Fixing a small cupped tabletop

[Von]

Friends, as you see in the following photos this fine little table has developed a cupped top across the grain. I have a rough plan on how to fix it, but since between the cold and the holidays it will likely be a bit before I get in the shop, I thought I'd ask the if anyone has a better idea.

The top has a small square block both holding it to the spindle. The screws are little loose, but there is not enough of a gap between the square and the top such that tightening them up will significantly flatten the top. (I just noticed the screws aren't symmetrical, I'm not sure why.)

My thinking is get the top flat using a damp towel and some heat, and then attach two cauls to the bottom of the top, running across the grain, one on either side of the current square to try and hold it flat. I'd make the cauls as long as possible without them being visible from above and too visible from the side. Where the red lines roughly are in the image below.

Thoughts?

 

[Beechwood Chip]

You could rout a dado in the table top and recess the cauls, so they'd be less obvious.  Some people use metal U channel for extra strength.  You could remove the block and route a dado for the caul closer to the center.

I'm just tossing out ideas; I'm nor saying these are good ideas.

[Ron Swanson Jr.]

My inclination would be to remove the top, plane it flat, and reinstall it using only 1 screw on each side instead of 2. 

If you do try to use cauls, I'd suggest elongating the screw holes on one side of each caul, to give the panel room to move with the seasons. 

 

Edit: one other thing. It looks like the grain of the block is running perpendicular to the grain of the top. I'd want them running in the same direction. 

 

[wtnhighlander]

Just an observation, but with the block and top grain oriented at 90* to one another, my guess is tgat the screw offset is meant to reduce the risk of splitting the top. Having the screws line up would double the wedging action withing the same growth ring in the top.

[Ron Swanson Jr.]

On 12/21/2025 at 3:53 PM, wtnhighlander said:

Just an observation, but with the block and top grain oriented at 90* to one another, my guess is tgat the screw offset is meant to reduce the risk of splitting the top. Having the screws line up would double the wedging action withing the same growth ring in the top.

That could be. Another possibility is they used a drill press and the stops were set at fixed lengths. They bored the 2 holes on one side, spun it around and bored the 2 on the other side. 

[Mark J]

What time of year is the top the most flat?  That might be the best time to try to "fix" the top.

It's a good looking table.  Does it need to be flat?  After all antiques aren't perfect.

[Von]

Thanks all. Some responses follow. 

On 12/21/2025 at 11:24 AM, Beechwood Chip said:

You could rout a dado in the table top and recess the cauls, so they'd be less obvious.  Some people use metal U channel for extra strength.  You could remove the block and route a dado for the caul closer to the center.

I hadn't thought of using metal. I prefer to keep it wood because metal feels out of character for the piece. If it turns out wood isn't strong enough to hold it flat, maybe I could sandwich some metal between the cauls and the top.

On 12/21/2025 at 12:22 PM, Ron Swanson Jr. said:

My inclination would be to remove the top, plane it flat, and reinstall it using only 1 screw on each side instead of 2. 

I'd like to keep the current (presumably original) finish if possible.  But good point on 1 screw versus 2 - the second one isn't adding much if anything.

On 12/21/2025 at 12:22 PM, Ron Swanson Jr. said:

If you do try to use cauls, I'd suggest elongating the screw holes on one side of each caul, to give the panel room to move with the seasons. 

Good suggestion. I'd like to think I would have thought of that...

On 12/21/2025 at 12:22 PM, Ron Swanson Jr. said:

Edit: one other thing. It looks like the grain of the block is running perpendicular to the grain of the top. I'd want them running in the same direction. 

Good point. It's seems clearly 90 degrees to the top, so I assume it was intentionally attached that way (as opposed to randomly oriented), which is odd. It's right on the cusp of being wide enough where I would worry about cross-grain movement. I wonder if they attached it in the orientation it is to try and hold the top flat?

On 12/21/2025 at 4:53 PM, wtnhighlander said:

Just an observation, but with the block and top grain oriented at 90* to one another, my guess is tgat the screw offset is meant to reduce the risk of splitting the top. Having the screws line up would double the wedging action withing the same growth ring in the top.

Makes sense. Apparently some thought went into attaching the top, I wish I understood their thinking better.

On 12/22/2025 at 8:20 AM, Mark J said:

What time of year is the top the most flat?  That might be the best time to try to "fix" the top.

It used to be a plant stand so I didn't pay any attention to it. This summer I repurposed it and now use it daily for my laptop, coffee mug, etc. It has gotten worse as we get into winter, so I assume it's byproduct of drying out with the change in humidity. Waiting until Summer and seeing if it flattens on its own may be wiser than muscling it flat.

