Expert: Eileen Cronk - 3/8/2005

Question
Thank you very much Eileen, I have one follow-up question and some more information that may be useful to you. I grew up in southern Ontario where Elm were plentiful up until Dutch Elm disease wiped them out. In Ontario, Elm was used for some furniture, although it wasn't common. I suspect this was due to the other more desireable varieties that were readily available such as cherry, oak, maple, and walnut. Birch is a wood that was generally thought of as inferior back then and used for cheap furniture as was elm. White Ash was also very plentiful but a very rare wood for furniture in Ontario - ash was much more commonly used for implement and tool handles as well as sporting goods such as hockey sticks, lacross sticks, snow shoes, etc. The dealer said that he had trouble telling elm and ash apart but the piece looked like an elm dresser that I once saw. I was back in today to look at the piece and I think that the legs were replaced at one time, but we are going to go with the elm/ash table as it has lovely grain and the function is the main value that this piece will have for us.

My other question is around some leather padded dining chairs that are around the same vintage as the table. I have to replace the wood seat support (with thin plywood)on several of the chairs as well as the leather on one of them. It looks like the original leather and my question is do I need to condition the leather in any special way to soften it before removing it so that it doesn't tear or crack? Do I need to treat it in any special way to preserve it? I plan to use the chairs in my dining room and hope that the black colour from the leather doesn't bleed colour onto people's clothing when they sit on the chairs. If all else fails I can always replace the leather. Thanks for your insight,  alan

My other -------------------------
Followup To
Question -
I'm looking at a 1920's 5-leg dining table from eastern canada. The dealer believes that it is ash but could possibly be elm. It is refinished and in lovely shape. The legs are turned maple which seems a bit odd. Is it common to have legs of a different wood or would they have been replaced at some point? Are ash and elm good woods for furniture? The dealer has a similar table that is oak - would it be better?
Answer -
Hi Alan
Nice to hear from you.
I like this question.
First off, yes it often happens that legs can be a different type of wood than the top.
The original finish was no doubt a very dark thick varnish.
This was done to make all the wood appear uniform.
If however you suspect the legs are replacement, look carefully under the bottom of the table top to see if you notice any tell-tale marks such as screw holes or lighter areas where previous legs could have been..this will be very noticable.
I am very surprised your dealer could not tell you the difference between elm and ash...they are easy to distinguish. I also doubt the table top is elm.
Another thing I am wondering about and I will check out is the fact of the table being from Eastern Canada if it happens to be elm. I never knew elm trees grew there, but am curious to know.
Ash is a far superior wood than elm..in my opinion :-)
It has a lovely grain that is often mistaken for oak.
Any elm I have seen (and not in furniture) has almost no grain.
We have a 100 acre bush lot that we used to cut a few mature elms off of to make diving boards (this was prior to the Dutch elm disease wiping them out).
It was prone to end splitting and cracking if not treated, and not desirable for much.
Depending on the price the dealer is asking, the oak table may be a better investment than the multi wood one.
Hope this helps Alan, and now I'm off to see if elm trees grew in Eastern Canada..just happen to have a book that will tell me.
Regards
Eileen  

Answer
Hi again Alan
Thanks for the info..very interesting.
I am from Southern Ontario too...we actually live very close to Orillia, but in the country.
Very few of the elms in this area survived the disease, but they are making a comeback now.          
Glad to hear you have made your decision on the table.
The seats on the chairs will have to be conditioned before removing because like you say they could crack.
Get a bottle of "saddle soap" at the hardware. Mix according to instructions and scrub them really well.
A shoe brush is a great scrubber.
Alan you are going to be amazed at the dirt that will come off, and how it softens the leather.
Yes plywood is a good choice for replacement seats, but make sure you router the top side edge of the plywood all around before putting the leather back on or it will be prone to wearing out and also be uncomfortable.
A 45 degree angle is not too much, with a good sanding to follow.
The leather will not bleed into peoples clothes.
And I like to use the saddle soap regularly to keep it conditioned and clean.
Its been a pleasure talking to you, and please write anytime.
Good luck with the chairs.
Eileen