Tom, and I'll tell her. She still uses a fountain pen and would use a quill if she could find a suitable source of goose feathers.
It was a pity the bowing was putting pressure on the hinges trying to pull them apart but as you said it is over 100 years old and it is a memory item nice repair on such a lovely piece.
As a furniture restorer myself living and working in France, I particularly appreciated your delicate and thoughtful approach to your work. You are a true restorer and conservationist. Actually that little writing slope gave you quite a few challenges. I'm presently working on a small box (French) which I believe to be circa 1795. It has a few secret compartments as well. It has been a head twister, like all veneered furniture, and especially smaller pieces. It's in Cuban Mahogany, oak structure, and has "moved" quite a bit. The dovetails on the lower case are showing through, due to shrinkage with time. The lid, being Pine, veneered over like the rest, had literally shrunk 3mm (1/8th), and after battling with my conscience and contacting the client, I decided to add the missing wood by using a strip of old Pine and veneering it (same period retrieved veneers) prior to the glue-up.I had to completely re-veneer the sides of the lid, because the battens (oak) glued on to the top- te create the recess, had come apart and had very seriously damaged the Mahogany veneer. Luckily I have a decent stock of retrieved veneers, mostly from that period or a bit later. Anyway, it's coming together pretty well, but the hours have been long. It's French polished , and I will be cleaning up the old polish and very finely sanding (800/1,200) then using a hard rubber (that's the English name for a polishing pad) dry with very fine pumice powder. This produces an extremely fine silky surface that requires very little added Shellac. Here in France we have many varieties of Shellac- from the nearly transparent Astra, to the very dark Arathoum- even darker than English Button polish. I have an old stock of medium light Java, which should give a beautiful lustre. I must say that I was immensely joyed to see you use proper hide glue; nearly no-one uses that anymore (I liked your glue pot. I had one a long time ago in England). I have been using fish glue (colle de poisson) which does exactly the same job, but allows time because it's very slow drying. Like the hide glue, it can be reversed using the same methods. Sorry about being so long-winded, but I felt like I wanted to share my own work with you as a fellow craftsman. Greetings from France. Keep up the good work!
Thank you! It means a lot to me to get positive feedback from a fellow restorer. Your project does sound like a nightmare! I had to assume, along with consultations with the owner that this box will not be used, but just for display. Which makes sense, who's going to use a writing slope these days? People don't even use handwriting anymore! But that made my work a lot easier. Good luck with that box! Send some photos: thomasjohnsonrestoration@gmail.com
Yet Another great repair/restoration. And best of all with the "Original" finish kept intact!!. I love the fact you always try to keep the original builder's finishes and not remover them for a "New" finish. to me that kills all of the original Charm and years worth of "Aging" and ambiance that cannot be duplicated with using a stain remover, sanding. etc. That to me just destroys a hundred years of aging to perfection. And once again Tom superb editing and camera shots. the close ups are fabulous to see you're technique on how to do it right. thanks for sharing. ECF
Yet another master class. How dare I criticise but using wood putty in the hinge holes did make me wince! I work on old wooden boats and rarely have to tackle such delicate work as you so thoroughly enjoy your series.
Thanks Peter! That's not something I ever do, except this once. But I think that epoxy putty will hold those screws. The assumption is that this box will not be used
hellow again thomas i was thinking of you to day as i repaired a top rail of a edwardian chair the person how reupholstered it befor had used bigger tacks and split the edge of it so i put in another rail under it to give more support as for the splits the only thing i can do is use putty to firm it up nice to see you again
Hey John! I just wanted to mention that I felt like I was in Maine too! I'm in the subs of New Orleans and we just had a historic snow storm!! The last time N.O.'s had 8"'s of snow, we had 12"'s, was in 1895, 130 years ago!! Of coarse down here we are unprepared to clean it up so the city and subs closed down from Tuesday through Friday. They just opened the interstate yesterday. That was so cool and we will never see that in our lifetime again. You should have seen the goofy snowmen!! 😂 One person built an igloo! Anyway, you have lived with that pretty white stuff your whole life. How do you do it??😮 We all had fun but we are over it. A lot of us don't even own coats!! No need for them down here. Anyway, I can now relate when I see your snowy backyard. Fun but done!!😅 Now back to the veido. Thanks as always for sharing your talents with the talentless!!😅 Good day Sir!!❤
Thanks Bonnie! We love the snow! We have so many outdoor activities that depend on snow. We spend almost as much time outdoors in the winter as the summer. It's amazing how you become acclimated. We don't understand how you stand the heat and humidity down there! All the best!
