Help needed in Perth to restore Table

[Scaramouche]

Hi All, my first post!
Does anybody know any good furniture restorers / refinishers in the Perth Northern suburbs?

Let me explain my situation. My wife's grandmother passed away in Malaysia and they are selling the estate. Amongst the items was a 'antique" & "quality" dining suite, which had a lot of sentimental value to my wife. After much nagging I agreed to have it imported to Perth.

It arrived the other day, and I was bitterly dissapointed. The chairs are great but the table is a real letdown. The frame is teak, but the top is formica covered chipboard already bulging in numerous places. The formica is the ugliest looking fake wood this side of the 50's .

Lets just say we have had numerous domestics after i pointed out the poor quality of this table, she is adamant she wants to keep it. I feel sick every time I look at it, & think the amount of money we paid to have ti shipped here.

I dont have the tools or experience to resurface this table, so can anybody recommend a good furniture refinisher in Perth northern suburbs?

Thanks!!

Regards

Filip

[Wild Dingo]

Sorry to hear of your misery Filip

Im afraid Im not much help with regard the refinisher either... is there any reason why you couldnt make or buy a new top for the table?

And that mate is the reason why I get so friggin phissed of with these bloody importers of furniture from indo!! MOST about 99.9% is pure unadulterated crap... and then theres a very very few good peices!...

Anyway mate hope you sort it
Cheers
Shane

[Scaramouche]

Thanks for replying.
The table has been in the family from the 50's. From what I can gather, around at that time Chipboard & formica were been touted as a modern & superior alternative to real wood. The rest of the table is teak. The whole thing weighs a ton, the removalists really struggled to get it in the house.

Ive talked my wife into getting the tabletop replaced, but the problem is I specialise in electronics - I dont know the first thing about woodworking, so I would prefer to get it professionally done.

To make things worst, ive upset her whole family, by calling their taste in furniture into question.

[rod1949]

To make things worst, ive upset her whole family, by calling their taste in furniture into question.

You could live underneath it that way it'll provide you with some protection from the wife and in-laws

[astrid]

you said it had sentimental value,
how about you discuss with your wife what it is she likes about it, is the original formica and all.
yes, we women can be sentimental even about cr--p, maybe she has happy memories and the formica top is an intrinsic part of that.
to change the table would be the same as replacing it
if this is the case, i suggest you put up with it until the sentiment wears off, and if it never does, use it in the kitchen with a cloth over it.
better a crappy table than marital disharmony.

astrid

[Scaramouche]

We have talked about it & she has agreed to have the tabletop redone. Now we just need to find a good furniture restored, & word of mouth is usually the best way to find someone.

I DID suggest putting a tablecloth over the eyesore, however the table has a integrated lazy susan. My wife refused saying the tablecloth would prevent us using the lazy susan.

[astrid]

be careful, if the top has an integrated lazy susan you may be destroying very valuable 50's retro
I kid you not people spent thousands on this stuff in melb.
not my taste but horses for courses.
maybe some pics?
astrid
or another thought,
are you sure there isnt another top onder the chip board?

[Scaramouche]

Here it is!!

Ive looked under it and the tabletop is definitely chipboard & so is the lazy Susan. No hidden treasure underneath.

I really would like a different look. I dont mind the actual design, its just that horrible formica.

[astrid]

shoulnt be too hard to find a 50's-60's old table top around,
Ive got one I pulled off the hard rubbish and you could have it for 50 if youwere here but your not

keep the lazy susan mechanism intact, if you find a top in a second hand shop i'ts a simple restoration job and you can DIY
mountain ash and teak are pretty similar in colour and grain so it shouldnt be too hard to match top and bottom

good luck
astrid