Restoring dark Ercol table to natural wood

[KatieFrith]

Hi,

I'm a novice to woodworking/restoration so apologies if these questions seem naive.

I recently bought a second hand Ercol table and chairs set (see pic) - small rectangular drop leaf table and four goldsmith windsor chairs. They are made of elm I believe and are stained dark.

I would like to remove the dark stain and restore the furniture to its natural wood state. My plan is to hire a small sander to remove the stain, and then I will oil the furniture afterwards. I know the chairs will be fiddly so will start with the table and see how it turns out.

Does this seem like a sensible way to go about such a job? I know some people would use chemical strippers, but I am wary of damaging the wood.

Thanks in advance
Katie

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

Tabletop does not look like solid wood, but veneered plywood with solid edge lipping. It is highly likely that the stain will be deep into the thin veneer and make it very hard to get back to light wood. Veneer is about 1/2mm thick and will not take much sanding. The only way to do it is messy and involves chemicals strippers and wood bleach, then some restorative recolouring once the wood has been bleached. It is not easy for a novice and may well yield unsatisfactory results even if done well. If you really cannot live with the dark colour, it can be very satisfactory and contemporary to paint in a good eggshell. (After thoroughly keying first).

Mike.

 

[KatieFrith]

Hi Mike,

Thank you for your input, though I am pretty sure that the table is solid wood...

Katie

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Sell it and buy a light coloured one. You will wish this one in hell if you you try to strip it.

 

[Roughcut]

There is an ercol archive in which you might be able to find the table and chairs to confirm it's solid wood?:
http://www.ercol.com/about/archive/

The 1965 brochure may be worth a look.
A lot do seem to be solid wood, but woodbrains is right to raise the possibility of veneer because it pays to be cautious as methods required for restoring veneer and solid wood can be different.

 

[woodbrains]

Hi Mike,

Thank you for your input, though I am pretty sure that the table is solid wood...

Katie

Hello,

The photo is not too clear, so I could be wrong, but I have seen dozens like yours and they are almost never solid. Post another photo of just the table edge, or even the underside, so we can be sure. Please check before you do anything, as it would be disastrous and all too easy to cut through the veneer with a sander. I suppose if you did, then painting would still be an option.

Mike.

 

[Beau]

I thought all Ercol furniture is solid.

 

[woodbrains]

I thought all Ercol furniture is solid.

Hello,

Like I said, the photo isn't the best, but look at the edges of the top. Applied solid wood edges to veneered board unless the lack of clarity is tricking my eyes.


Mike.

 

[Beau]

If it's the set I think it is (we used to have some) the legs on both are beech and the table top is elm. Still got some of the chairs in the back shed so could have a sand to see how it goes as they are not in their first flush of use.

 

[KatieFrith]

Hi, thank you for all the replies. Sorry Mike, I had also assumed all scroll was solid, so you may well be right. If so I think I will just learn to live with it. I quite like the colour on the chairs, just the table not so much. Anyway the table is the top one in page 39 of the online brochure, if that helps http://online.flipbuilder.com/yrjp/euaf ... .html#p=39

 

[KatieFrith]

Ercol not scroll. Stupid predictive text!

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

It does say solid in the brochure, so it may well be. But what was true in 1965 may well be different for later manufacture. To be sure, have a good look underneath, perhaps take a hinge off to see if there is still solid wood in the hinge recess, for example.

Mike.

 

[KatieFrith]

Here's a close up picture of the edge. I think you're right Mike, it does unfortunately seem to be a veneer.....

 

[KatieFrith]

Ok...more questions (can you tell I don't buy furniture very often!) I've seen this picture of a restored ercol table online, which I think was the original dark finish

http://homesweethomestore.co.uk/shop/er ... f-table-2/

Is there anyway that I can make the grain of the wood stand out in the same way that they have done, or is it just not worth it and I should accept and learn to love my dark table?

 

[woodbrains]

Ok...more questions (can you tell I don't buy furniture very often!) I've seen this picture of a restored ercol table online, which I think was the original dark finish

http://homesweethomestore.co.uk/shop/er ... f-table-2/

Is there anyway that I can make the grain of the wood stand out in the same way that they have done, or is it just not worth it and I should accept and learn to love my dark table?

Hello,

The link you give is of a solid topped table. That can be achieved by sanding the stain/polish off, but because elm is very open grained (woodworkers call this a 'ring porous' wood) the dark has remained in the pores, which accenuates the grain, as you say. If your top is solid, you could do that. The photos on here are so low res, though, I still find it hard to tell definitively. That photo of the edge by the hinge makes me still non the wiser as the thick top polish looks like a layer of veneer, but maybe not. Post a photo of the top, looking straight down onto it near an edge. That way we can see how the grain wraps around the edge, and it should be easier to tell.

Mike.

 

[MDE]

I'm fairly certain that Ercol were using solid elm for table tops at the time (perhaps the company can help?). The main difficulty may be in how deep the stain has penetrated. I have restored a dark Ercol dining suite (from an earlier era - oak, not elm) and it was time consuming, but not too difficult, with a variety of scrapers. I also have a later era dark Ercol suite (with an elm table top - definitely solid), but have not attempted to remove the stain.

 

[Myfordman]

My 1970s bought Ercol furniture is all solid wood. "No veneer in 'ere" as they say in some adverts!!

 

[KatieFrith]

Hi Mike,

Attached some better pics of the table top...hope this clears up the veneer or not question..

 

[Bodgers]

Hi Mike,

Attached some better pics of the table top...hope this clears up the veneer or not question..

My parents have a none-stained version of one of these Ercol sets from the early 70's and it is solid wood. I've not seen one that is veneered.

You need to take shots of the edges (and under side edges) of the table not the top.

Thay top does look like it's made from laminated sections so that would suggest solid wood.

Sent from my MI 3W using Tapatalk

 

[Adam9453]

Looks solid to me, the grain wrapping around the edge looks right to me.
I've also only ever come across solid wood ercol furniture