Blog
Learn more about what we’re up to at JD Worrall…

Keep in touch!
Don’t forget you can follow J D Worrall (Conservation) on Facebook for lots of stuff about furniture repair Macclesfield, french polishing Wilmslow, furniture restoration Prestbury…
- May 3, 2021·

Boulle Cabinet
A view of the finished cabinet
- July 27, 2020·

Boulle work – brass and tortoiseshell marquetry
A technique developed by Charles André Boulle as a method of cutting multiple layers of brass sheet and ‘tortoiseshell’ (actually;;y turtleshell) and making up marquetry…
- July 26, 2020·

Ercol 3 seater Sofa – finished
All new rubber webbing sourced and fitted. The webs are bought at specific different lengths. In this model the webs have a loop at each…
- April 26, 2020·

Ercol 3 seater Sofa
Looking a little (!) tired. All the rubberised webbing perished.
Next post is the finished item.
- April 25, 2020·

Piano Stool – after
So, all joints now secure, finish as light as possible, reupholstered.
An item from my client’s childhood brought back to life, and finished to fit into…
- April 19, 2020·

Piano Stool – A photo of the ‘before’
All(!) loose joints knocked apart. Client wanted it as light in colour as possible, and reupholstered in the fabric she supplied.
- April 18, 2020·

C17th oak panelling – new section
The finished new section I made to fit in the gap between the original two sections of panelling and the wall.
- April 14, 2020·

C17th Oak panelling – supplied spare section
The ‘extra’ bit the antique dealer gave to my client, before modification
- April 14, 2020·

C17th Oak Panelling
The client had bought some later seventeenth century oak panelling (2 sections) from an antique dealer and wanted it fitted to a wall in his…
- April 14, 2020·

Duet music stand
This is a duet music stand I designed and made for a client, from American black walnut. Finished by French polishing with shellac button polish.…
- April 3, 2020·

Strange times
Hi. Just wanted to say to you all that I haven’t forgotten you! In these strange times I have been a little preoccupied (!), as…
- April 1, 2020·

Victorian Banjo Barometer
This was painted black when it came in. Stripped of paint, french polished with shellac. Various small repairs to damage to wood, stripped screw holes…
- March 16, 2020·

Modern Veneered Coffee table (before polishing)
Veneered coffee table after preparation, and before polishing. Client wants a high-build, high gloss finish that won’t be marked by carelessly placed hot coffee cups…
- March 7, 2020·

Modern Veneered Coffee table (after polishing)
Coffee table after polishing. Finished with acid-catalysed lacquer, 90% sheen. This fulfilled the client’s requirements as A/C lacquer is a cross-linking polymer that cures chemically…
- March 7, 2020·

Sofa finished
Sofa back with it’s owners
- December 12, 2019·

Sofa finished
Finished
- December 12, 2019·

Sofa finished!
Rope twist edging braid applied where wanted, sofa finished. At last!
- December 12, 2019·

Sofa rebuild continues
White cotton wadding fitted over seat and arms. Top cover being applied.
- December 12, 2019·

Sofa rebuild continues
Cotton wadding fitted over hessian, then Top cover cut and fitted to backrest.
- December 12, 2019·

Sofa rebuild continues
Hessian tacked over the horsehair. Hair regulated. Edges stitched up.
- December 12, 2019·

Sofa rebuild continues
Stuffing the backrest with horsehair
- December 12, 2019·

Sofa (still) in need of work!
4 rows of stitching all round the seat, then rolled edge stitched up.
Hessian on the backrest to receive horsehair.
- December 10, 2019·

Sofa (still) in need of work!
Hessian applied over horsehair. Edge stitching underway. There’s a lot of stitching in one of these!
- December 10, 2019·

Sofa (still) in need of work!
Hessian fixed over springs, and horsehair carded and fixed to hessian with a running stitch loops of twine.
- December 10, 2019·

Sofa (still) in need of work!
Seat webbing fixed on and coil springs lashed to the webbing, then the tops of the springs lashed together
- December 10, 2019·

