Workshop / Open treatment notes
Bench Notes
Theo Bell’s working notes on where to cut, what to save, and how to leave a repair readable.
Read the treatment schedule“I want the next person at the bench to be able to see what I did.”
Theo Bell, on recording a repair
Treatment schedule
Three decisions at the bench.
Lower rail
Splice in matching oakDecay was concentrated at the bottom edge.
Glass
Protect and retainThe pane was intact and defines the entrance.
Finish
Blend at the repairSound surfaces carry the wear of a working door.
Leave a record under the finish.
I sketch the repair before finishing. I mark what came out, which surfaces stayed, and where the replacement wood begins. For the library door, that note belongs with the condition survey so the next repair starts with a clear account.
Providence, Rhode Island
I’m Theo Bell.
I restore architectural woodwork that still has a job to do. Doors have to swing, windows have to close, and someone has to know where the last repair begins. I keep a record with every piece.
Recent workshop studies include a sash with a split meeting rail and a stair handrail polished by a century of hands.