How To Restore Old Roll Top Desk
The roll top desk was popular at the beginning of the last century.
How to restore old roll top desk. Roll top desks were the desk of choice in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth. Restoration of antique roll top desk. They are notorious for being difficult to paint because you can easily gunk up the tambour rolling portion with paint causing it not to roll at all. The exterior facade of a roll top desk as well as its construction can provide visual clues as to its age.
I have the exact same desk that a neighbor has asked me to restore. Roll tops can start. It s so rare to find one in excellent condition. Today buying and restoring a roll top desk can be rewarding if you give it careful attention.
The restoration of a family heirloom a roll top desk. Dampen the old cloth with a sponge to loosen the hide glue if the desk is old. Each desk featured a rolling door that slid up and down to reveal or conceal built in pigeonholes shelves and a flat writing surface. Some people believe that disassembling a roll top desk to make repairs to the tambour is like finding the key to a chinese puzzle box.
If you are lucky enough to come across. With a bit of thought you will realize that although the makers of roll top desks delight in making their desks a little complicated they still must be simple enough to assemble and disassemble that furniture repairmen far from the maker can replace parts. Roll top desks are such classy statement pieces in any home. Have an old rundown piece of furniture lurking somewhere in the recesses of your home.
Do you have a written guide of the steps and materials products you used or could you type some up if not. If it doesn t come up easily apply water to the cloth with a sponge. The cubbies were convenient organizers and the ability to lock the drawers and the roll top closed overnight were valuable security enhancements. There are many markers that can help you identify the age and value of a roll top desk.
Pull the lift bar and the. The history dismantling refinishing and reassembly of an antique piece of furniture. Any experiences or advice out there would be much welcome. If the desk is somewhat new and the glue does not respond to water use vinegar instead.
Roll top desks came into existence in the united states during the latter part of the 19th century. 1 strip the old finish stained oak or ash sand and refinish the whole desk. 2 clean the old finish as best i can stain and polish again. They were mass produced to satisfy the demand.