how do I fix this lid - (what isn't wrong with it, nothing)

[Jonn Scott]

Hi, hoping to get some directional advice before I go & do something wrong and ruin this lid, as if I could. Warped, split, cupped and delaminating, Oh and forgot STAINED badly.

What should I use and order would help. Guessing fix split and squash it flat first after a steam bath so if that fails, the cosmetic stage is not wasted. thanks.

 

[DBC]

If a customer bought that in to my workshop I would say it can’t be done. Not without costing a fortune; even then I don’t see how you could guarantee getting it flat again for a start. It would be easier and cheaper to make another one from scratch. Maybe if the inlays were stuck in with hide glue you could steam them out and reuse them. But the rest of it looks pretty f@cked to me. Unless it is some kind of important heirloom I’d use it as reference to make a copy and save yourself some major grief.

 

[Jonn Scott]

If a customer bought that in to my workshop I would say it can’t be done. Not without costing a fortune; even then I don’t see how you could guarantee getting it flat again for a start. It would be easier and cheaper to make another one from scratch. Maybe if the inlays were stuck in with hide glue you could steam them out and reuse them. But the rest of it looks pretty f@cked to me. Unless it is some kind of important heirloom I’d use it as reference to make a copy and save yourself some major grief.

thanks for the easy option "A" I know the wood mills steam and correct non straight and kilm dry but thats computer controlled, I like option A.

 

[Phill05]

On this I would as you say first steam the backside then you need two or three say 6mm thick pieces of metal and two packers and cramps so you can over cramp it past vertical then while the crack is open glue and fill then easy off the cramps till you have a flat back again when dry clean up and refinish, I have done like this on old clock casework and it works out well if you take your time.


Edit: And it don't cost a fortune to do this DBC.

 

[DBC]

Sorry if I didn’t make myself very clear. I was using the word fortune from a customer’s point of view; “if a customer bought that into my workshop”. I have been in my workshop for 12 years and have only done a handful of similar repair jobs like this where an object was in this sort of state. The reason being that most potential customer’s with similar items who show up at my door seem to exhibit panic when I tell them how long such a repair would take and how much it will cost them. The last similar job to this I did was this time last year when I was asked to make good a 60 year old music stand that also had a small amount of inlay. The bill for this was over £1200 and I imagine a similar item at an antiques fair would fetch about 1/10th of this price. The customer commissioned the job as this item had been an 18th birthday present from her late father; that is why I asked if John’s item was a family heirloom.

I suppose that my original reply above was just a very roundabout way to politely say to John ‘ are you sure this is worth repairing when it may be easier to make a new one’. Sorry I am so indirect.

 

[Phill05]

I suppose that my original reply above was just a very roundabout way to politely say to John ‘ are you sure this is worth repairing when it may be easier to make a new one’. Sorry I am so indirect.

No worries, I understand other people see things in a different way to someone that has done similar work I was looking on it as more or less straight forward and should not cost a fortune to put right, I was only speaking about the repair of the split, and there is a lot of other problems going off inc re-finishing.

 

[Jonn Scott]

On this I would as you say first steam the backside then you need two or three say 6mm thick pieces of metal and two packers and cramps so you can over cramp it past vertical then while the crack is open glue and fill then easy off the cramps till you have a flat back again when dry clean up and refinish, I have done like this on old clock casework and it works out well if you take your time.

View attachment 133664
Edit: And it don't cost a fortune to do this DBC.

I like this idea more than what I had planned, I have some old railway rail lengths , but your method is gradual and I could do it over several weeks. I have been informed that this is the original lid from a music box from 18xx which means I have a BIG project ahead. I need that show, The Repair Shop . Thanks for your help, appreciated.

 

[Phill05]

I like this idea more than what I had planned, I have some old railway rail lengths , but your method is gradual and I could do it over several weeks. I have been informed that this is the original lid from a music box from 18xx which means I have a BIG project ahead. I need that show, The Repair Shop . Thanks for your help, appreciated.

No you don't need the Repair shop, you have the opportunity to work on a lovely item just take your time a little cramp a little steam especially into the crack it will work out.

A tip for filling, now I know a lot of people don't like Cascamite glue but I used the old make one and mixed wood dust on a 3 to 1 mix the 1 being the glue into a thick paste, I also added stain, brush a little straight glue into the crack then follow with the mix leave to go hard then clean down.

 

[Yojevol]

Hi, hoping to get some directional advice before I go & do something wrong and ruin this lid, as if I could. Warped, split, cupped and delaminating, Oh and forgot STAINED badly.

What should I use and order would help. Guessing fix split and squash it flat first after a steam bath so if that fails, the cosmetic stage is not wasted. thanks.

Have a look at my thread on a table restoration. Same problem but on a bigger scale.
Brian

 

[Jonn Scott]

Have a look at my thread on a table restoration. Same problem but on a bigger scale.
Brian

Thanks Brian, your a fantastic Dad , wouldn't be a window frame guru as well by any chance? for now I'm frantically derusting our Nissan Ute before our winter sets in.
I will post the results when they hatch but will be many blue moons before and this lid is the easy part of this project