Wednesday 11 November 2009

Beginning the walnut veneer patching

The Davenport stationery box interior is almost finished, so time to turn attention to the patching and replacement of missing veneer. Working with burr walnut makes this job easier in some ways, but more difficult in others. The swirling grain can be such a help at times, but when the wonderful random colours play their part, it can make finding just the right replacement piece almost impossible.

The first section to replace was the rear of the stationery box, virtually all of this was missing so I removed what original veneer was left to use as patching elsewhere, then re-veneered the whole section with a highly figured bookmatched pair of veneer leaves.



Then using some of the small pieces of original veneer removed, I started to patch the desk top slope. Movement of the carcass has caused the veneer to crack and split, so over the years with dusting and use, small pieces of veneer have disappeared. This is the fun bit, the furniture makers always used the best and most interesting veneer on the most visible areas of the desk, so this is always difficult to get right. It has to be as close a match as possible, because if it isn't, it will stick out like a sore thumb!




It's getting there, the patches are mid way down in the section on the right.

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