Refinishing a Compass Inlay Table Top - Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Restoration 

It is such a pleasure to watch someone who respects the history of a piece repair and restore that piece. Thanks for sharing.

What a beautiful little table - and the final finish was just glowing. Really gorgeous!

Mr. Tom: I have watched in awe many of your restorations. The more I watch the more I learn. This restoration was by far the most amazing. Your eye for color is amazing and the way you used all these different products to not only restore but to greatly improve this cabinet has left me speechless. The final application of dark paste wax was the icing on the cabinet! BRAVO!

Thomas! You are a carpenter mystic! Visiting your page is like pilgrimage and watching the videos is like meditating just as much as it is informative it is enlightening... I send my warmest regards and best wishes.

I have been binge watching this channel. It is becoming my go to, to help me unwind and I've learned a lot about wood finishing. Thanks for sharing your years of knowledge with us.

What i love about your videos is the intro with birds,butterflies and other beautiful animals. Keep amazing us with your ability. God bless Regards from Italy

I'm binge watching too. I love your work Tom.

I’m mesmerised by these videos.... I think they’re “pretty good” 😁

Looks awesome, especially the compass inlay. I was surprised that you left the old repairs alone, but in the end they didn’t even matter, the top came out so nice. Great job, looks excellent.

What rare artistry. Your work is amazing.

Tom you are a joy to watch. Did you start out as an apprentice when you were young? You have an attention to detail which is awesome and thats why your pieces turn out so beautiful! Keep those videos coming!!

Wow, my wife and I have just started doing this furniture restoration thing and I am learning a tremendous amount from your videos. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and tips. We will be able to do a much higher quality restoration thanks to you.

It does not just look “pretty good” Tom! It looks fantastic! What an inspiration you are!

Gorgeous! Started refinishing furniture a few years ago and still have a lot to learn--your videos are much appreciated.

Gorgeous table! Great job!!

That was amazing. I never realized how those inlays were made and put into the wood. Your videos are a real education into woodworking.

Congratulations on the masking of the star, it was proof of your quality as a refinished.

Great color match and such thorough inlay protection.

This is an excellent explanation for the restoration. Very impressive and informative. And it is obvious that you have at minimum a quasi-engineering background - drafting and so on. Very very good.Thank you for posting this.

Love that compass inlay. Nice job, beautiful results!

Nice to see that wood come back to life.

I watch your videos religiously and my favourite part is when you apply the tung oil, the piece really comes to life.

A very lovely piece, Tom. Congratulations.

I really enjoy watching any and all of your videos. They are at such a relaxed pace and very informative and interesting. If I had more heated space, I could see myself getting into this as a ( another ) hobby. Thanks.

Nice deep reach clamps good stuff as always love from England

Well, this is just breathtaking! What incredible skill set, and such patience! You are a true craftsman and a Blessing. I’m just amazed each time I watch you save these beautiful pieces. Thank you for hours of a positive trip for me. I love this! ♥️🕊🙏💫

Another very valuable lesson in "finishing" and "patience". Best wishes Tom and a big hug for the black Lab.

Thanks again Thomas! Made my Friday evening even better seeing this pop up. I have to confess after a long day there's nothing I'd rather watch. Your refinishing process has taught me so much so far, I love watching and learning. Kyle

Your attention to detail is remarkable

Excellent tutorial on what it takes to breathe life back in to old furniture

Great work I may put a compass rose on my next hope chest top. This will be to show my great niece her way in life.

I don't refinish furniture but your videos are comforting.

Hey Tom. Great work once again. I really like your process and methods. You’re a real pro. I’ve had great success with old village gel varnish. It’s hand applied with a rag and really sets up nicely. And for an oil base it dries pretty quickly. But the best part is it’s sold as a gel and I tint it to my liking. I’ve never had the issues with dust nibs. Cheers.

Lovely work, beautiful result. Thank you.

Love the variety of clamps

I'd rather make furniture than repair it, but in reality I get almost as many repair/restoration jobs as commissions, and I'm gradually coming to enjoy them more, especially as you reveal both techniques and attitudes; e.g., "this tabletop isn't flat and I don't want it to be flat". The work encourages me to rely more and more on hand tools such as the No. 80 cabinet scraper you used and on pre-modern finishing methods so that I "first, do no harm". I've been researching and learning to use the mordants, dyes, stains, and early varnishes (most of which seem to be "spirit" varnishes). Thank you for sharing your experience in these videos, and your calm methodical approach. It's helping me a lot!

Hey Thomas, really came out beautiful. A piece well worth saving. When I look at older pieces like this one, or older and see the wood ( especially the oak , because it's so slow growing ) I like to try and figure out when that tree was a seedling. Hundreds of years ago.Kinda lends a new respect for the piece. Great job on this one Tom.

It made me smile to see that we share the same way of tearing and folding sandpaper for hand sanding: tearing a sheet into thirds and folding those pieces in thirds. I learned the painting trade on the East Coast in New Hampshire and Maine. Perhaps that's where I learned it. Good job refinishing. I probably wouldn't have put a varnish on the wood until the color was right, as I don't like to add color over varnish, but the end product looks great.

Thanks Tom ... another great video. You are a talented craftsman but I think your biggest virtue is your patience. I always learn from your commentary and appreciate the time you put into this.

I always learn something new watching Tom. Excellent source. Old world craftsman. A+++++++++++

Beautiful job! I bet your home is filled with your work! Take Care...

Another nice job, the compass looks absolutely great. the whole top just glows.

fantastic as always Tom. loving the longer videos...wish you had your own show!!