These boxes always fascinated me, I used to have one of my husbands father and it had a secret drawer inside. No idea what happened to it, I must ask him if he has it still. We are no longer 'together' but the best of friends. He also had a decanter box inlaid with tortoiseshell and brass, 'Boulle' style. I haven't seen that in a while either but I have the bottles that went into it, they are amber coloured with bright blue stoppers. I believe the style has a connection to George Sand somehow. I have a large Italien box with a painted oval on top and lots of little drawers inside including the lid. No idea what purpose it served and it is of no practical use. Lovely quiet video again Tom, exactly what I needed ! XO
Thanks Stephanie! Yes, what happened to those boxes? We have so much "stuff" we can't keep track of it. Too bad the bottles are separated from the decanter box. It would be fun to actually use it! All the best
@@johnsonrestoration I have a feeling that my husband maybe sold it. I would sometimes come home to find my clothes on the floor because he sold a commode or chest. His father was an old fashioned version of 'realter' and he would buy and sell on estates, big houses, chateaux etc. Sometimes he would find things left behind and take them so he built up quite a collection of antique furniture and objects over the years. When he passed, his sons asked me to organise the estate and I did find some amazing things. I still have a wonderful painting that was gifted to him by a famous Jewish painter that he was imprisonned with during the war. They both survived but in terrible condition. My father in law escaped the camp a few times and was punished. When he arrived back in Paris after the liberation he found that his elder brother had not only lost the family business but the family estate. He managed to make a fairly good living after he married a woman from Alsace Lorraine and had two boys. He always drove open sports cars, smoked cigars and ate rich food and generally didn't care much, lived his life. He wasn't a nice man but we made concessions given what he had gone through during the war and then the loss of his home. Different times. XO
Good to see you on the slopes this cold wintry evening. Thanks for the videos Thomas. I look forward to watching them each and every Sunday evening. Take care and continue to be abundantly blessed. John here, photographing the beauty of the back-roads of Northeastern Tennessee, friend.
Great job, Tom. You are an excellent restorer. I recently found out your channel and I am glad that I can see the work of a real master. Thank you very much.
I really like the close-up camera work, it makes the delicacy of your repair work really come alive. I think it must be tough to come up against an unsolvable problem of that magnitude, that leaves the future of this piece in some doubt. If the owner isn't going to be opening and closing it all the time, maybe that future isn't as dire as it sounded.
Hi Thomas, lovely work as usual on a very pretty writing slope. Sorry I haven't left a comment recently I've been unwell. Also had flu since new year but feeling like I'm on the mend. I'll be catching up on your recent videos this week coming as I know there'll be some quality restoration to watch and relax with, which is what i need at the moment. Hope you're keeping well. Kate x
Very Cool Tom, I use the same orange honey polish the stuff is magical, the writing slope looks amazing. It is always hard when we come to these places where nothing can/should be done for the warping/bowing and it is always hard call because in truth we know it can be fixed but the box is no longer the same or original, so the originality and uniqueness are lost. I totally concur with your choice on this one to leave as it is. I have rebuilt items that otherwise were already a total loss but it has to be at that point before I consider it. Awesome as usual!!
Thanks! Yes, often it is such a difficult decision deciding how far to go. A lot depends on whether the object will be used or not! This box I believe will only be displayed, so the decisions were a bit easier to make
Hallo Thomas, das war ein sehr interessantes Projekt und es war auch sehr anspruchsvoll. Es ist keine leichte Sache , Dinge zu reparieren oder zu erhalten wenn die Materialstärke sehr dünn ist. Mit einer Erfahrung wie du sie hast ist es natürlich kein Problem. Es war wieder ein sehr interessantes Video. Und ein schöner Abschluss mit den sehr vitalen und schönen Hühnern . Ich wünsche dir eine schöne neue Woche 👍☺️ viele Grüße Christel
your videos are great and and I await each new one eagerly. However, I am confused about the differences between varnish, lacquer, and other finishing options. Could you devote one video to explaining the differences and when each is appropriate? Thanks, Rocky Taylor
You don't want to refinish every piece you come acrossed! It takes what makes it an antique, heirloom, age away from it and even though the wood is old I f you refinish it sand it down to the plain wood it takes what makes it an antique away!❤
I would be tempted to add a third hinge, centered between the original ones. It could appear authentic (if not original) and would act against the warpage on that side of the two chambers.
I wonder if you could have put a piece of wood 90 degrees to the back hinge walls on each half, installing it with clamps to hold the back wall straight again and securing it in place? Install it mid way down the depth of the box so that you can still put papers under it on the paper side.
