Vintage Magazine Table: From Trash to Triumph

This vintage magazine table was in a sorry state.

I bought it for $5 online based on this photo. When I arrived for the early pandemic porch pickup, I discovered what wasn’t showing — a broken scroll on the opposite side and loads of chipped veneer. I thought many times about trashing it, BUT my job is to rescue furniture. So, after several months ignoring it in the garage, I decide it was time to clean it, scuff-sand it, and work some magic.

The Problem

The chipped veneer was easy enough to tackle. I smothered the damage with Elmer’s Pro-Bond® wood filler and sanded it smooth. But the missing scroll was another problem altogether.

I thought about removing all the scrolls to match, but I discovered a bigger dilemma. The top part of the scroll broke where the wood held the tabletop in place. You can just see the connecting dowel peeking down from the top. There was more to repair than I thought. (Cue eye roll.)

The Pattern

The seller had at least tucked part of the broken scroll into the magazine rack for me (gee thanks). But I was able to use that piece to trace the shape I needed onto some plywood. Then I added the extra section on the left end to form the support for the tabletop.

The Precision

After I cut out the basic shape with my jigsaw, I used my woodcarving and chiseling tools to fine tune the piece. I smoothed the edges, whittled down any uneven lines, and sanded the finished insert.

The Placement

I popped the new piece into place using E6000® glue and a screw. Not bad, eh? Then I added wood filler to smooth the gaps so the new piece would blend seamlessly with the rest.

Next, I painted the whole piece in Farmhouse® “Black Noir” paint and gave the top a couple coats of Minwax Polycrylic® for protection.