Expert: Eileen Cronk - 10/21/2008

Question
Went tn strip old table using furniture stripper, not long after the stripper was put on the old paint underneath went green in spots.The old paint is light brown, why would this happen?Table has rectanglar top,2 side leaves, 4turned and reeded legs with casters,I think it is made of maple wood? Also found 2 wood dowels in the top of each leg but there are also old screws.I believe table not made in factory because of slight differences in leg structure. How do i find out how old it might be? I live in N.S. canada

Answer
Hi Rose
Nice to hear from a fellow Canadian.
I have often seen what you describe when stripping paint from very old furniture.
I concluded its simply a chemical reaction with the underlying original finish and possible lead in the paint.
Slight (or not so slight) differences in table legs is a pretty good indication of a hand made table.
Of course there are other clues as well.
Read this
http://www.collectingnetwork.com/guide/antiquefurniture.html

Also this article I found is very informative as well.
I don't have a clue who wrote this so I can't give credit where its due.

"There are several ways you can spot an antique. The first giveaway is the joinery; machine-cut furniture wasn't made until about 1860. If the piece has drawers, remove a drawer and look closely where the front and back of the drawer are fastened to the sides of the drawer. If a joint was dovetailed by hand, it has only a few dovetails, and they aren't exactly even; if it has closely spaced, precisely cut dovetails, it was machine-cut. Handmade dovetails almost always indicate a piece made before 1860.  

Look carefully at the bottom, sides, and back of the drawer; if the wood shows nicks or cuts, it was probably cut with a plane, a spokeshave, or a drawknife. Straight saw marks also indicate an old piece. If the wood shows circular or arc-shaped marks, it was cut by a circular saw, not in use until about 1860.

Exact symmetry is another sign that the piece was machine-made. On handmade furniture, rungs, slats, spindles, rockers, and other small-diameter components are not uniform. Examine these parts carefully; slight differences in size or shape are not always easy to spot. A real antique is not perfectly cut; a reproduction with the same components is, because it was cut by machine.

The finish on the wood can also date the piece. Until Victorian times, shellac was the only clear surface finish; lacquer and varnish were not developed until the mid-1800s. The finish on a piece made before 1860 is usually shellac; if the piece is very old, it may be oil, wax, or milk paint. Fine old pieces are often French-polished, a variation of the shellac finish. A lacquer or varnish finish is a sure sign of later manufacture.

The wood itself is the final clue. Very early furniture -- before 1700 -- is mostly oak, but from 1700 on, mahogany and walnut were widely used. In America, pine has always been used because it's easy to find and easy to work; better furniture may be made with maple, oak, walnut, cherry, or mahogany. But because the same woods have always been favored for furniture, workmanship and finish are probably a better indicator of age than the wood itself".

Rose I think if you carefully examine your table using the guidelines in these articles, you may be able to determine its approximate age.
No one can tell you the exact year a piece was made. Thats why you see that word "Circa". It means "around".
Just from the very brief details in your letter, I could say your table was "Circa 1850". Made before machine made furniture.
But look for all the clues.
Hope this helps
Kind Regards
Eileen
PS Here in Ontario we have 3 inches of snow on the ground..Oh joy