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Items commonly repaired or needing
replacement are:
Handles, or parts of handles
Locks, keys, and keyhole
escutcheons
Castors, or parts of castors
Table forks and clamps
Hinges, cabinet door hinges, card
table hinges, drop leaf hinges
Fittings of other materials such
as wood, bone, ivory, mother of pearl, etc. can also be accurately matched for
replacements, responsible substitutes for ivory fittings etc. are available.
Often decorative fittings, especially handles, get
broken and parts lost or a set changed to keep up with fashion. Although often, like
this piece opposite the outline of the originals can be made out and an almost exact
correct set found, trial fitted here, holes from later replacements needing to be
patched. |
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Opposite shows a typical example of the marks left by changes of
handles over the years. The originals being a circular ring handle with central back
plate. |
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A replacement handle fitted to replace an inappropriate set. Aged to
suit the piece. Clues of the original style are often left as marks on the wood or
polish surface, in addition to understanding the correct style for the pieced and
period. |
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Suppliers of quality cast period fittings are used for some of the
metalwork but occasionally an exact copy needs to be made by hand, here fretted out of
brass sheet and pommels turned by lathe. |
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Broken fittings, especially if original are worth
repairing and can be done so quite effectively, as shown here on this hinge from a Tea
table. |
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Missing fittings such as this catch and the hinge below can be made up
in a number of ways, here just simply cut from solid brass. |
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Here a replacement for a tea pot lid knob is turned from a blank of
black buffalo horn, shown fitted below |
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A tiny ivory knob from an internal drawer of a secretaire here being
copied; turned on a lathe from a blank of ivorite (an ivory substitute |
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Opposite is shown a
credenza door with missing and damaged Boulle work
and mounts. |
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The same door fully restored. |
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Replacement keys can be cut. |
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Locks can usually be repaired and if missing can be replaced sometimes
with originals if available, or copies, or non functioning blanks if costs are an
issue. |
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