What a beautiful writing box. It's a little frustrating when nature is working against you to get a good fit with the hinges, and alignment. Your integrity ran true. Leave it alone. The box has and deserves it's own destiny. It did not need to be refinished.
Re opening of the lid, on my grandparents writing slope someone had installed a small piece of silk ribbon, just enough to hold with your fingertips. Regards
Hey Tom, I am re-veneering an old desk. Where do you stand on putting glue on the desk surface only, vs. the veneer side too? Would you use hot iron, as some other tubers to work it in?
Thanks! You should always put glue on both surfaces, you want the glue to "soak" in a bit. I have always clamped veneer, I have a crude set up, but once my friend got a vacuum clamp I always use that for tops and leaves. That way you don't have to try and flatten the top first. I've never tried the iron but it should work!
@@johnsonrestoration On hard walls I used to drill and use a rawl plug, that made a big hole for picture hanging. Now I drill a small hole, stick in a toothpick or two and a picture nail and there is less damage and no rawls. On bigger hole I used a bamboo chopstick as I saw in old chateaux that they placed wood plugs into the masonery in places where they have to nail or screw, depending on the period. I used to wonder what these wood plugs were until I started using my mini version. When I began in fashion I studied ond garments to undestand how things were conceived and constructed so it's logical for me to do the same with building or restoration. NOT that I have in any way your skills or experience Tom ! xoxo
Your restoration techniques are really inspiring Tom! Here in the UK my main hobby is restoring writing slopes, where a great variety of these are still available. I’ve done several some of which include ‘secret’ drawers and brass fittings. I do like the way you keep the original character of these antiques by restoring sympathetically and not spoiling the earlier finishes. Wonderful. Bravo! and keep it up..
Thanks John! I like working on these slopes too! The variety seems endless
I watch a lot of woodworking/ furniture repair UA-cam videos and yours is by far the best. The gold standard ⭐️
Thank you! That makes me happy!
AMAZING TO SEE THE AMOUNT OF WORK REQUIRED FOR SUCH A SMALL ITEM, TOM. I'M CERTAIN THE GRANDPARENTS WOULD BE SO PLEASED TO SEE THAT THIS REPAIRED HEIRLOOM MAKES IT GOOD TO GO FOR ANOTHER HUNDRED YEARS AND MORE! YOU DID THEM PROUD, SIR TOM!!!
Thanks William! I like that thought...
As usual, a very entertaining and informative video.
And that painting behind you in your introduction is wonderful.
My thoughts too.
Thanks! The murals in our dining room are about 100 years old, we love them
Thanks!
Referring to the wonderful mural in your dining room. Seeing it immediately took me back to my late parents Connecticut home. My father hired a local artist who specialized in murals to paint a CT shoreline mural in their dining room. Complete with local flora and fauna. It added a warmth that made going home for visits that much more enjoyable.
Thanks! Yes! These murals were painted in the 1930's, and seem to depict fantasy scenes, from Arabic and Mediterranean landscapes and buildings
It's really early here in Oregon, and while your work, Tom, is a wonderful way to spend my early hours, it is not a good treatment for insomnia. I had to watch your whole video! Thank you for keeping me engrossed. What a beautiful slope.
Thanks! I hope you get some sleep!
A pleasure to watch! Thank you.
You're welcome Frank! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Lovely! Just what i need on a stormy morning in Ireland. Thank you Tom J.
...and for me today, a stormy afternoon on the Firth of Clyde coast in Scotland.
I live in NW Florida US and we just received 9” of snow! We are called the sunshine state for some reason.
You're welcome!
This is great! Thanks!
We'll take that snow up here! We need it
I really like watching restoration videos such as yours. Whether it's furniture, cars, toys, tools, houses or watercraft, there's something quite satisfying in seeing something old and deteriorated being renewed. This tells me that if it's pleasurable to watch, it's even more so to be the one accomplishing the restoration.
Thanks for your kind words James- it's certainly rewarding!
Caught this video before work. I just started a new job in sales at a motor company and this video made me realize there's more to this craft than just the woodworking itself. The customers don't just show up at your door with trust and 100-year-old pieces to work on lol. There's probably this great customer interaction that I'm sure would be difficult to catch on film. But I bet its half of the business and people would probably be amazed at that perspective and the exchange of words that transpire to accomplish running this business and have people trust you with their heirlooms. And you know...also get paid for it.