On 12/22/2025 at 8:20 AM, Mark J said:

It's a good looking table.  Does it need to be flat?  After all antiques aren't perfect.

"Need" is a strong word. It's not the end of the world, but it's kinda annoying as things tend to rock on it with the grain because the middle is a high point in that direction. In part I'm doing it for the challenge and learning experience.

Thanks again.

[Tpt life]

I wonder if the finish schedule is unbalanced, leaving the bottom to take humidity on more quickly. I think some effort to balance might be called for. 

[Ron Swanson Jr.]

@Von, in my world there's "flat" and there's "flat enough". Critical distinction!

[Von]

On 12/22/2025 at 12:40 PM, Tpt life said:

I wonder if the finish schedule is unbalanced, leaving the bottom to take humidity on more quickly. I think some effort to balance might be called for. 

Good question. It is a fairly thin finish, perhaps an oil. I can feel the grain with my fingers. I don't feel a significant different between the sides of the top (or the base) but the top definitely has signs of spills and other minor incidents.

I would hesitate to start applying more finish until I figured out what is on it, and based on past experience I have low confidence I can do that.

[Ron Swanson Jr.]

On 12/23/2025 at 8:05 AM, Von said:

Good question. It is a fairly thin finish, perhaps an oil. I can feel the grain with my fingers. I don't feel a significant different between the sides of the top (or the base) but the top definitely has signs of spills and other minor incidents.

I would hesitate to start applying more finish until I figured out what is on it, and based on past experience I have low confidence I can do that.

If you have a sense of how old it is, you can use that to make some deductions about the finish. 

If it predates poly, then odds are pretty good it's an oil, or shellac. Or both. 

One easy way to test if it's shellac is to rub some denatured alcohol on an inconspicuous area. If it quickly removes the finish, it's shellac. 

[Von]

On 12/23/2025 at 9:11 AM, Ron Swanson Jr. said:

If you have a sense of how old it is, you can use that to make some deductions about the finish. 

On the bottom of the tabletop is the following sticker. I don't see a date on it, but I did some searching with Google lens and found an example of someone selling the same table with a much more legible sticker. So is this table was made by the Consider H. Willett Furniture Company of Louisville, KY. Based on other posts, the sticker probably dates it very early in the life of the company, in the 1930s. It's walnut which is unusual for Willett, who did mostly cherry, but given the pricing in this ad, and similar ones I've come across, it's not of any significant value.

Looking into how Willett finished, they apparently finished their furniture with "a wax finish developed after years of research" which seems consistent with what I see on my table. 

[Ron Swanson Jr.]

On 12/26/2025 at 7:20 AM, Von said:

On the bottom of the tabletop is the following sticker. I don't see a date on it, but I did some searching with Google lens and found an example of someone selling the same table with a much more legible sticker. So is this table was made by the Consider H. Willett Furniture Company of Louisville, KY. Based on other posts, the sticker probably dates it very early in the life of the company, in the 1930s. It's walnut which is unusual for Willett, who did mostly cherry, but given the pricing in this ad, and similar ones I've come across, it's not of any significant value.

Looking into how Willett finished, they apparently finished their furniture with "a wax finish developed after years of research" which seems consistent with what I see on my table. 

Good sleuthing @Von! I noticed that and was wondering if it was painted on or a sticker. I wonder if they had stickers in the 30s? No idea. 

 

Edit:

I missed the obvious, that if the table predates stickers, they certainly could've made one using paper and adhesive. Sometimes my responses come before the critical thinking kicks in. Lol. 

[Von]

On 12/26/2025 at 9:21 AM, Ron Swanson Jr. said:

Good sleuthing @Von! I noticed that and was wondering if it was painted on or a sticker. I wonder if they had stickers in the 30s? No idea. 

 

Edit:

I missed the obvious, that if the table predates stickers, they certainly could've made one using paper and adhesive. Sometimes my responses come before the critical thinking kicks in. Lol. 

Yeah, I used "sticker" loosely. Paper with glue is probably accurate. 

Back to the original topic, I expect I will try to do a little clean up of the surface and apply some wax once I have it flat again, at least on the top of the top. It has one good scratch I'll try to address when doing so.

Thanks for asking the question that prodded me to research. It was fun learning a little more about the table even if it's relatively pedestrian.

BTW, I thought my wife brought it into our house, but she assures me I did, so I really have no idea of its history.