Finishing an early 18th c. Drop-leaf Dining Table - Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Restoration 

There's nothing i like most than looking at my youtube page and seeing a new Thomas Johnson's video in my subscription feed. The second thing I look at is, how long is the video. When it's more than 30 minutes long, i'm like, I have to plan a good moment in the day when I can really enjoy this. It has become such a joy to see you working. It relaxes me so much. So thank you, thank you for being there and sharing your beautiful work with us.

Showing the restored table in the dining room really adds to the video. Thanks, Tom.

The table has clearly had a long and challenging life...any truly sympathetic restoration should both respect and reflect that...and this does...the result is a beautiful, slightly battle-scarred but still cherished and useful piece of furniture...wow...I hope the owner is as delighted as I'd be...thanks Tom!

That table top finish was a master-level skills lesson. And a test in patience and perseverance, also at the master-level. It's always a pleasure to watch.

I don't think you'll ever top the understatement of "I think it looks pretty good" when it comes to the restoration/finish of this Drop-Leaf Dining Table. Truly magnificent work!

I knew you were going to get where you wanted to be with the finish simply because you always do. You are relentless, patient, and experienced. That lucky table is beautiful and, as you say, good for another century or so of good food, good cheer, good friends, and the occasional spill. Thanks!

We all honestly get , so excited seeing your videos on the feed.

Just WOW!! This table is 300 yrs old and will probably be around for another 300 yrs. It would be amazing if everyone who restored it signed and dated it underneath. It just looks STUNNING 😍

I've never seen so much overnight drying for one piece of furniture, but boy did it work. Absolutely amazed Tom, by both your skill and your attention to detail and care for such a beautiful piece of furniture.

"I dont know if this will be the final coat." Proceeds to apply 10 more coats.

Adding another 300 years of life to the table. Thank you for bringing us along. I sure do love your videos. As for re-finishing the table? Dang right you do, we call that maintenance and keeping your things in working order. These are meant to be used. The "war wounds" as you call them are exactly what they are. Folks actually care for the table and keep it looking beautiful. Again, thank you for bringing us along.

200 years of service and, after a liberal amount of TLC by Mr. Johnson, ready for another 200 years. Outstanding!

I so appreciate your appreciation for your viewers' intelligence. "Asphaltum is what the name implies." I worried that it would be too dark, but shouldn't have. Such a pro.

The final touch of showing the table in an actual furnished room it the "piece de resistance". I can't imagine how many hours of labor went into this, and most of it just the finishing.

I think a lot of your followers will agree with me when I say that these longer videos does your work much more credit. It’s like being on a journey and getting all the details along the way as you explain them to us. And it’s amazing that what ought to be tedious and boring, is not. And your filming and editing is top notch. Pure joy. Oh, and again, so lovely to see the restored piece back in its home. I absolutely adore your videos.

Don't worry, Tom! What you are doing is restauring an antique, not conserving it. Restauring it for contínuos use allows the piece to achieve its ultimate value,that is to be used, handled and admired by those who love it, maybe every day, until the son of somebody have the pleasure of restauring it again, instead of ending up conserved in a museum or a collection. Love, Tor.

Once again I'm left wondering what's more unlimited: your arsenal of techniques or your patience!

Nice to see the managing director looking his best.

Once again, thank you Mr. Johnson for all the little insights and tricks you’re sharing. Seems like I never come away from your videos without learning something new or being reminded of something I did know but perhaps forgot. This two part video really shows people how tedious and time consuming a restoration can be. Added to your work, the videography part must double your time. Perhaps the best part is how you’re leaving a record of what you’ve learned over a lifetime for future generations to learn from. Very generous of you!

I love the way you constantly and patiently adapt when the table keeps presenting new challenges. It’s like a naughty child that has got in a mess and doesn’t want to be cleaned up and it fights you. But like the calm, gentle parent you win through to restore it to something anyone would be proud to own. Very, pretty good. Thanks Tom.