Well said Dan! Yes, and I consulted with the owners on this a bit, its important to manage expectations
Hi Tom, while watching you do this thoughtful restoration I realised just how much you rely on what you have inherited. Not only tools, but also veneers and inlays passed down from your Dad and older brother. Not forgetting of course the skills which you put to such good use. It is so fitting that these combine in your hands to restore pieces which have been in families for several generations. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you! I like what you've written. I'm a 3rd generation woodworker so a lot is going through my hands to the tools - and helping save these objects created by other hands...
I have two or three of these little wonders awaiting more information to assist me - especially the clever bits. Thanks for covering the issue, it is well worth the waiting for!
Thanks! They are all different!
I’ve been watching you for a few years now Tom I’m a bit older in my 70s and I still appreciate all your videos knowledge experience and sharing them. Excellent work as per usual thank you very much.
You're very welcome Richard!
I like your measured and pragmatic approach. I wish I could repair wooden items with the level of skill you display. Great job Tom!
Thanks Chris! It just takes practice
Beautiful work.
Thank you!
Tom- the fact that you posted this video five hours ago and already have almost 4,000 views proves that not everything is bad in this world
Thank you! I like that!
That's a kind and thoughtful reply, and it actually echoes my own thoughts.
I love that response. Appreciation for your work from North Yorkshire.
Stare meble potrafią opowiadać swoją historie. Plama atramentu, wywany zawias, rysa, wypaczona deska. Mistrz Thomas potrafi słuchać i opowiada nam historię mebla. Pozdrawiam.
Dziękuję! Podoba mi się to!
Ella was such a sweetheart! What intricate repair on the veneer, and the patina you brought back to life on the writing slope's cover looks so rich and luxurious! Thank you for sharing your spectacular abilities Mr.Johnson; you add much good to our world.
Your videographer does outstanding work: it's a joy to see the detailed closeups, also the beautiful chickens: "pretty maids all in a row".!
Thank you Sarah! You are too kind! I miss my Ella every day! ua-cam.com/video/vKkLmBOebWk/v-deo.html
Thanks! That would be me...I love doing the videography!
@@johnsonrestoration Wow: you do the craftsmanship AND the videography!? Very impressive!
A family heirloom from another time, beautiful patina and nice repair.
Thanks Craig!
In addition to the superb repair, excellent camera work!
Thank you Sam! I love doing the videography!
Woke up from a bad dream at 4:00am and the aftereffects are still there and I gravitated to UA-cam and luckily to this video. I've been watching this channel for quite some time now, and this (early) morning I've got something to enjoy and calm me down. Thank you, Thomas. Greetings from Honolulu.
Thanks! I'm sorry you had a bad dream, glad you found something soothing to watch.
Always a pleasure to watched your work! You have an amazing talent, Tom, working with wood and I'm looking forward for more videos. Love from Galveston, Texas.
Thanks Rosalinda!
You're awesome Mr Tom. God bless
Thank you Theresa!
and another well done job !!!
Thanks Steve!
You did good work on that piece.
Thanks Roger! It was a challenge but I was happy with the results.
Very nice sympathetic restoration
Thank you! I love "sympathetic restoration"
Superb! What a treat first thing on a cold winter’s morning 🇨🇦
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
17:52 usually they had small tabs of leather or felt pinned to the board, but they break very easily, particularly if there is friction from the sides because the two boards warped in (or did the bottom shrink and pull them in?) I wonder if the lock was inserted without forethought by the cabinet maker: the other side seems to have a finger notch (easily visible at 20:29), but the lock is where that would go on the thinner end of the slope.
I'm amazed at how little colour you had to add to the patches. The veneer you used is _very_ nice.
I'm also surprised that they seem to have used bird's eye maple for the lining/box structure - or was it veneered on the inside too?
Thanks! Yes, the veneer inside was a nice surprise. And yes, I have added tabs to these boxes many times. Locks are always a problem! You would think a small box like this would not have all the problems with wood movement that this one has. This could very well be the only box the Grandfather made, although he certainly had a lot of skill as a woodworker!
What a treasured piece of family history. A couple of years ago I made a lap desk for my daughter in law. I’m hoping it will become a family heirloom.
Thanks!I think it's great that you are making heirloom pieces for your family. They'll be cherished for generations!
Magnificent as always. So much to learn. You are a natural teacher and are totally selfless with your knowledge. Thank you.
You're so welcome!
Mr. Johnson, you’re the best
Thanks Joyce!
Another great video Tom. I love your attention to detail and your passion for restoring priceless pieces of family heirlooms.
Thank you DeeDee!
