Tambour Door Gets a New Canvas Backing - Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Restoration

[@dougjordan1544]

Thanks for your excellent videos. I really like your knowledge of the furniture and it's construction in addition to the history. Your sympathetic attitude to restoration is refreshing.

[@johnsonrestoration]

Thank you! I appreciate it!

[@fatersaadatniaki]

Thomas I am harboring the thoughts of one day setting out on a long journey to come by and visit you (and bring you a very special gift) and say a giant thank you for all the informative lessons that you taught me.

[@johnsonrestoration]

Thank you! I am looking forward to it! You would have a great time visiting Maine - it is unique!

[@bertharuiz1225]

Thoroughly enjoy your techniques. No other furniture (etc) restorer comes near to ur skills. Some are pretty decent. But sir mr.Thompson are a perfectionist. Stay healthy!

[@johnsonrestoration]

Thank you! I will try!

[@mafirearmsafety]

My tambour door on the roll top desk I’m working on needs new fabric, this video was helpful

[@johnsonrestoration]

Great!

[@darbylambert3224]

Thank you. This is so helpful for my next project.

[@johnsonrestoration]

You're welcome! I made a better video on tambours too: kzbin.info/www/bejne/maTbaJqFd9qdg6M

[@TheNickHorton]

Excellent.....I just love your videos. So relaxing to watch

[@johnsonrestoration]

Thanks!

[@norcaldata]

I should have know that when I googled tambour door repair you would be the first video to come up!😉

[@johnsonrestoration]

Thanks! That's great! I hope another one comes along!

[@danielbornhoeft7803]

Great video! I was actually looking to make a tambour door and this helped a lot. Also enjoy watching all of your restoration videos!

[@moh19931000]

That's the reason I watched this too! did you ever make it?

[@jefflively8690]

I Always use a white Canvas material to do my Roll Top Tambours ! Always . Its stiff and never needs ironing

[@johnsonrestoration]

Thanks! Yes, I like the white canvas, but can't always find it, The material I used is a heavy linen that seems very strong

[@peachstreetrestyle2518]

Nice work!

[@johnsonrestoration]

Thanks!

[@sarahferrier8871]

Very well done, I just finished tambors for my hoosier cabinet and I have to admit I was intimidated at the thought of reassembling them. Im not sure about the jig stuff but thank for taking the time in making this video. Emiy VanWassehnova, Rockwood Mi.

[@johnsonrestoration]

Sarah Ferrier Thanks for watching!

[@darshnarach8889]

brilliant job

[@johnsonrestoration]

Thanks!

[@danielfife2162]

What type of cloth material did you use and where can I vuy some? I have a roll top desk that the material has split I need to replace it. It may be above my ability level, but I think i will give it a try.

[@johnsonrestoration]

Thanks Daniel! Almost any sturdy material will do. I like to use "ticking", I get it at Joanne Fabrics, most fabric stores will carry ticking or something very similar en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ticking

[@mikesoulis9112]

Awesome video! I am subscribing right now!

[@johnsonrestoration]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@kennedymueller1788]

Thank you so much for the video. I’m working on replacing the fabric of a mid century modern piece right now. When you take the fabric right to the edge, is there ever a problem with the fabric getting stuck when you roll the door?

[@johnsonrestoration]

You're welcome! I'm doing a set of MCM doors right now! And yes, why not? If the fabric can get into the slot, I can imagine it might start to shred. I take a straight edge along the fabric and cut it with a utility knife and pull the excess fabric off, so it's a good 1/4 inch away from the edge

[@kennedymueller1788]

@@johnsonrestoration perfect!! Thank you! My door is giving me some issues. I’ll let you know when they are back in and sliding freely! 😀

[@kennedymueller1788]

I am working on a tambour door (again). Is there a reason I cannot add the bottom handle piece (the pull part of the door) at the end? I already have the rest of the pieces in the jig and ready to glue to fabric then realized I should have done the handle part first? Will it work to glue it last?

