Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/warped table top

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Expert: - 1/31/2010


Question
My mom gave me an antique plant stand with the veneer top ruined from years of use. I am refinishing it and decided to put alabaster tile on the top (1 X 1 tiles). The problem is that after I removed the veneer, the wood underneath is bowing up in the middle. This is only slight (about 1/2 inch), but I am afraid if I just screw it down flush, it will crack. Do I wet the wood first? Please help! I don't want to ruin it completely. Thank-you!

Answer
Hi Kelley, you likely wouldn't be able to just screw it down to fix the warp, typically this type of damage is done over a long period of time, comprised of several leaks and drying cycles that have damaged the structure of the wood. Also if the bottom of the piece is not also veneered, it will warp again, and often small stands like this are not. You would be wise to create a new base than to try to rescue this one in my opinion, if it's just a square or rectangular piece, I would just use a good B/C sanded exterior plywood to create a solid, water resistant base for the tiling. Another advantage to this is that you can size the base to fit the tile/grout pattern exactly for an even, perfectly laid out pattern, which you may not be able to achieve with the constraints of the original sized top.Please post back if need be, regards- Greg

Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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