I love that writing slope and the history it represents. I also like the approach you took to getting it back together and letting the patina tell the story of it. The warpage is pretty common on thinner pieces like that no matter how old they are, I'm afraid. Great work, Tom.
Thanks Tom!
Another excellent job; thank you, Thomas!
Regards.
Thanks Raoul!
Eu gosto de assistir vídeos de restaurações.
Tenho visto alguns de cair o queixo, fico triste pois alguns restauradores de vários lugares, antes de fazer uma limpeza no objeto, vai pintando ou envernizando, os remendos por cima de cola antiga e muito mais erros para restaurar os objetos. Fazem isso pois tem muitos outros que assistem os mesmos vídeos elogiam e batem palmas. Eu já disse várias vezes que você é o melhor restaurador, basta ver o seu toque nos objetos antigos, até uma madeira é tocada como se fosse um cristal raro, a colagem é inspiradora, transforma, reforma, sai de suas mãos com novas. Gosto dos animais que dão um brilho e reforçam a beleza da natureza.
Muito obrigada, Celia! O que você diz é tão verdade, eu me encolho quando essas pessoas pegam suas lixadeiras elétricas e tentam fazer uma peça velha parecer nova. Fico feliz quando posso mostrar às pessoas que você não precisa fazer isso, nem elas deveriam querer! Agradeço seu apoio
I like these smaller furniture repairs. Very nice job and end result.
Thank you very much! Me too! I like these smaller pieces
Beautiful job as always. Glad to see my gift is still useful. I head off to retirement at the end of March and I've already got a waiting list for those items! Thanks for the video!
You're welcome Lou! Oh yeah, I use it all the time! I'm thinking of changing out those cap nuts, they're a bit too high. I might use regular nuts and file them smooth
@johnsonrestoration I was wondering about that. Thanks, I'll modify that going forward!
What an amazing and talented craftsman you are!
Thank you Sue! You are too kind!
Watching your exceptionally crafted restorations is most relaxing and therapeutic for me, Thomas. Thank you, sir!
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoy them!
@@johnsonrestoration You're most welcome, Thomas. And, yes, I truly do enjoy watching every one of your restoration videos!
Another superb and interesting video. Thank you Tom.
Professional restoration Tom!
Thank you!
Superb as always. You have helped me be a better woodworker. Don't change your format it's great.
Thank you so much Bob!
Thank you, Thomas. Good to see you again.
You're welcome Henry!
Thank you again for your teachings, details and patience for this nice piece!.
You're very welcome Catalina! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
@@johnsonrestoration 🌹❤
I have restored the family writing slope. I found that, as ours was made of solid wood, the wood had shrunk and caused the box to warp badly. Also the writing slope leaves had warped so they didn't fit in the box. Every one of them I have seen either has a baize or leather covering to the leaves. That is the first I have seen with bare wood leaves. The best one we have has a leather tab to lift the leaf in the base box and a little catch to hold the leaf in the lid so it doesn't drop open when opening the box.
Thanks Allan! That sounds like a very difficult restoration. Yes, this one was unusual not having baize
Not only are his skills superb but you get to hear how he approaches each repair. He tells you when he overlooks something and he tells you when he changes his plan for the restoration. Not well I sanded, painted, stained and here is the finished piece. You see the steps and the how he may change his strategy on a particular part of the repair.
Thanks Cary! I appreciate that!
Wonderful work, Tom. My wife has two writing slopes. One is for display only, but the second is in daily use.
Yes! That's great! I was just saying: who uses a writing slope anymore? People don't use handwriting anymore! Goes to show what I know! Please tell your wife she has made me very happy!
@@johnsonrestoration You are welcome, Tom, and I'll tell her. She still uses a fountain pen and would use a quill if she could find a suitable source of goose feathers.
It was a pity the bowing was putting pressure on the hinges trying to pull them apart but as you said it is over 100 years old and it is a memory item nice repair on such a lovely piece.
Thanks Paul! Yes, if it was going to be used it would be a different story
Beautiful work and all that inlay !
Thanks Richard!
As a furniture restorer myself living and working in France, I particularly appreciated your delicate and thoughtful approach to your work. You are a true restorer and conservationist. Actually that little writing slope gave you quite a few challenges. I'm presently working on a small box (French) which I believe to be circa 1795. It has a few secret compartments as well. It has been a head twister, like all veneered furniture, and especially smaller pieces. It's in Cuban Mahogany, oak structure, and has "moved" quite a bit. The dovetails on the lower case are showing through, due to shrinkage with time. The lid, being Pine, veneered over like the rest, had literally shrunk 3mm (1/8th), and after battling with my conscience and contacting the client, I decided to add the missing wood by using a strip of old Pine and veneering it (same period retrieved veneers) prior to the glue-up.I had to completely re-veneer the sides of the lid, because the battens (oak) glued on to the top- te create the recess, had come apart and had very seriously damaged the Mahogany veneer. Luckily I have a decent stock of retrieved veneers, mostly from that period or a bit later.
