Woodworking Family Life Style: My first drop leaf table restoration!

I picked up this drop leaf on a visit to a local estate sale. I had been wanting to do one for awhile and the price was right. this is a Duncan Phyfe -Style....notice I said Style.....I did a little research and got some info from an antiques expert. Antique is usually something of at least 100 years old.

And Duncan Phyfe was a furniture maker in the early 1800s. If you actually have a Duncan Phyfe anything, its probably 180+years old! So, anything made later than that in his style, is a knock-off.

I was told that the wood on the tables are of a mahogany veneer. The legs on the larger table are made from "red gum" wood and then stained to look like mahogany.

Here are the two items I got. The little guy was refurbed with the nautical compass.

This wood refinishing was pretty straightforward. After sanding, I applied Varthane dark walnut gel.
The body got a coat of home made chalk paint using DE "lambswool".