Tom, I have watched lots of your wonderful restorations and learnt so much in the process. But the loving care and hours you expended on this old lady of a table has been a treat. I laughed when you said ‘I kept the workshop quiet’ while she dried yet another patiently applied coat. Thank you so much for sharing so generously the master-craftsmanship you have spent a lifetime learning.

Great to see the finished table. It's like going on a journey with you through all the different stages. It's amazing how many coats ended up on that table top. The owner must be pleased with the finished table.

" The Wood Whisperer " Mr Johnson is a Legend of Knowledge and craftmanship, always a pleasure to watch his handy work! Hope he keeps making video's, one of the few things, I look forward too.

Hi from Hastings in the UK. I have watched every single video you have created . I’m no furniture restoration man or indeed a carpenter but I’m fascinated by the pieces you attend to and your skills but the two essential skills for life I have taken from all your posts is that any job in life is worth doing properly and not to be rushed and also having patience. Thank you Tom .

This is better than meditation. What a great way to start my day. Thank you Tom!

I LOVE waking up to seeing a notification saying I have a video of Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture! Got my coffee, my favorite video, and my pup cuddled up on the couch.....ahhhh, what a great morning! I learn something new from you every time I watch you do a project! Amazing work Tom, as usual. Words fail me.... all I can say is WOW. Thank you for posting your videos! 😊❤👍

Excellent job Tom! You’ve given that table another 300 years of use. I really appreciate how you arrived at staining and finishing. I learn something new every time I watch your video’s.

“I think it looks pretty good.” UNDERSTATEMENT OF THE YEAR.

Yes! I was waiting for this. Best way to start the day.🌅

The old saying, “If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing right.” If I have learned one thing, and I have learned several from watching your videos, it is you have to have patience when restoring furniture. I have no idea how many days you invested in this project Mr. Tom, or hours, but it was well worth it. Nice job as always and thank you for sharing your talents.

When the video started and then the close up of that table top...my first thought was, this came out of some ones basement where they just sat all kinds of crap on top of that table. Then Thomas just turned it into a table that could be proudly be up stairs in the dining room. Excellent job Thomas and keeping all the life it has lived is what gives it character, some would have belt sanded the life right out of it!

I can't help thinking this table is breathing a sigh of relief. it look sooooo good. Nice job Tom.

It looks amazing! The glaze was the game changer. It added so much richness to the wood. Beautiful work as always!!!! Thank you for the video!

Thinking about this all week,great to see it is here . Thanks Tom.

I think you added significant value to this marvelous piece of furniture in spite of what 'others' might think. For me, you have restored an antique to the place where it can continue to have functional value in a home as well as beauty. Also, I like many other viewers of your videos look forward with great anticipation and delight to your superb craftsmanship.

Loved seeing the table in it's "native" setting once you were finished. Really helped show how your work fits with the setting in which it is placed. It would be great to see more of that in other videos. Also, appreciate your discussion of the relationship between function, appearance, and value. This has come up in our family, especially with pieces refinished well over a century ago. If it is a family piece to be used, not sitting in a museum or placed for sale/auction, the goal should be to make it functional while preseving it's traditional appearance. Value is for Antiques Roadshow geeks (of which I am one for other items!). Thank you!

I think the people who say not to fix things are just being ridiculous, why leave something to rot and be abused when it can be enjoyed and used, the only things that shouldn't be restored are those of historical importance, where whatever state the object is in is the point of having it, just being an antique doesn't make it something that would fit in in a museum. you did a beautiful job with the table.

Furniture is made to be used. The imperfections tell it's story and that to me is what makes it valuable. Well done Thomas!!

OMG- that rhode island red hen at the end was too cute! I LOVE all the animal cameos in your videos Thomas. You are a master of the restoration craft, indeed.

Dear Tom, If I were ever to dine, off of this beautiful old table, I would spend more time gazing at it in reverence, than actually eating! Those "battle scars", are wonderfully clear evidence of many lives and countess meals, enjoyed upon it. The fact that it fell into the care of someone like you, its its good fortune, and our delight. Thank you, too, for your closing homily, aimed as those who know only the price of things, but not their value!!