Anyway, it's coming together pretty well, but the hours have been long. It's French polished , and I will be cleaning up the old polish and very finely sanding (800/1,200) then using a hard rubber (that's the English name for a polishing pad) dry with very fine pumice powder. This produces an extremely fine silky surface that requires very little added Shellac. Here in France we have many varieties of Shellac- from the nearly transparent Astra, to the very dark Arathoum- even darker than English Button polish. I have an old stock of medium light Java, which should give a beautiful lustre.
I must say that I was immensely joyed to see you use proper hide glue; nearly no-one uses that anymore (I liked your glue pot. I had one a long time ago in England). I have been using fish glue (colle de poisson) which does exactly the same job, but allows time because it's very slow drying. Like the hide glue, it can be reversed using the same methods.
Sorry about being so long-winded, but I felt like I wanted to share my own work with you as a fellow craftsman.
Greetings from France. Keep up the good work!
Thank you! It means a lot to me to get positive feedback from a fellow restorer. Your project does sound like a nightmare! I had to assume, along with consultations with the owner that this box will not be used, but just for display. Which makes sense, who's going to use a writing slope these days? People don't even use handwriting anymore! But that made my work a lot easier. Good luck with that box! Send some photos: thomasjohnsonrestoration@gmail.com
Great job as always 💕
Thank you!
Excellent job!
Thank you!
Thank you.
Inspired as always.
You're welcome Stephen!
Excellent work!
Thanks!
Yet Another great repair/restoration. And best of all with the "Original" finish kept intact!!. I love the fact you always try to keep the original builder's finishes and not remover them for a "New" finish. to me that kills all of the original Charm and years worth of "Aging" and ambiance that cannot be duplicated with using a stain remover, sanding. etc. That to me just destroys a hundred years of aging to perfection. And once again Tom superb editing and camera shots. the close ups are fabulous to see you're technique on how to do it right. thanks for sharing. ECF
You are so welcome Ellis! And well said!
You found the, 'just enough and no more' point perfectly Thomas. The history is just as vital as the construction, well done!
Thanks! Always a fine line!
Yet another master class. How dare I criticise but using wood putty in the hinge holes did make me wince! I work on old wooden boats and rarely have to tackle such delicate work as you so thoroughly enjoy your series.
Thanks Peter! That's not something I ever do, except this once. But I think that epoxy putty will hold those screws. The assumption is that this box will not be used
Love your work. Craftmanshio is just amazing.
Thank you!
Wonderful result!
Thank you!
Beautifully done- thank you.
You're welcome Marti!
Beautiful piece, awesome work!
Thank you!
Thanks Thomas
You're welcome Dennis!
hellow again thomas i was thinking of you to day as i repaired a top rail of a edwardian chair the person how reupholstered it befor had used bigger tacks and split the edge of it so i put in another rail under it to give more support as for the splits the only thing i can do is use putty to firm it up nice to see you again
Thanks Keith! I hate working behind upholsterers that screwed up chairs!
Hey John! I just wanted to mention that I felt like I was in Maine too! I'm in the subs of New Orleans and we just had a historic snow storm!! The last time N.O.'s had 8"'s of snow, we had 12"'s, was in 1895, 130 years ago!! Of coarse down here we are unprepared to clean it up so the city and subs closed down from Tuesday through Friday. They just opened the interstate yesterday. That was so cool and we will never see that in our lifetime again. You should have seen the goofy snowmen!! 😂 One person built an igloo! Anyway, you have lived with that pretty white stuff your whole life. How do you do it??😮 We all had fun but we are over it. A lot of us don't even own coats!! No need for them down here. Anyway, I can now relate when I see your snowy backyard. Fun but done!!😅 Now back to the veido. Thanks as always for sharing your talents with the talentless!!😅 Good day Sir!!❤
Thanks Bonnie! We love the snow! We have so many outdoor activities that depend on snow. We spend almost as much time outdoors in the winter as the summer. It's amazing how you become acclimated. We don't understand how you stand the heat and humidity down there! All the best!
@johnsonrestoration we DON'T like the heat and humidity. We stay for the food!😋🥵😋🤣
Looks beautiful 😊
Thank you Collette!
Très belle restauration ✌️💪
Merci!
