A project of a different type - Blackwood hall table

[Bob Connor]

This little table once belonged to my grandmother. It sat in the hallway for years with one of those black bakelite telephones on it, the telephone directory underneath it.

It ended up in my mum's house when Nan died around 20 years ago and ended up with me when the folks moved house some time back.

It was originally finished in shellac and the top of it was covered in multiple rings of various sizes that went into the wood.

It's been sitting in my garage for ages and the missus decided it would suit the TV room so I finally dragged myself away from building instruments to re-finish it.

The shellac that came of it was a sludgy gray colour and I have sanded it all the way back to the wood. The new finish is going to be pre-cat nitro, purely for durability. The pics below show it after a coat finishing epoxy to grain fill it

As you can see from the it was built by a company called Coogan's, which is currently celebrating it's centenary of trading in Hobart.

As you'd also see it's Blackwood and could date from the late 1920's to 1940's.

Regards

[Allen]

Classic and elegant. Never goes out of style.

What happened to the bakelite telephone? That's another classic.

[Lillian]

I can see why she wanted it out of the garage. Classic design and nice wood. Works for me. Its a bit of a different challenge for you, but I know you are more than up for it.

[nnickusa]

Nice table, and it'll be nicer. Best part is when you see it, you can have a smile imagining Nan sitting next to it on the telephone.

[auscab]

A nice little restoration project Bob. the label is interesting, I like the Bench number bit.
They had a system to trace poor work back to the maker.

I looked up Coogans in one of my books on Australian Furniture, by Faye and Simpson. here is a picture with some information.

Plate no 397 in the book shows a hall stand they made.

[Bob Connor]

It is quite interesting. My grandparents house (which was in Lauderdale, south east of Hobart) was full of Blackwood furniture. Most of it was built by my grandfather apart from this hall table which has the Coogan's label on it.

I reckon there's a story on how he acquired that table.

Regards.