This has been like watching an artist paint a masterpiece. Wonderful stuff!

Really nice, as usual. So one of the 'war wounds' is the burn mark that you left alone although by darkening the finish, it was less apparent. By the way (being the nerd I am), that odd color change from green to blue to green again is the result of 'chromism'. The solvent choice (paint thinner) polarizes (changes shape and aligns molecularly) thereby causing a color shift (like a prism). When you put that back into the finish which has another type of solvent presumably, it returned to its original color by depolarizing.

Forget about all that spray finishes, precyat lacquer, badger hair brushes and such. What we all saw was the true Hand Rubbed Finish done by a master craftsman. Excellent job Tom. Thank you.

What a beautiful restoration. Part of its beauty is that it can and will be used. I understand that there are pieces that people want to preserve for their historical value, but sitting and eating at a table that has been used for 300 years also connects us to history. By bringing back the beauty of the table and making it useable, you're preserving that history.

I'm exhausted just thinking about how many coats you applied.

Its fabulous. Here in Germany we call it "Handwerkskunst". Thank you.

Whatever you charge to this client, it won't never be well paid for the effort and love you put in here. What a good finish!

Absolutely beautiful! Being from the poorer Appalachian areas we restore reuse and repurpose when nothing else can be done. It's wonderful to see the history in that wood. Thank you for sharing!

Wow! That was like running a marathon, you had to push on to the finish (pun intended). How many hours did you put into this piece?

A real master class. And thank you for the discussion about use vs. market value of antiques. I'm very happy to see an antique in daily use and not being preserved under glass.

Table found a master to bring it back to it’s original beauty. Hallelujah! Well done. Enjoyed watching your devotion to your profession. Stay safe and healthy. Look forward to your next restoration.😊👋🏼

I never have seen anyone respect the age of furniture the way you do. Old pieces have many stories to tell. Thanks to your efforts and this video the table will continue to be a part of lives. Your craftsmanship is simply phenomenal. The table owners will cherish this video.

It seems to me, as a retired museum professional, that the rigid maintenance of original surfaces, sometimes to the point of leaving original dirt (from the battlefield for example) is really for museum, conservation purposes. There was another school of thought where old items the aim was to return items to "as new" condition. The happy medium is where an item is gong to continue in use, needs to be practical (even beautiful) for the purpose, but retains evidence the object's life story. It seems to me that you very much achieve this, not only with this table, but with all the work I have seen you do. Few of us want a 300 year old table that looks like it could have come off the factory floor yesterday - or looks like a replica.

Wow - the most eagerly anticipated sequel since Star Wars and boy - it didn’t disappoint! 😊👍🏻

Wonderful commentary at the end on the effect of refinishing on current market value as opposed to use and the practicality of use. Thank you.

I keep commenting, but I can't help myself. I love to find the beauty in old furniture and wood. This is so informative and I am glad for the time you take to share.

It was a beautiful table, and your restoration work made it so again. The true value in collecting is the joy that is derived from the things and objects that have been collected. I collect vintage comic books and toys, and many of the books and toys that I have are considered "desirable", "highly collectable", and some are even considered to be monetarily valuable as well. I don't collect for monetary value, however. I collect old comics because I like to read them, and as am a comic book artist, I often learn from studying them. I have many comics that are considered "valuable" in terms of money, but the only real value they have is what they mean to me personally. The joy I get from them is why I collect them. Same with toys, which I not only collect, but often restore. I enjoy these things, and I don't have any interest in resale. These things are hobbies that I love, plain and simple. I'd be bored to death trying to collect for monetary value (and not to mention, I'd probably be broke). When I fix old toys and action figures, I look at it as giving these toys new life so that they'll be around for a while, possibly for others to enjoy someday. When you repair furniture, Tom, you ensure that these fine antiques are around for future generations to experience and enjoy, and I love that. You do it masterfully with such a high level of skill and ability. It takes years of experience and hard work to do what you do. As an artist, I know I never had "talent." When I started as a kid, I wasn't even the best artist in my own house! I dedicated 47 years of my life to drawing, and now I can do it at a high level because of the experience and skill that I worked for. You have obviously done the same with furniture repair, and what you are able to do fascinates me to know end. It's so very impressive to see someone so skilled with their hands, and with their head. I salute you! I eagerly await your next installment! www.lostonwallace.com/