These boxes always fascinated me, I used to have one of my husbands father and it had a secret drawer inside. No idea what happened to it, I must ask him if he has it still. We are no longer 'together' but the best of friends. He also had a decanter box inlaid with tortoiseshell and brass, 'Boulle' style. I haven't seen that in a while either but I have the bottles that went into it, they are amber coloured with bright blue stoppers. I believe the style has a connection to George Sand somehow. I have a large Italien box with a painted oval on top and lots of little drawers inside including the lid. No idea what purpose it served and it is of no practical use. Lovely quiet video again Tom, exactly what I needed ! XO
Thanks Stephanie! Yes, what happened to those boxes? We have so much "stuff" we can't keep track of it. Too bad the bottles are separated from the decanter box. It would be fun to actually use it! All the best
@@johnsonrestoration I have a feeling that my husband maybe sold it. I would sometimes come home to find my clothes on the floor because he sold a commode or chest. His father was an old fashioned version of 'realter' and he would buy and sell on estates, big houses, chateaux etc. Sometimes he would find things left behind and take them so he built up quite a collection of antique furniture and objects over the years. When he passed, his sons asked me to organise the estate and I did find some amazing things. I still have a wonderful painting that was gifted to him by a famous Jewish painter that he was imprisonned with during the war. They both survived but in terrible condition. My father in law escaped the camp a few times and was punished. When he arrived back in Paris after the liberation he found that his elder brother had not only lost the family business but the family estate. He managed to make a fairly good living after he married a woman from Alsace Lorraine and had two boys. He always drove open sports cars, smoked cigars and ate rich food and generally didn't care much, lived his life. He wasn't a nice man but we made concessions given what he had gone through during the war and then the loss of his home. Different times. XO
Beautiful piece of history. Well done!
Thank you Kim!
Good to see you on the slopes this cold wintry evening. Thanks for the videos Thomas. I look forward to watching them each and every Sunday evening. Take care and continue to be abundantly blessed. John here, photographing the beauty of the back-roads of Northeastern Tennessee, friend.
Thanks John! So where can I see your photos? Do you post them on-line? Facebook?
@@johnsonrestoration I sent you an email Thomas.
Glad the grandson treasures it and wants to repair it.
Me too! It's always great to see family history preserved. Thanks Pam!
Great job, Tom. You are an excellent restorer. I recently found out your channel and I am glad that I can see the work of a real master. Thank you very much.
Thank you Iris! Welcome to the channel!
Beautiful 😊
Thank you so much 😀
I really like the close-up camera work, it makes the delicacy of your repair work really come alive. I think it must be tough to come up against an unsolvable problem of that magnitude, that leaves the future of this piece in some doubt. If the owner isn't going to be opening and closing it all the time, maybe that future isn't as dire as it sounded.
Thanks Roderick! Yes, the assumption is that it won't be used - "for display purposes only"!
Hi Thomas, lovely work as usual on a very pretty writing slope. Sorry I haven't left a comment recently I've been unwell. Also had flu since new year but feeling like I'm on the mend. I'll be catching up on your recent videos this week coming as I know there'll be some quality restoration to watch and relax with, which is what i need at the moment. Hope you're keeping well. Kate x
Thank you Kate! I'm sorry that you weren't feeling well. Get better soon!
@johnsonrestoration thanks chuck. X
Very Cool Tom, I use the same orange honey polish the stuff is magical, the writing slope looks amazing. It is always hard when we come to these places where nothing can/should be done for the warping/bowing and it is always hard call because in truth we know it can be fixed but the box is no longer the same or original, so the originality and uniqueness are lost. I totally concur with your choice on this one to leave as it is. I have rebuilt items that otherwise were already a total loss but it has to be at that point before I consider it. Awesome as usual!!
Thanks! Yes, often it is such a difficult decision deciding how far to go. A lot depends on whether the object will be used or not! This box I believe will only be displayed, so the decisions were a bit easier to make
Hallo Thomas, das war ein sehr interessantes Projekt und es war auch sehr anspruchsvoll. Es ist keine leichte Sache , Dinge zu reparieren oder zu erhalten wenn die Materialstärke sehr dünn ist. Mit einer Erfahrung wie du sie hast ist es natürlich kein Problem.
Es war wieder ein sehr interessantes Video. Und ein schöner Abschluss mit den sehr vitalen und schönen Hühnern . Ich wünsche dir eine schöne neue Woche 👍☺️ viele Grüße Christel
Danke, Christel! Aus irgendeinem Grund gefällt mir die filigrane Arbeit. Dir auch eine tolle Woche!
