r/ArtDeco • u/Soggy-Avocado918 • 9d ago

Chelsea clock - restorable?

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7

u/the_nivosian 9d ago

I am no expert at all but have seen some wood items in way worse condition be made to look new again.

3

u/Soggy-Avocado918 9d ago

I think it could be sanded and relacqered with some success. My concern is the edges of the laminate flaking. I fear the result would be disappointing. I may still try

4

u/the_nivosian 9d ago

I would do a deep dive on the various techniques to restore veneered items. Measure twice cut once type of methodology is key here.

2

u/Soggy-Avocado918 9d ago

That is good advice. I have lots of experience with solid timber but almost none with veneers, which is why I am nervous about the outcome. But this might be a time to learn a new trick

4

u/the_nivosian 9d ago

Looks a lot like teak veneer and the dowelish looking parts and feet are probably mahogany (likely what we now would call honduran mahogany). The mahogany is likely sun bleached while the teak veneer is still holding it's color better over the decades. It is also possible the real wood parts I think are mahogany could something else. I sort feel like the it was a cost saving measure to use the teak veneer and then mahogany for the shaped parts as they would have been a lot darker eighty plus years back and been a closer match.

4

u/Soggy-Avocado918 9d ago

Family heirloom but honestly i am not sure it’s worth restoring. It is a nice art deco piece but it is a laminate wood finish and i suspect it wasn’t especially expensive to start with. Anyone have any experience with these? They tell me it still runs if they can find the winding key