How do you fix a wobbly table leg?

Glue joints dry out over the decades. You need to knock the joint apart with a soft mallet. Scrape away the old hide glue before applying fresh adhesive and clamping it tight. Injecting glue into a loose gap won't hold.

I found a set in my aunt's loft but the smallest table is missing, does it matter if they are not a full set anymore?

Incomplete sets turn up often. They were separated when households divided estates or pieces simply broke. Many people still use a group of three from an original quartetto set without noticing the gap. The runners under the lowest table will just sit empty.

Can you strip dark varnish off them?

Yes, but think twice before you do. Harsh chemical strippers damage the thin veneers and dissolve the delicate cross-banding used on period pieces.

Why do some of the tables slide out easily while others get wedged tight halfway along the wooden tracks underneath when you pull them?

Humidity causes the wooden runners to swell and grip the table below. This happens more often with pine secondary woods that absorb moisture readily in damp rooms. Rubbing a simple beeswax candle along the sliding contact points usually helps. Check the tracks for splinters if the wax fails to work.

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Antique Nest of Tables

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A set of three or four small, graduated tables designed to slide neatly beneath one another when not needed, originally created to provide occasional surfaces for tea or games in crowded drawing rooms.