@johnsonrestoration 👍
Another victory!
Yes! Thanks
nice work
Thanks!
Cómo me gusta cuando sacas el tesoro que te heredó tu papá. Feliz año nuevo
¡Gracias Lurdes! ¡A mí también me encanta usarlos!
Buen trabajo. 😍
Thank you!
your videos are great and and I await each new one eagerly. However, I am confused about the differences between varnish, lacquer, and other finishing options. Could you devote one video to explaining the differences and when each is appropriate? Thanks, Rocky Taylor
Thanks Rocky! That's a good idea, the problem is showing examples. But I will give it a try!
Nice work as always. Restoring the original "Laptop"
Thanks Thomas Johnson! (Good name!) I had never thought about the comparison to our laptops until I made that intro - pretty cool!
thxs for sharing...
You're welcome Tom!
You don't want to refinish every piece you come acrossed! It takes what makes it an antique, heirloom, age away from it and even though the wood is old I f you refinish it sand it down to the plain wood it takes what makes it an antique away!❤
Exactly! That's why I don't like all the videos out there where they sand the daylights out of old pieces
I would be tempted to add a third hinge, centered between the original ones. It could appear authentic (if not original) and would act against the warpage on that side of the two chambers.
Thanks David! A good idea, but since the box was only going to be displayed, not used, we decided to just keep it original
Beautiful work. Will the force of the hinges break it again in time?
Probably not, because it's not going to be used as a writing surface. It will always remain a fairly delicate object.
Thanks! dlevi67 is correct - the assumption is that it won't be used much, if at all
Thanks! True - it will probably be just displayed, not used
I had a client who had a box like this one. She used it for writing letters and reminder notes. It was the one thing I never touched. Now I know why.
Nice job!
Thanks John!
I would have added a hinge in the middle at the warp location forcing it straight, but that would be altering the piece.
Thanks Steve! Exactly, and the assumption is that it won't be used
I wonder if you could have put a piece of wood 90 degrees to the back hinge walls on each half, installing it with clamps to hold the back wall straight again and securing it in place? Install it mid way down the depth of the box so that you can still put papers under it on the paper side.
Thanks! Not a bad idea but the pieces would have to extend almost all the way to the middle. The idea is that it won't be used
I wonder if you couldn’t have straightened those warped details by applying some moisture and keeping them under pressure?
Thanks! I don't think that would work. I've never had luck getting any warp out
❤❤❤
Thank you!
What a beautiful writing box. It's a little frustrating when nature is working against you to get a good fit with the hinges, and alignment. Your integrity ran true. Leave it alone. The box has and deserves it's own destiny. It did not need to be refinished.
Thanks Pete! I'm so glad you agree with my choices on this one
Re opening of the lid, on my grandparents writing slope someone had installed a small piece of silk ribbon, just enough to hold with your fingertips. Regards
Thanks Peter! Yes, I've done the same thing, most often with felt
Hey Tom, I am re-veneering an old desk. Where do you stand on putting glue on the desk surface only, vs. the veneer side too? Would you use hot iron, as some other tubers to work it in?
On a large surface, be careful with glue on the veneer (especially if thin); it curls a lot more than you may think.
Thanks! You should always put glue on both surfaces, you want the glue to "soak" in a bit. I have always clamped veneer, I have a crude set up, but once my friend got a vacuum clamp I always use that for tops and leaves. That way you don't have to try and flatten the top first. I've never tried the iron but it should work!
Yes! Sometimes I'll tape it down so it doesn't curl while I'm applying the glue! But it is important to apply the glue to both surfaces
@@johnsonrestoration Thanks a lot, will try your way.
I've used bamboo toothpicks to strengthen screw holes that have enlarged.
Yes! I save them from restaurants but of course now I have too many
@@johnsonrestoration On hard walls I used to drill and use a rawl plug, that made a big hole for picture hanging. Now I drill a small hole, stick in a toothpick or two and a picture nail and there is less damage and no rawls. On bigger hole I used a bamboo chopstick as I saw in old chateaux that they placed wood plugs into the masonery in places where they have to nail or screw, depending on the period. I used to wonder what these wood plugs were until I started using my mini version. When I began in fashion I studied ond garments to undestand how things were conceived and constructed so it's logical for me to do the same with building or restoration. NOT that I have in any way your skills or experience Tom ! xoxo
Is that your home? I love the wall finishings.
Thanks Sully! Yes, Our dining room has these amazing murals
I whish I had one of these!
Me too! Thanks!
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Thank you!
🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉
Thanks!