Warped mahogany card table

It is not uncommon for the folding tops of antique card tables to warp over time and not sit flat on the base anymore. This occurs when the groundwork (wood) the veneer is secured onto loses its shape (often due to drying out in modern houses) and it is impossible to press back into shape without the risk of splitting the wood and therefore the veneer as well.

The only remedy is to remove the baize from the inside surface of the top and then carefully remove the old warped groundwork to within a few millimetres of the top veneer. Once completed a new flat groundwork can be glued into place and the inside of the top re-bazed. The repair is hidden underneath the baize and the result is a flat stable top, sittiing perfectly on base.

The table in the photos is a perfect example of how secessful this can be and we were lucky in that the baize needed to be replaced anyway, so had to be removed. This is a tricky procedure but well worth the time and effort to make the table usable again.

Before repair

Before repair

Before repair

After repair

After repair

After repair