Tom, your experience, knowledge and expertise certainly was apparent in these two videos. I appreciate the explanation regarding when and when not to refinish an antique piece. Thanks!

Sunday morning here in Germany.... a new video from Thomas Johnson. Wow, lets get some cups of coffee and start looking it. Better than any blockbuster movie. Your videos are the benchmark for other furniture restorers. The difference is, that you explain all your thoughts and materials. Like a master who is teaching his apprentice. One can learn a lot. You should take an "entrance fee" .....

Absolutely fantastic. It looks incredible, and what skill in making a 300 year old table look that good, but still like a 300 year old table.

Easily the most labor intensive finish application I've ever seen. well worth the effort -- it turned out beautifully. Thanks much for the video.

Mr. Johnson, you are a star!

Beautiful job! I love that the "war wounds" remain. 47 years ago I rescued a drop leaf table from my Grandparents shed, that had been painted with green milk paint, and had it restored. The table use to sit in the mud porch of my Grandparents farn house and was used for cleaning and cutting up chickens, cannng etc. No idea of it's origin. It sits in my living room and still retains small specks of the green paint and all it's battle wounds. I love that dang table!!

So very satisfying. As for the opinions of others, I say this..."You are the one who is the expert in this line of work. Until I see their channels and projects, you are the one I watch to learn from." Such good work.

Fish eye's a finishers worse enemy ! Nice job tom.

Thanks for your comment at the end about refinishing antiques. I believe we feel the same way: that antique sales are a different market, and furniture repair and restoration is as much about aesthetics and the owner’s personal connection to a piece as it is about functionality, and moreover it’s less about the value to the outside world. Pretty good work, as always.

If there was ever a labor of love that was it. Superb repair and Finish. I am sure the owners were thrilled.

Had a much simpler job but it took a bit longer.. pulled up 112 year old Oak steps and hand planed, reshaped the bull nose and stained back to the sun darkened original color and put back...while doing this I noticed paint drips from the 1940’s and dents in the oak trim along the stairs. Steam and linseed oil with sweet lemon oil brought them back to the perfect sun darkened luster that makes them so beautiful. I’m going to die in this house so I want to enjoy it while I’m alive by restoring it fully!

That's one of my favorite video from your channel!! Seeing how an old beat up table is put back to it's glory is breath taking. Special thanks for explaining all the details of your work!!!

Always a pleasure watching you bring new life into something old.

All is well with the world again after watching this film. Lovely work, Tom.

Besides the knowledge I gain each and every time I watch one of your video's. one of my favorite things to do after I watch what you've prepared for us, is to read the comments and watch and see how much pleasure, peace, contentment, joy, and wonder, you really really give to people who watch this. I thought in the beginning, I was the only one getting so much pleasure. and all of the above mentions pleasures and joy from watching, now I know I am not alone and share my graditude, thanks and joy for al that you give us , Tom thank you so much. God Speed.

I may have watched over 60 videos of yours up to now Tom but I think this one will be one of my favorites. I think it's one most difficult restorations that I saw.

1st, AMEN on what you said about antiques vs refinishing! 2nd, amazingly beautiful as always. 3rd, you are an absolute wizard when it comes to furniture repair/refinishing. You refinish/repair like my mom (a great old Southern style cook) cooks. A little of this, some of that, some other sorts of voodoo and...an amazing result that only years of experience can reproduce!

This man has to be the master of restoration.

Seeing it in its home after your masterful facelift was very special!

An extraordinary display of wood finish expertise and mastery of technique, patience and persistence.

