Restoring a Korean Chest - Thomas Johnson Antique Furniture Restoration

[judithfairchild]

Your respect for the previous wood workers is one of the many reasons why I continue watching and looking forward to your next video

[cogidubnus]

Something witty about square pegs and round holes ought to come to mind...but I'm feeling too tired right now and will refrain...thanks Tom...(I hate you...is there nothing you can't do?)

Yours in deep seated inferiority

Dave

PS You've got pretty big sparrows over there...

[lili]

That is so cool! I took my students to Japan in 1999, attended a Chinese Bible church for 3 years to learn Mandarin and have many young friends who were adopted from a South Korea. I love the Asian-inspired anything! This is a beautiful piece. Thank you for repairing with reverence to the original artisans.

[hernancoronel]

Thank you Tom aka "the unstoppable restoring machine"! Love your videos, thank you!

[jasmoore]

Great work. I'm glad you took a couple of minutes to consider (a question I had) why the pegs may have sheared. Also, apart from maintaining the authenticity of this piece, in general do you think that tapered pegs are more secure than straight pegs?

[FWI]

Hi Tom.
Great restoration. The Chest looks amazing.

Cheers, Michael Frey
FREY WOODWORKING INC.

[Celiamarcal]

Acho a abertura de seus vídeos maravilhosas, Animais, frutas., Vi sua resposta, Obrigada.

[amyxu]

Hi There, I have two Korean Chests. And one of them the metal design on the front is falling off. I don't know how to put them back on. Please advise do I nail it if yes, what kind of nail. Can I get a way with glue it on? if so what kind of glue do I use. Thanks.

[sindobrandnew]

1:43 I'm curious that Is it common for use a wooden peg on furniture? or is that just a korean way. Anyway appreciate your vids, Its really entertaining and ... even relaxing :)

[Val_Emrys]

Great job with those pegs. I am wondering if it would have been a good idea to use glue on the surround of the back and not just in the peg holes. I understand that was not the original method and probably a major reason not to do that, but would it prevent the pegs from breaking if the wood shrank more or would it cause the wood panel to crack because of restricted movement? (P.S. Clamping opportunity missed).

[suemcguire]

I am looking for a door for a 1908 korean chest on chest...can you steer me in the right direction?

[susanjspaulding]

*Your dog looks FAB in your glasses* *He's a smart dog* *LOVE all of the antique pieces that you restore*

[wildfrank]

Looked like you were playing 'Whack-a-Mole' !!!!

[efb]

I have a Japanese chest with the same problem. I've not had the courage to do anything about it partly because the joinery is so foreign to me. Also, there is some missing wood on one drawer face and I've never figured out what type of wood it is in order to make a repair. It is amazingly light and amazingly strong. Then, on top of all that, the finish is foreign to me (some sort of light oil or wax?), so I don't know what to do to repair the finish if I work on it.

I think there is a technique in Japanese construction that compresses wood with a hammer. For example, imagine cutting a full / crossed lap joint. I think there is a Japanese technique that would make the notch just a hair too narrow to accept the other half. A hammer is then used to compress the other half. After assembly, the wood expands over time making a super-tight joint. The reason I'm mentioning this is that I wonder if this was done with the pegs on your chest. That could explain why they were so tight and might also be a super efficient way to fit them. 

Oh, on my chest, the reason the back is off is because the back acts as the drawer stop. Over the years, it has just been beaten off of the back of the cabinet by the drawers. This is another example of a construction difference, actually. Western chests have empty space around the drawers and in back. The Japanese drawer has no wasted space around it and is dead up against the cabinet sides and back. On a western chest, you just have to fit the opening and adjust the runners / kickers while on the Japanese chest it seems like the whole case just has to be dead on and the drawer built to match. Quite humbling, really. Sorry- not trying to explain anything to you..just babbling in wonder about these chests.

[wandakowalski]

What an incredibly smart and helpful companion you have!

[markharris]

All I originally wanted to do was learn how to make photograph frames, but you have made me fall in love with all wooden furniture and furnishings. It’s not just your amazing craftsmanship, it’s your desire to do the best job possible with an all too rare modesty. This was your best beginning yet though.

[nrrful]

Interesting as usual. Wondering why back in the day the builder would use square pegs to begin with rather than round. Seems like more work to make square pegs...

[Estereos]

square pegs will never go out. it is "by design".

[calimonty]

I just acquired this exact furniture piece. Any idea approximately what year it was made?

[suestracks]

You never cease to amaze me. That whole video was amazing. Hand made pegs no