Thoughts on this furniture repair

[aesmith]

Hi,

This an oak stool, given to us a long time ago, broken by removals company and not properly fixed. At the time we accepted a repair and some cash, with hindsight should have insisted on replacement or proper repair. But we are where we are. The "repair" arranged by Pickfords didn't last, we lost the pieces but have now found them and it's sitting in the workshop before I even consider doing anything that might be irreversible.

So I'd appreciate any comments or advice. The broken bits fit together reasonable tightly but don't close up. That might be because the top was formed by bending rather than hollowed out from solid, so there's some stress in the top but not the fragment. Or because there's some glue or gunge from the "repair" present on the broken surfaces. I'm not expecting an invisible repair.

Thanks, Tony S

Break from above and below ..

The bits ...

Bits dry fitted, viewed from various angles. The gaps close up a bit under finger pressure, but not completely. That crusty light coloured stuff on the underneath is from the "repair", ideally I'd remove it.

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

Hi Tony.
You have a very nice Robert Thompson (Mouseman) stool. The top is not bent but hewn out by hand with an adze. In perfect condition it would fetch around £500 in auction and probably over a thousand with a dealer so well worth doing a proper repair.
It looks as though the Pickfords repair was glued with cascamite, there is still some residue in the break which is what is preventing a good join. All of the old glue will need picking/scraping out carefully so as not to damage the edges. There is enough glueing surface for the repair to be done with scotch or fish glue. It will need clamping with care so as to get a good join.

 

[mrpercysnodgrass]

https://www.thomaswatson.com/lot/a-...good-golden-colour-and-carved-mouse-signature

 

[Chubber]

Very envious, repaired or not...

 

[johnnyb]

I don't reckon that's repairable long term beyond cosmetically. The design is short grainy imho. Whilst a beautiful and understated piece I think it's a bit badly designed.
I would approach the company to see if a replacement Could be made.

 

[ian8555]

Yeah, I thought the same when I saw the pictures, not considering it's a mouseman piece, it needs a new top, can be repaired again but new top is better.

 

[AJB Temple]

The damage is in a vulnerable place. I would be looking to fit some hidden dowel pins into the pieces to reinforce it. The other option is to cut a slice of the top off along the long edge, and replace it totally, carved to match, This could create a near invisible repair if you you can find some oak with similar grain.

 

[aesmith]

Hi Tony.
You have a very nice Robert Thompson (Mouseman) stool.

New in 1982 so not from the man himself, but from his workshop.

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions. I agree that the proper repair would be replacement top, may flat like their nearest current equivalent. On the other hand that also men's there's little lost through an attempted repair.

You're correct that there's something in the grain of the break. I had it assembled and held with plastic spring clamps, and it was a bit stuck together when I separated for the photos. I guess the best way would be scraping along the grain, maybe with a pointed plastic or wood object.

 

[Tris]

A set of wax modelling tools like this is handy
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/36288816...XwgzqajSc-&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY