Dining Table Damage - Repair Questions (w/ pics)

[Dave Boxmeyer]

Sad story here... my wife and I bought a new dining room table over the weekend. It was a floor model so we purchased an outstanding table at what we felt was a great price. In case anyone here wants the details, the table is made by Kindel - part of their neoclassic collection. High gloss finish, solid wood with an outstanding inlay.

Anyway, here's the sad part. Rather than wait the three weeks for delivery (and the additional cost) we opted to pick it up ourselves. Lesson learned that this was the wrong choice as we damaged it bringing it into the house. I'll post some shots at the end of this thread. The damage was caused by a metal piece (door latch) at the back of the rented van that I didn't see which made a long "dent" in the finish. When I look closely, the wood itself doesn't appear to have any damage, the grain still looks perfect. The shot I'm attaching is reprentative of the whole dent, which is about 1 foot long. Obviously, we're pretty bummed out about the whole situation. I've dealt with the fact that I'll need to bring in some sort of professional, but I'd rather not have the repair man doing uneccesary work on the table. Can anyone here give me some advice as to what would need to be done to get this table back to as close to new condition as possible? Also, any guesses at what would be a reasonable charge would be appreciated.

I'll post any additional detail which might be useful if requested. The first image is the overview of the table to show what the whole thing looks like. Pay no heed to the bright spot on the corner of the table - that is the reflection of our chandelier. The other photos should portray the scope of the damage. Any thoughts or advice would be most appreciated as we are pretty distraught over the whole experience.

Thanks!

[Steve Schoene]

From what I see, you may have a serious problem. The wood under the finish is pretty clearly dented, but it and the finish don't seem to be penetrated. If this kind of dent occurred on bare wood, it could be steamed out. But to do that now, the finish on the top would have to be entirely removed, the dent removed and the top refinished.

Filling the depression with clear material--such as clear shellac stick might work, with considerable skill needed to blend the fill with the rest of the top. Glassy high gloss reveals all. This isn't the job for the run of the mill furniture refinisher, I don't think, nor is the potential total refinishing of the top. Too bad the finish isn't the same as would have been the case on the original of that period. French polish would be relatively easy to remove and repair, but there may well be more than just a clear finish on this--the possibility of multiple steps with dyes and toners could really complicate the job.

Of course, the dent is much more apparent to you than it would be to a guest, so you might want to live with it for a while. You could also reduce the sheen just a little, say with a rottenstone rub. Still very glossy, but the added "mellowness" might cause the blemish to be less apparent.

[Dave Boxmeyer]

I just received a quote from a local furniture repair business. They say they need to strip the enitre table top including the three leaves and refinish. This would need to be done entirely by hand due to the inlay. Estimated cost of repairs is $1400. Does this sound reasonable?

[Joe Unni]

Dave,

Sorry to hear about the damage on such a beautiful table. I bet it takes some of the fun out of getting it.

I know a guy who specializes in high-end refinishing out of Wakefield. I've used him before (for my customers) and he seems to be quite reasonable. If you would like his contact info, just let me know.

Good luck,
-joe

[Ben Grunow]

Looks like a candidate for one of those partial table cloths that only cover the middle of the table. Might require some vodka to clear the mind of other repair ideas.

[Steve Schoene]

I don't know that market very well, but it doesn't seem outrageous given the amount of the work and the skill required. Be sure you have seen examples of similar finishes they have done before.

[Earl Kelly]

Dave,

Ask around at the Best Furniture stores for the best touchup man in town. This can be repaired without refinishing, but only by someone who's done touchup for yrs. The top needs to be wet sanded(this is optional), then burn-in the gouge with a clear stick and afterwards the complete table top needs to be sprayed and buffed out.

You can also get some references from local Piano retailers. They usually use only the best touch-up people. You may have to pay an estimate fee, so be prepared.

I'm sorry but this is not going to be a cheap fix.