Michael Borton antique furniture restoration and custom made furniture

20/07/2024

This week's work making and installation of handrail and louvre windows reno

24/04/2024

I have started teaching wood carving with a new student I haven't taught it for years and enjoy sharing the knowledge again these are the exercises I teach beginners taught to me by Laurence Otto 4th generation woodcarver and great mentor.I also did classes with Ian Norbury ,Ben Harmes,Don Powell and the Geisler Morodor school

24/03/2024

I was given these old catalogues from a friend the one of mouldings has measurements in metric the maple and co is English guessing 1900 to 40s and grace brothers the same period if anyone advise me more that would be great.

11/03/2024

This week's job refinishing two Griffith tablecraft Australian rosewood cabinet tops circa 1986 I worked there briefly when I first moved to Murwillumbah they were in the 70s 80s and 90s makers of a range of slab furniture and refractory tables with a art gallery, showroom and restaurant on the property and shop in Sydney..rosewood is renowned for its smell and the oil in it eventually effects the finish causing to go rough or crocodile craze as shown.

01/03/2024

For my woodworking friends my new bench dogs every woodworker should have them

28/02/2024

Excuse me can I please get a water on the rocks

20/02/2024

I Forgot to get a before photo, this was the traditional dark oak colour had all the usual problems after 30yrs I don't come across much I haven't had to repair or restore before

21/11/2023

This little Australian rosewood coffee table was carved in South Australia by my clients mother

21/11/2023

Nice little oak hall seat was white now back to its original traditional dark oak color

21/11/2023

Old client asked for this Gplan cabinet to have some TLC

15/09/2023

07/08/2023

just finished this victorian walnut tilt top table it was in a neglected state with bad repairs the top is pine they are usually veneered with inlay and stringing maybe it was remove anyway I mixed a traditional water stain up and got a great result matching the walnut legs

11/07/2023

Art Deco Queensland maple luna dressing table stripped repaired and stain in the original watts stains golden oak on the draws and rosewood on the carcass finished in mirotone lacquer

26/06/2023

I love Art Deco the fine detail in the handles of this luna mirror dressing table the celluloid handles were degraded but I was able to restore them to a marble sheen
maple

10/05/2023

Last of the flood damaged furniture 1940s oak sideboard stained in brown Japan to match the original colour and finished with brush coats of shellac and beeswax

07/05/2023

antique/furniture restoration / beginners woodwork and woodcarving classes
I have some positions open for the next few weeks in my Monday morning classes $60 for 4 hrs 8 till 12 plus materials call me to discuss details on 0408 661 593

07/03/2023

as a tradesman carpenter and joinery trade being joinery Windows and door and kitchens etc you work on building sites along with other trades but you don't always appreciate the skills we all deal with things being out of plumb and level you pick up some of the knowledge of the other trades but this week I have had a steep learning curve on tiling the bathroom.. this is only the 4th tiling job I've done and only the 2nd room

26/02/2023

this little QLD maple occasional table need some tlc knock apart strip reglue sand stain and polish
#

26/02/2023

one of my students upcylces rustic stools are popular atm this one made from old hardwood stair treads DM me if you are interested

18/01/2023

first job finished for the year a walnut China cabinet it had the normal darker stain on it but client liked the natural lighter colour

09/11/2022

delivered today the flood damaged camphor veneer China cabinet to the very have customer bought by her parents for her from a store in Sth Murwillumbah

20/10/2022

just a progress shot of
the camphor laurel China cabinet all the ply has been glued up and the veneer repairs are all done it's been sanded and had a coat of shellac ..just remains to have the new veneers colourmatched and finished off

26/09/2022

started more flood damaged furniture camphor laurel veneered Art Deco China cabinet with acid etched serpentine glass biggest worry don't break the glass well touch wood I got the glass out now the easy part glueing all the ply and veneers back together

25/09/2022

latest peice of flood damaged furniture 1880s red cedar chest of draws cleaned of the mud repaired draw sides and loose joint repaired draw runners .draw stops .removed the top glued up a crack refitted it and cleaned off all the polish before removing the stains and marks before reviving the finish and staining and French polishing to bring it back to life

04/09/2022

Another flood damagedpiece finished
Apart from iron stains on the timber and some minor timber repairs this piece was stripped and repolished originally this had a dark stain but was sand back badly by a handy man in the past so alot of work went into righting past bad sanding

02/08/2022

flood furniture continues to be done this midcentury Mackintosh Sideboard was in water up the doors as you can see ..yes the particle board did swell and we were able to glue the raw bottom edge back flatter but to wasn't perfect but not that noticeable ..everything was cleaned hardware applied the timber stripped sanded stained and finished in a satin lacquer

02/08/2022

finished Antique Red cedar blanket box look back to the previous post of its condition ..doubled my time on this one but it was necessary to get all the yellow paint out of the grain

04/06/2022

following on from the last post the results of the first of the work on floods damage furniture ,Oak and coachwood Jacobean Revival table and chairs 1920s

20/05/2022

rainy day sanding cause you can't polish in this weather ..first post of flood damaged furniture stripped of knocked apart reglued now sanding in prep for polish