Treatment Report - Peter Wedde Antiques

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CONSERVATION REPORT
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Inlaid Table “Buried Forest”
Report prepared for
Peter Wedde Antiques Ltd
86 Upland Road
Kelburn
Wellington
by
Detlef Klein
Manawatu Museum Services Ltd
301 Kahuterawa Road
RD.2
Palmerston North 4472
September 2012
Treatment Report Inlaid Table Sept 2012
Inlaid table with timbers from the
“Buried Forest” in Arapuni, Waikato
Dimensions:
Width 810 x Depth 460 x Height 620
Image of table before treatment
Description
Small table inlaid with timbers salvaged from the so-called “Buried Forest” at Arapuni /
Waikato, probably late 1920ʼs when the buried forest was discovered during the diversion
of the Waikato river while the hydro-electric dam was under construction. See label
attached to verso of top, next page.
Condition
The veneer / inlay is set into a board of solid kauri. The veneer is around 2 - 4 mm thick.
This makes it more prone to warping if the glue fails, and this has happened. The veneer
is insecure in its entirety, with some sections missing. The losses have been filled with a
putty of as yet unknown variety, inexpertly applied and spilling over the edges.
The table structure is also insecure. The surface finish is the original shellac polish which
has faded, is worn with abrasions and shows watermarks.
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Treatment Report Inlaid Table Sept 2012
Verso of table top with detail of label describing origin
and timber varieties.
Detail of leg joint, representative of all four leg joints
Table top, note putty repairs and surface blemishes to
polish
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Treatment Report Inlaid Table Sept 2012
Detail of table top:
Old putty repair, warped and insecure veneer, sellotape remnant miscellaneous surface
blemishes
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Treatment Report Inlaid Table Sept 2012
Detail as per previous page, insecure veneer lifting, putty, surface blemishes
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Treatment Report Inlaid Table Sept 2012
Treatment Report
The majority of the inlaid veneer timbers were insecure or almost completely detached,
holding fast to their respective positions only because of the relative tightness of adjacent
veneer or solid timber sections, or indeed the putty that had been used in previous repairs.
Significant amounts of debris - dust, pins and also a fingernail - had accumulated beneath
the veneers. In order therefore to comprehensively reset the veneer sections with glue,
much of the inlay was taken out. Surfaces beneath were cleaned of dust and debris and
the veneer sections refitted using gelatine glue. Lost veneer was restored using timbers of
the same type and colour. Small pieces of paua shell were also used where these had
been lost. Of interest was the fact that on removal it became evident that much of the
veneer had been cut from the solid blocks using a handsaw.
In summary the work entailed:
Remove the putty from previous repairs
Re-glue all insecure veneers
Restore lost veneer sections using timber of the same type and colour
Disassemble the table legs and rails and reglue
Remove the badly borer damaged battens and corner reinforcings securing the table top
to the table base and replace these with new timber shaped and prepared with screw
holes to exactly match the original
• Reassemble the top and table base
• Clean all surfaces with non abrasive media and polish with small amount of shellac to
achieve a satin sheen
• Cover the label attached to the table top verso with Mylar to protect from accidental
damage
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Materials used: gelatine glue (rabbit skin glue + bookbinder gelatine mix) and shellac
Putty removed and one section of veneer lifted: the verso of the veneer shows
handsaw marks - consistent with the label which identifies the table as the work of a
hobbyist. A large amount of dust and debris is under the veneer. Note also the
minimal amount of glue on the veneer verso.
Manawatu Museum Services Ltd!
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Treatment Report Inlaid Table Sept 2012
During restoration work most of the inlaid veneer
is temporarily lifted out to
facilitate the cleaning out
of debris underneath. (left
image and above)
Recesses originally cut
for the veneer into the
solid kauri top are very
uneven, as is the veneer
thickness.
Bottom images:
original veneer sections
have been re-glued and
the lost sections are
being replicated. Detail of
whare during work.
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Treatment Report Inlaid Table Sept 2012
During gluing work and after
completion of the restoration
of lost timbers, before
surface finishing work.
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Treatment Report Inlaid Table Sept 2012
The borer damaged corner blocks and
the two long fixing battens on the table
underside were replaced with facsimiles
- new timber fashioned to replicate size
and appearance of the original and predrilled in the same location as the
original to allow the original screws to be
re-used in the same positions. The two
short end fixing battens were not
exchanged.
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Treatment Report Inlaid Table Sept 2012
Table top before and after restoration / conservation treatment
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Treatment Report Inlaid Table Sept 2012
After treatment
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Treatment Report Inlaid Table Sept 2012
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