Daniel chapman antique furniture restoration and French polishing

Daniel chapman antique furniture restoration and French polishing Antique restorer and conservator of antique furniture from the 17th century . Cabinet maker and french polisher

1900/1930 oak.and leather trunk The trunk come in for some restoration recently having been in the family since it was ...
15/05/2026

1900/1930 oak.and leather trunk
The trunk come in for some restoration recently having been in the family since it was first bought. It’s not my normal line of restoration but good for a change . The wood work needed cleaning and polishing to remove water marks and staining to the wood . The leather was cleaned and sealed with a leather treatment. The iron plating was cleaned and re blackened. The handles were knackered and new ones were ordered and fitted to complete the restoration .

08/05/2026

Antique walnut Victorian davenport
The walnut Davenport come in for restoration recently, the davenport having suffered from period of sunlight damaged, causing excessive discolouration of the veneers and sending them white, this also caused areas of blisters and cracking to the veneers in places . The veneer repirs would require attention to repair them before I could revive the surface and bring the walnut colour back into the timber. I couldn’t strip the peace as the stripper moisture would likely blister the veneers and fuse more damage.
Once the surface had been cleaned and revived with a few small repairs to the veneers and mouldings the peace was then lightly French polished and waxed afterwards.
The interior was cleaned and waxed

restoration

An unusual antique tripod table,The table come in for restoration after water damp to top and base .The surface needed t...
08/05/2026

An unusual antique tripod table,
The table come in for restoration after water damp to top and base .
The surface needed to be cleaned and revived . The base had loose legs and would require to be knocked apart and re glued back together . The table was sealed with shellac and then knocked back and a natural Beeswax applied until the grain was full , giving it a more period look .
I don’t think I’ve had a walnut tripod with birdcage mechanism come through the workshop . Generally they are all mahogany . Which leads me to think the table dates from around 1740/1750 when the style of furniture was changing and the discovery of mahogany come into the furniture trade .
Www.chapmanrestoration.co.uk

Restoration of a Queen Ann walnut chest 1715-1725The walnut chest come in for some restoration, the chest was in a sligh...
01/05/2026

Restoration of a Queen Ann walnut chest 1715-1725
The walnut chest come in for some restoration, the chest was in a slightly tired state with some crossgrain half round mouldings missing to the front of the chest , the draws and chest top had some veneer damage and would require some small areas of repairs.
The draw runners were slightly worn and would need replacing . One of the handles was missing and had been replaced with an odd one . A new handle and 3 key escutcheon were designed to match the handles and cut from brass sheet and aged to suit .
The chest was cleaned to remove the surface dirt and then got a waxed and finished with a hard wax keeping a traditional look for the client

Www.chapmanrestoration.co.uk

24/04/2026

Georgian bracket clock come in for some restoration recently.
The case needed some minor restoration to the case, the case had veneer damage to the door and a small missing moulding . The door catch was missing and required one to be made along with a key to lock both doors . The case was then cleaned and waxed only afterwards

Antique 19th century teak campaign chest restoration The campaign chest having belonged in its family since it was const...
17/04/2026

Antique 19th century teak campaign chest restoration
The campaign chest having belonged in its family since it was constructed probably in the far east and only arrived back in England after 1950 .
The chest was in a general poor state and would require the restoration of wood work cleaning the brassware and supplying some antique carrying handles .
The chest was heavily cleaned to remove as much of the whiteness from the grain . The top had water marks and the top had some plugs fitted . Unfortunately theses were fitted wrongly and the grain wasn’t running in the right direction and would need to be changed.
Once all repairs were done the peace was then French polished and waxed . I had 4 old feet from another peace that was fitted rather than the plinth and in keeping for its period .
The brassware was cleaned and the carrying handles fitted

Antique 1725 / 1735 George l walnut cabinet on chest The peace come in for some restoration, the peace had at some point...
03/04/2026

