Oak Dining Table Restoration

This table is an enigma to me. A frame and panel Dutch pull-out top with carved, cabriole legs and exposed tenon pins seems like a mixture of styles.




Whatever it is - it is a fascinating table. The customer bought it in Texas several years ago and has used it as a dining room table. It had begun to look pretty worn, especially the finish on top, so she asked me if I could make it look nice.


There are no identifying marks, but from the look of it, I'm guessing early part of the century. It has no screws or metal brackets -- all joints are mortise and tenon. Legs are carved out of solid 4x4 oak with 1 1/4 in. aprons and top frames. The frame joints on top are pinned with two 3/8 in. oak pins. The carvings are beautiful and in fine shape and the cabriole legs have only minor damage.












It was finished with shellac, which points to why the finish looked so bad on table's top. A few spills of water and alcohol will get nasty if unattended. Fortunately, shellac can be restored with a little of the same to redissolve it.

First I scrubbed with Murphy's Oil Soap, then a rubbing with mineral spirits to remove any wax.
After it was clean, then began the restoration of shellac...

After some Internet research, I have come to the conclusion this is a Louis XV style table. It has all the features of others in that genre...carving on outside of cabriole legs, the carved vine-like edge on the apron and parquet top. While I doubt it is from the 18th century, I'll bet it's probably a very respectable reproduction from the 1930's. But who am I? Just a guy who likes dogs and sawdust.