Sofa (still) in need of work!
All stripped out and ready for re-build
- December 10, 2019·

Sofa in need of work!
Stripping it out. Everything collapsed inside. Bit of a mess!
- December 10, 2019·

Sofa in need of work!
Here’s a rather tired Edwardian Sofa. Broken leg, collapsed upholstery, just old and tired. Ready to start. Following posts will go through the stages.
- December 10, 2019·

Social Media, folks!
Just so you know, we have a J D Worrall (Conservation) Facebook page.
- December 7, 2019·

‘Tis the season to be jolly
I can restore your dining table and make it a thing of beauty, ready to gather your family and friends around this Christmas.
- December 4, 2019·

Table restoration for Christmas
If you want your dining table restored and/or French polished for Christmas you need to book it in before 7th December to make sure it…
- December 2, 2019·

Child’s Chairs
Little spindle back armchair and a pierced seat rocker. Rocking chair had a broken rocker. Made a new one, fitted it and coloured and finished…
- December 1, 2019·

In time for Christmas!
There’s still time to book your piece(s) in for restoration by Xmas. The Dining table is the very focal spot for the family Christmas Dinner.…
- November 23, 2019·

Child’s Chairs
Little rocking chair: Rocker broken. Made and fitted and coloured new rocker. Small hoop-back Armchair: Left arm, rail, stretcher joints broken. Secured broken joints: built…
- November 23, 2019·

Inlaid Stool
Not a special piece (except to the owner!) but just a nice little stool. Broken leg rebuilt and secured, cleaned and waxed. All it needed…
- October 6, 2019·

More of the painted furniture
Large stool from the collection of matching furniture from Pakistan
- September 23, 2019·

Painted Furniture
Prepared and spray painted with pre-catalysed lacquer paint. Gold highlights. Upholstered and piped.
- September 23, 2019·

Rebuilding Persian Inlaid Table
Inlaid with ivory and various woods.
- September 16, 2019·

Eames Chair after Restoration
Chair and stool after restoration
- August 30, 2019·

Eames Chair after restoration
Broken wing repaired, new rubber mounts fitted, woodwork cleaned and finish revived, leather cleaned and colour and finish returned to it.
- August 30, 2019·

Restoration of Eames Chair – before
Before restoration. Break on one supporting wing of backrest.
- August 26, 2019·

Eames Chair before Restoration
Eames Chair before restoration. One backrest supporting wing is snapped off. Whole chair in very poor condition.
- August 24, 2019·

Small Mahogany Occasional Table
A little table, finished with a shellac high gloss/build finish, to the customer’s requirements.
- August 18, 2019·

Burr Walnut Loo Table
Nice Victorian table. A tilt-top table on a pedestal base. Loo was a very popular card game amongst Victorian ladies. Rebuilt shellac finish after being…
- July 28, 2019·

Daimler Glove Box
Another view
- July 24, 2019·

Daimler Glove Box
Bringing beauty back to a classic car interior
- July 24, 2019·

C19th Rush Seated Ash Rocking Chair
Re-rushed in Dutch fresh water rush, then sealed to leave it cleanable in the future. We can create a new rush seat using traditional materials…
- June 13, 2019·

Waiting time very reduced
Restoration without the wait
- June 13, 2019·

Little Mahogany Tripod Occasional Table
Nice little table; just cleaned, joints tightened, finish rebuilt (shellac) where missing and blended in, waxed.
- June 9, 2019·

Corner Chair (2)
The ‘after’ photo.
- June 6, 2019·

Corner Chair
Little project given to me.
- June 6, 2019·

Scottish Gilt Mirror after restoration
Here’s the mirror after restoration and gilding.
- May 19, 2019·

Carved and Gilded Mirror
This pic is before restoration.
- May 19, 2019·

French Polish & Furniture Restoration
Dining suite ebonised and restored. Table made to order
- February 22, 2019·