This exquisite William IV rosewood folding card table has been beautifully restored after years of wear and damage. Featuring ornately carved lion paw feet, this antique table arrived with missing mouldings, damaged and missing veneer, broken hinges, a few burns and significant water damage.

The first step in the restoration process is carefully removing the old rosewood veneer using steaming and scraping techniques. Once stripped, the surface is flattened by inserting wood splines into precision-cut grooves, helping to correct any cupping and warping caused by water damage.

The missing mouldings around the base and feet are carefully recreated using a scratch stock and carving tools to match the original shape and profile.

A template is created to determine the correct profile and angles for the missing moulded octagon on the column. The replacement is then carefully shaped and recoloured to blend seamlessly.

The top is carefully re-veneered with new, book-matched rosewood veneer.

Missing or loose veneers on the sides are replaced as needed.

All edges and surfaces where new veneer has been applied are carefully trimmed flush to remove any roughness before colour matching begins.

I was fortunate to find a pair of replacement hinges to replace the broken ones. After fitting them, the piece was sealed with three coats of lacquer, then carefully buffed and polished, and finished with a new baize/felt disk.

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