Table fought ya the whole way through. Love the final outcome beautiful work.

I bet that old lady of a table thought ' wow I've never had so much loving care and attention. Thank you Tom'

There is so much peace in watching you work.

Wow, that was a challenging top to restore! Restoration products are extremely difficult to put on top of linseed oil, but you persevered and excelled in the end! Here’s to another 300 years!

After watching this all I can say is wow!. I think it would be nice if maybe sometime we could see the reaction of the people looking at their wonderfully restored furniture for the first time after your magic touch.

Beautiful job, Tom. It looks much better than I would have imagined. The people who built the table three hundred years wouldn't have wanted it to look like firewood now, so your comment about refinishing made a lot of sense.

Gorgeous. These videos are the highlight of my week.

Wow, Thomas Johnson is a furniture surgeon... magician... wizard?

Dear Mr. Johnson, I admire your work and now I am more courageous in the application or stains and color, and the use of tape. I have two suggestions for you and your viewers. 1. Set the hinges and their screws in Shellac, and only shellac. 2. To avoid breakage of the frame and antique glass, when you remove or hang a glazed door in a cabinet remove one screw from the top hinge and one from the bottom hinge and install, finger tight, a long screw with the head cut off in the screw hole, they will hold the door while you remove, or install, the remainder of the screws. Yes, it takes a few minutes longer. In an old piece of furniture the screws either fall out or are so firmly in place that it becomes a chore to remove them. Mike

I do work for dealers and mainly I hear, "Don't refinish it." I have refinished sections that go unnoticed, but that's rare. Here you've refinished all 3 sections of the top and I dare any one to say it's been refinished. Only the owner may know for sure. That is the ultimate goal, to do the work it so it doesn't look like it's been repaired or certainly refinished. In this case I've not seen any better work anywhere. Tom, you aptly school the rest of us doing restorations and I miss non of your videos. I've learned a ton and use your suggestions and techniques nearly every day. Yes, you are a master but your willingness to share is really as above and beyond as your workmanship. Consider me a humble and thankful disciple. I'm older than you but I hope to carry on this tradition until I can't walk to the shop.

Watched two- parter videos. Such strenuous work. Table owner is very lucky for this care giver of furniture!

Gorgeous. You have most certainly done right by that table. You've extended it's useful life (well into the future, I'm sure!) and respected it's history. It truly is a restoration that you've accomplished. It gives me great pleasure to watch the painstaking care you put into the restoration process. Thank you for sharing your skill once again!

Dear old table...! Very interesting to watch this project from start to finish. You did a wonderful job.

What a result! You did that fine old table proud!

There nothing that I can say that hasn't been said by others except... that that watching this superb demonstration of skill, experience and _patience_ has helped restore my faith in honest human endeavour during these very difficult times. Thank you Thomas.

I'll just call Mr Johnson "The antique wood furniture whisperer". No doubt he's a magician.

I agree. Furniture that sees regular use occasionally needs a touch-up, and that enhances it's beauty, utility, and longevity. Well done! 👍👍

So when I saw 38 minutes for part 2 finishing the top, I said no way will it take that long. Well I when the video finished I wound up with a new understanding of the word “finishing”. You did an incredible job as only someone with your ability and experience could do. As always I learned from your work. Thank you Tom.

I had thought that your "go to" tool was your clamps...maybe so, but I reckon "patience" is right up there near the top of the list. Thanks for sharing this restoration Tom.

Bravo! Well done refinishing yet keeping the “war wounds.” It looks great!!

If it were me, I'd be frustrated with that table...but Tom patiently puts up with it and, in the end, persuades the wood to settle down. It's a beautiful piece that anyone would love to have in their home.

I have only one question. Where has this channel been all my life? I have binged on a number of RU-vid channels in lockdown, but this is hands down my favourite. So well put together, so informative and so entertaining. A real pleasure to see an expert craftsman at work. Sincere thanks from lockdown London.

Wowed! That is the most impressive restoration. Blown away! Totally new appreciation for antique restoration