[@johnsonrestoration]

Thanks!There's no reason you can't. I've done the same thing because I couldn't do that bottom piece in the jig. So I glued it on afterward without a jig

[@kennedymueller1788]

Last night I put all pieces in the jig, secured it on all sides and spread hide glue on the fabric (with paint brush), making sure to get all areas covered, and then on the wood pieces with a small flock roller. I used a hard rubber block, followed by a small hard roller, weighted the top, similar to what you did in your video. To my horror, two things went wrong and I am not sure why. 1) I could tell right away some of the pieces didn’t stick…as the tried to see what was happening, one piece after another came off. 2) the pieces that didn’t come off, there was glue in between the tambours that would not be acceptable for a finished piece. The reason I used the flock roller was to get plenty of glue on without it all seeping through If you have time, I would love to know what went wrong? I suspect, but don’t know… the tambours had not been adequately cleaned and may have had a residue? I’ve had them in waiting for several months so maybe I forgot to clean with a good degreaser? I am usually very careful to clean before gluing. Could the hide glue be bad? I thank you for any feedback you can offer.

[@Captleemo]

Do you ever use Johnson's paste wax instead of candle wax?

[@johnsonrestoration]

Thanks! Oh yeah! How could I not use Johnson's? Any wax will work, I enjoy using up the candle bits

[@spencerstreet8291]

Hi! Great video, can you use waterproof fabric as that's all I can seem to find online, many thanks

[@johnsonrestoration]

Sure, as long as the glue sticks to it! Try it first. Look for a heavy linen or what we call "ticking"

[@spencerstreet8291]

Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Restoration ok lovley thank you very much

[@FWI356]

Great Repair.. Interesting piece.. Hope the New Year is treating you good. I'm keeping busy... Did the dog find a rabbit...? Thanks for posting. Keep the vidz coming. Thanks, Michael Frey

[@johnsonrestoration]

Thanks! Things are going great, but biz is slow, what you expect this time of year. Ella (dog) didn't get the rabbit but she did come in the other day with most of a squirrel tail!

[@inthenameofjustice8811]

Loved it. Just one thing though. I cannot go into a store and ask for some "regular yellow glue" so what is it?

[@johnsonrestoration]

Elmer's or Tite Bond. They would have known what you were asking for!

[@inthenameofjustice8811]

Thank you. Probably not in the UK where I am from though. Had I asked for yellow glue I would have got a blank look from some spotty 17 year old who has no idea what a wood screw is and probably thinks it's some vaguely perverted thing naked people do in forests.

[@RandomDoive]

Hi Tom, I have watched all of your movies and am now watching them again! May I ask a question? How did you stop the tambour pieces from sticking to each other when the fabric was glued on?

[@johnsonrestoration]

Thanks! When you take the tambours out of "clamps" they do seem stiff like they are glued together. But when you roll them a bit they immediately break loose and move fine. There is rarely any glue between the pieces.

[@MsRazvan29]

😍❤🤝wunderbar bravo

[@johnsonrestoration]

Thank you!

[@SharonSandstone]

What is the scraper called?

[@johnsonrestoration]

Hi Sharon, I think I answered your email? Paint scrapers from Bahco

[@SharonSandstone]

Yes! Thank you. Very helpful! I am trying to remove old OLD glue tape that has become one with my tambour slats. Heat did not work.

[@bobhaddock957]

what exact fabric did you use.....where to purchase ?

[@johnsonrestoration]

That's just a heavy linen, sometimes called ticking, you can get it at any large fabric store

[@robertthornhill4379]

nice one thomas 10/10 bob uk

[@johnsonrestoration]

Thanks!

[@monsterman51]

why did you use yellow glue and not hide glue?

[@johnsonrestoration]

Thanks! I needed the longer set time of the yellow. I think the important thing is to use any water soluble glue

[@nicholasbartlett3756]

great video . . . what's the glue you're using?

[@johnsonrestoration]

That was TiteBond 1 yellow glue. I usually like using Elmer's white glue, it doesn't make any difference. Thanks for watching!

[@sherrikline4464]

What kind of fabric

[@1959Berre]

If that glue runs through those strips, why don't they get glued to each other?

[@johnsonrestoration]

They do! and when you roll the tambour it breaks the "joint"

[@mindygracebickerdike]

Hate to sound like a typical woman, but the fabric would have lay flatter if you ironed it first. Mindygrace

[@johnsonrestoration]

Yes, you're right!

[@Lorelcom]

I guess I'm not a typical woman, because I hardly ever care about wrinkles... but in this case I would! I'm surprised Tom didn't iron the cloth-he is so painstaking about his prep for everything else!

[@rebeccatreeseed410]

I was offended when he did not iron the cloth!!!! Such beautiful painstaking work.

[@jonka1]

Good point made about ironing. Did you also pre shrink the fabric in case it ever gets wet? That tambour would be impossible to use if the fabric tightened up.

[@debbiezuehlk9622]

Do you have to worry about the clearance between the slats?