Case finish cracking and puckering

[Talb0tMonk]

Hello all,

I picked up a Haller AG mantel clock at an estate sale and I'm looking for some suggestions on addressing issues with the case.

As you can hopefully see in the pics the finish is badly cracked and there is some puckering where the case curves out to the base.

Am I looking at stripping it down? Is that even a viable option?

Thanks

 

[svenedin]

Unfortunately I think it is more serious than the "finish". It looks like the veneer has become distorted and has cracked (possibly from damp). I am not sure how this is best addressed. Possibly steam can be used to persuade the veneer to go back into shape but then there is the issue of gluing it back so that it stays in place.

 

[brian fisher]

i agree with sven. i also believe the veneer is distorted due to some sort of moisture issue. honestly, i think this would be really difficult to fix. my thoughts are along the lines of injecting some adhesive under the lifted areas and then vacuum bagging it until its dry.

 

[Bruce Alexander]

You'll only get one shot at fixing the veneer. You may want to seek out a shop that restores and refinishes antique furniture. They'll charge a lot less if they don't have to remove/replace the clock's original veneer which has been thoroughly hosed by amateur attempts to re-glue it.

BTW, welcome to the NAWCC's Forums.

 

[Talb0tMonk]

You'll only get one shot at fixing the veneer. You may want to seek out a shop that restores and refinishes antique furniture. They'll charge a lot less if they don't have to remove/replace the clock's original veneer which has been thoroughly hosed by amateur attempts to re-glue it.

BTW, welcome to the NAWCC's Forums.

Thanks all. I took a closer look and it does appear that the veneer has separated in that area and if I push gently on it I can get it to lay back down flat. That being said I also believe I could (and most certainly will) make it worse if I attempt a repair. I'm only into the clock for $24 at this point and I primarily wanted it to work on my movement cleaning and repair skills, but certainly would like to salvage the case as well if possible. I'll check around for options on having a pro take care of that.

Cheers!

 

[tracerjack]

You may want to eventually learn how to replace the veneer, and this case looks like a good candidate. Made my first attempt here https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/first-veneer-help.173933/
My case is similar to yours in that it is not particularly valuable or rare, so it wouldn't have been a terrible loss if things didn't go as planned. Cutting and applying the veneer wasn't as hard as it looked, although I wouldn't say it was easy either. Still, I enjoyed the journey, and you might too.

 

[Bruce Alexander]

It's always good to have options. I still think it's a good idea to have an experienced person look at it for you. It may be as simple as steaming the veneer and reactivating underlying hide glue. It may be something much more. If you're handy with wood, and want to give it a try, read up and go for it. I have seen the results of botched attempts at veneer repair, though. They weren't pretty so be careful. A beautifully overhauled movement in a botched up case equals a botched up clock that runs well.