Restore Parker Mid Century Teak table top

[magfowl]

I have a 60s teak table which I would like to restore. It has some much darker colours in some of the grain. I don't know what has caused this but I would like to even it out if possible.

[aldav]

Just by looking at the edging I can tell this is a veneer top. It's likely to be pretty thin and any vigorous sanding will risk rubbing right through it. The table looks to be in pretty good condition so a light sand followed by the finish of your choice would be my recommendation. The dark patches in the grain give the top character, I like it.

[FenceFurniture]

It has some much darker colours in some of the grain.

That is the very nature of Teak grain. What you are seeing is a veneer from across the log.

The "triangular" part in pic #3 is showing the darker part very nicely. That part is "backsawn" which means the saw cut runs down the growth ring. That sort of cut yields very wide grain patterns.

Then, on either side of that, you can see that the growth rings are cut in profile. This part is "quarter sawn". So in those parts you can see that the grain lines are much straighter and are about 6-10mm apart. Some of those lines are dark.....so imagine if the saw cut went down into the log following that dark line in.....you would have the same sort of grain as in the middle - the triangle.

Sorry if that is a bit of a clumsy explanation.

In any event, the grain colour is what it is, and that was the whole attraction of Teak.....

[FenceFurniture]

Have a look at some of the images here:
https://www.google.com/search?client...r+quarter+sawn

and think about how the grain would respond to those cuts.

[cava]

I thought that all Parker Furniture was solid wood, and typically from the 1970’s.

[rod1949]

I thought that all Parker Furniture was solid wood, and typically from the 1970’s.

No it was/is veneered chipboard and early non water resistant stuff. With this one the edges are the giveaway.

[aldav]

My mother has a Parker table of that vintage cava and it definitely has a veneer top. Lots of their sideboards, book cases and wall units are also veneer. FenceFurniture has the explanation as to why the top looks as it does spot on.

[cava]

I stand corrected guys. The things you learn.....🤐

[rustynail]

Rotary peeled Burmese teak veneer, laid on veneer grade particle, before the days of MR particle board. Used to supply them with tons of the stuff.

[mark david]

This is a typical piece of mid-century furniture with crown cut veneer. Despite it being very expensive at the time was usually quite cheaply made with normally a particle board carcase and some solid lippings. Sometimes the particle board ends up like Weet-bix if exposed to the damp. The leaves of the table are darker and have a fresher appearance to the rest of the the table due to having spend most of their life folded away.

The veneer will be quite thin (0.5 mm or so) if you are sanding then probably no coarser than 240 grit to start and then refinish with Danish oil or similar.

[FenceFurniture]

Rotary peeled Burmese teak veneer,

I had typed that it was Rotary peeled, but then I thought "It can't be" because it goes from backsawn to ¼sawn in the same veneer which surely means it's a flat veneer from across the log. Isn't rotary peeling the equivalent of back sawn all the way across the sheet - no possible to show ¼sawn?

[62woollybugger]

I've got a similar one (not sure of brand) that I've been asked to fix up for the local Cranky Womens Association. I was going to give it a sand & refinish it with WOP, but the veneer is so thin it's worn through to the chipboard in a couple of places, so looks like it's going to get a couple of coats of CWA navy blue paint.

[magfowl]

Thank you for all that information about my table and thank you also for taking the time to reply.

Now what will I do with the table? What is WOP? I don't think I will use CWA navy blue paint. I looked at Feast Watson Scandinavian Oil. After a fine sand or perhaps 0000 steel wool could I use this or is there something better.

[rustynail]

I had typed that it was Rotary peeled, but then I thought "It can't be" because it goes from backsawn to ¼sawn in the same veneer which surely means it's a flat veneer from across the log. Isn't rotary peeling the equivalent of back sawn all the way across the sheet - no possible to show ¼sawn?

Veneer laid on particle board is not one full width of veneer across the whole sheet. The veneer is made up of strips, taped together to form a suitable pattern, preferably as close to book matching as possible. These veneer strips vary in width from different manufacturers but about 300mm is the norm. By using rotary peel in conjunction with alternate sliced strips gives the impression of a true sliced veneer. In other words, a cheaper imitation of the real thing. Full width sliced veneers would be pretty costly.

[auscab]

It doesn't look like full rotary peeled though .
They would swing a log through an arc and get longer width slices which probably gets it looking slightly more towards a peeled look . The Half round slicing in this picture. Maybe its that . The crown in that veneer looks slightly off the norm. But nowhere near as Ugly as rotary peeled.

Looking again , I think the only reason it looks slightly off the norm is the way they joined the slices at the crown part the way they did. Its just normal sliced veneer in the half round or flat slicing .

IMG_1528.JPG