Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/Roll Top Desk

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Expert: - 11/6/2008


Question
How can I make the roll top go up & down smoothly?  I've had the desk for many years & it's always been hard to go up & down.  I appreciate any help you can give me.

Answer
Hi Susan,

Assuming your rolltop desk was made properly and once previously worked smoothly, you should take a bar of parrafin wax and rub it into the grooves along the sides of the tambors(roll top assembly).  This should solve your problem.  If it is a more complicated problem, one side of the desk will need to be removed, the tambors taken out as one unit and the edges that run along the track will either need to be sanded down or filed and then waxed, and then reassembled.  Thanks for your question and good luck with your project.

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maura macaluso

Expertise

I can answer most questions, regarding, wood sculpture, wood carving, carving tools and accessories and different types of woods.I am not an appraiser of carvings nor an antique dealer.

Experience

I do full design work, custom carving, restoration, fabrication, repair and refinishing. I can take a piece of raw wood and turn it into a work of art and I can help you do the same. I am "the" carving instructor for the new york city parks dept. I am heavily involved in carving on the internet and belong to many, many mail lists which are quite active. I am also an international promoter of woodcarving and am affiliated with many master carvers, notably nora hall, originally from holland, now in the U.S. and kalina pavlova, a bulgarian master carver. I routinely communicate with the top names in professional woodcarving nationally and internationally.

Organizations
the national association of woodcarvers. the woodcarvers of queens NY, the staten island woodcarvers. the northeast woodcarving association. the world wide carving internet list

Publications
chip chats-the national magazine of woodcarving. also at www.carvinginnyc.com

Education/Credentials
Self taught artist and sculptor, 40 years of drawing and painting as a hobby, 5 years of serious woodsculpting. I have my own website and have written a 300 pg book on carving. I have published online tutorials and pictorial projects

Awards and Honors
many first place awards

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