Turned out just beautiful. You really took your time and you couldn't have done a better job.

Most epoxies can be thinned with a little (very little) denatured alcohol, so it would likely work with the epoxy putty. It would make it easier to force into cracks. Hide glue can also be softened with a few drops of vinegar if you don't want to use heat. Ahhhh, the #80. I used mine today, as well as the #82 and #12. Love the old tools. I think you and I could spend a few hours talking. Today, I spent 4 hours getting varnish on some maple stringing and fans on a federal style cellarette to prevent the grain filler and stain from obscuring it. That included the times I just had to walk away. sometimes I wonder.

Always .... a great job!!!!!

Your attention to detail is stellar!! I will watch and learn!

keep up the good work thomas, there is not alot of us doing this type of work with your skill level left today. i enjoy your videos ,thanks.

Love to see the lovely restoration of the Butler's Chest. I own a table like that but it has marble on top, and the mahogany has gotten very dark, thanks to you I realize it needs a good cleaning.

Wonderful job. Looks great. Love watching you work. As a furniture maker I continue to learn from masters like you. Always look forward to a new video from you. I rewatch your videos as well, sometimes just to help me relax. Thanks Tom.

I think it looks real good. That was real tough finishing around the compass. Course all I've been watching you do is tough. That razor blade technique was neat. Thank you for taking the time to produce the videos. Take care and God bless.

Always a great day when one of your videos is released. The wifebeater shirts deserve their own highlight reel...hey, looks pretty good.😁

Interesting how you came to the conclusion not to remove the top and just reinforce it with strips underneath - that wouldn't have been my initial thinking but it was definitely the right decision. Then just put a lot of time and effort into the finishing. Probably the best take away is learning to be patient! Thanks, good video. Cheers, David.

Tom I wish I lived in Maine I would work for you, for no pay. I have been doing wood work for several years, and learn something new with every video I watch. Thanks keep up the amazing work you do. Jerry G.

Bet the client was thrilled! I would be too! Outstanding job!

Another great job it came out looking just super, I love watching you work I learn something every time I watch your videos. Thank you.

Originally thought this was a POS but you turned it back into a beautiful piece and it's future proofed with the supports underneath as well.

The mother of all clamps!!!!!

I need to sleep. I've barely got any sleep now for days, because I'm in trance watching your videos. But please, don't stop making videos ;)

Great as always, thanks for that. Really love seeing the whole bunch of animals, obvisiously living at your place, at the beginning of each video. You have awesome skills !

Very enjoyable video. Your decision not to remove the top made sense. I noted the top was relatively thin, so trying to pry the top off I guess would have split the top along any weak grain. Thanks for posting.

I'm always so thrilled to see new videos from you!

Watching you do this was a real pleasure. Table looks amazing.

As usual, my heart's in my mouth during your videos ... it always looks worse before it looks better (nd scraping the high board back to level was scary indeed) ... but it all comes together at the end. What a truly great job you made of this table.

We need this. You have a skill set that is honorable. Thank you.

Always pleased to see new videos! Thank you! Table cleaned up great Waterlox is one of my favorite finishes but good god is it pricey. Last quart I bought was $40

VERY GUTSY TOM, PLANING THAT. WOW! JUST BEAUTIFUL.

Great stuff, nice to see a new addition to your catalog. Thanks for bringing such vicarious pleasure for me

Success again ! Tom you really are an inspiration and educator. Thank you so much. Rich M

So glad I found this channel

I've watched a few of your videos and figured it was about time I subscribed. What patience you have.

Great to see yet another outstanding video!!

I love that table

Great restoration!!

You are an artist

amazing attentiona paid to details- love that work you did over this inlay table

Great job, as always, Tom. I counted about 12 coats of stain and finish. Tons of patience and attention to detail.

Anyone who hasn't dealt with the restoration, couldn't have imagined how millions microprocesses need to be done in order to achieve high quality finish. Bravo! :)

Thank you Thomas, excellent video, always learning a lot from them

I always really enjoy your videos. Thanks for making them!

Bravo ! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. You are an inspiration.

Love your videos Tom, you're a magician

*Lovely* work.

You are a magician, I wish I had your confidence just to go for it. Love this channel please keep um coming.

Love to see ur videos!! Thank u so much for sharing,, really enjoy them, "but" I'm greedy to see more! Plz make them longer and upload more frequently,, God bless..

brilliant as always!

Beautifully done!

Very nice work sir a true craftsman.

It's interesting how many commenters have not understood the reason for not removing the top. Thin wood that has been nailed down into an oak carcase a very long time ago is simply NOT going to come off. The nails will have corroded and become part of the wood and the top will likely splinter and crack. The only way might have been to saw throught the nails but working on the principle of doing no harm, leaving the top on was the best option. Restoration is often about working well with the piece rather than imposing oneself upon it.

Amazing work as usual...Thank you

Excellent job good luck with I think This is natural especial tichel is beautiful and very nice color in This job very natural Thanks for your time

I totally agree! It’s better than pretty good!

Great job top looks original..

I think it would be interesting if you could show some of your customers reactions when they get their restored furniture back. Some of those pieces must be family heirlooms and I bet the reactions from the families must be really satisfying for you. I realize that you need to ask permission before filming it, but some of them might be OK with it.

Very interesting and informative video, thanks for posting Tom. Regards and best wishes, Tony.

Very nicely done! Masking that compass was really exacting. Jim

Looks awsome!!

Very nicely done video and very informative. You are very skillful and from my vantage point more than a bit courageous.

Marvelous job :D As always :D

what a great job love that Inlay