Antique 1725 / 1735 George l walnut cabinet on chest
The peace come in for some restoration, the peace had at some point has had some water damage and been kept damp somewhere. This had caused a lot of the cross grain moulding to become loose and fallen of, others have twisted and curl up as most cross grain mouldings do . The doors contain filler and would need removing , the mouldings to the tops also contained filler and would require digging out and new timber replaced .
Once thus had all been done the loose blistered glued and ironed down, the feet being later should have been turned bun , but often rot away , some of the veneer were badly damaged and old repairs . The veneer were removed and reveneered . The door spilts had veneer glued in and levelled flat . The top cross grain moulding were taken apart and loose bits removed and replied and made level , some older repairs needed to be redone with walnut , this was then shaped by hand to match .
Once all repaired the peace was cleaned to remove the old water damage finish without stripping it , the peace was lightly French polished , the new repairs being coloured out to match . Inside the cabinet draws would only require a clean and wax
The brassware was later but was kept and cleaned then put back on , the door required a new key to be cut to the lock to complete the restoration

Antique Georgian mahogany library steps The chair come in for some minor restoration recently, needing a few small repai...
06/03/2026

Antique Georgian mahogany library steps
The chair come in for some minor restoration recently, needing a few small repairs to the woodwork and the brass catch . Once all repaired and the wood work waxed . The steps were then leathered in a green hide and tooled. To complete the restoration. Nice to have smaller job to do rather than all larger linen presses that have passed through the workshop over the recent months .

Antique rosewood oyster veneered cabinet on stand restoration The cabinet on stand possible dates from around 1680-1720’...
20/02/2026

Antique rosewood oyster veneered cabinet on stand restoration
The cabinet on stand possible dates from around 1680-1720’and I think it’s possibly Flemish with an influence or franco-dutch late 1700 . The Stand with barely twist legs and the X-frame stretcher are classic features of the 1680–1700 period. This style was popular in both England and the Low Countries, but the proportions are very much Continental style. The use of exotic timbers like rosewood and kingwood of this period come from Dutch East Indian trade at that time .

The peace come in for some restoration and conversation to the peace , the peace was structurally ok but the top their was lots of loose veneers (oyster veneers) and parquetry inlays veneers (stars). The peace had suffered a lot of sunlight damaged drying out the wood causing some of theses issues along with age related shrinkage issues, the secondary timber moving under the veneers . Also some old repairs from previous repirs would need attention as they have had become loose and along with filler being used to full damaged areas. Its a interesting peace that I spent time researching trying to identify it origin and were likely it was made

Thankfully the top section was able to be flat packed for moving and each panel can be handled separately making the restoration slightly easier to do .lots of veneers were require to be removed as they were loose and blistered and old traces of glue removed before I could relay them. As the glue had dried and crystallised underneath the veneers . Common issues with hide glue. 
The chevron inlays around the panels and stars layed with sycamore and ebony veneers would require repirs , some peace’s need new section made and replaced due to damage and older previous restion that had failed.
During the construction of the peace the chevron and stars are made separately and stuck together using newspaper holding them together before they are layed in position . Traces of paper can still be found between the base timbers and the loose Marquertry panels and chevron inlay as they are removed and relayed .
Once all loose areas were repired and new veneers were repaired and levelled ready for cleaning. The peace was lightly cleaned and small a,inutile of French polish applied and new areas  coloured out . The peace was then waxed several time over a week . To build up a traditional look with out looking like it’s been through my workshop .

Www.chapmanrestoration.co.uk

Antique mahogany mid Victorian bow chest of draws This antique chest come in for restoration, the chest woukd need atten...
13/02/2026

Antique mahogany mid Victorian bow chest of draws
This antique chest come in for restoration, the chest woukd need attention the carcass rails, they had suffered from lots of veneer chips and woukd require complete removing and new timber strips cutting and fitting to the carcass . The draws have had seen lots of use with worn runners to the draws and carcass. Even a couple of runners were missing The draws had the damage cut out and replaced with new pine, then planned to fitted back in the carcass .
The chest top had been repired in the past and would require the old patch to be removed. The chest top was then cross banded with rosewood to match the original rosewood banding above the top draws.
Once all repairs were done the chest was then cleaned remove the dirt and lightly French polished and waxed . The original ebonised and mother of Perl k***s were clean and polished

Www.chapmanrestoration.co.uk

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6 Yardley Road
Cosgrove
MK197JF

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