07-28-2017, 03:19 PM
I could use some advice from some of you furniture historians. I am doing some restoration work on a chest that has been in my wife's family for many years. She was told that it was made by her father's grandfather. We are now in our mid 70's. So, I think that would put it's construction in the late 1800''s. I would like to get some other opinions on it's possible age. Here are some observations that might help:
Veneer is about 1/32' thick.
The top is a solid single piece of mahogany about 3/4" thick with signs of hand planing on the underside, mostly around the edges.
Likewise for end panels.
Interior unexposed edges of casework tend to be rough cut. Cut marks appear to be straight not circular.
Casework joinery was well done either by machine or by a skillful well equipped craftsman.
Drawer joints are half blind dovetails at the front and full dovetails at the rear definitely done by hand.
There is little original hardware, but a couple of existing screws are definitely machine made. I can't be sure, but I think they are original.
I started out thinking that the original finish was shellac. However, as I have worked on repairs, it appears that there is something under the shellac that is impervious to alcohol; lacquer?
The piece is mainly mahogany with mahogany veneers mostly on drawer fronts and front edges of the casework. The casework is very sound, but the drawers were a mess requiring replacement of the bottom edges of the sides where they were badly worn and broken. Dovetails also had to be re-glued (all repairs done with hide glue). The runners were also badly worn to the point that the front edges had big notches worn in them. I have also repaired a lot of veneer chips along edges. The top was such a mess, I had no choice but to sand it down to bare wood. There was apparently a top piece on it at some point as there were screw holes that had been crudely puttied. I put in some mahogany plugs.
I know it was refinished at least once with shellac. I remember my mother-in-law doing that in the late 1950s (my wife and I were dating at the time). I am sure she had good intentions, but did not have much experience in doing it. While the shellac held up fairly well, it was streaked, uneven, and flaking off in some places. I think that her purpose was, in large part, an effort to cover problems with the top.
Not all of the shellac has been removed; only the top and places where repairs were necessary. I have sanded the remainder smooth with 220 grit in prep for refinishing. My original intent was to refinish with another coat or two of shellac thinking that it was the original finish. I now think that the original finish was maybe lacquer. From my reading, I think that would be in keeping with the era. So, I'm now thinking of perhaps putting on a seal coat of shellac and then finish with lacquer. I know this would not be the same lacquer as original, but it might be somewhat more durable. Any advice?
Veneer is about 1/32' thick.
The top is a solid single piece of mahogany about 3/4" thick with signs of hand planing on the underside, mostly around the edges.
Likewise for end panels.
Interior unexposed edges of casework tend to be rough cut. Cut marks appear to be straight not circular.
Casework joinery was well done either by machine or by a skillful well equipped craftsman.
Drawer joints are half blind dovetails at the front and full dovetails at the rear definitely done by hand.
There is little original hardware, but a couple of existing screws are definitely machine made. I can't be sure, but I think they are original.
I started out thinking that the original finish was shellac. However, as I have worked on repairs, it appears that there is something under the shellac that is impervious to alcohol; lacquer?
The piece is mainly mahogany with mahogany veneers mostly on drawer fronts and front edges of the casework. The casework is very sound, but the drawers were a mess requiring replacement of the bottom edges of the sides where they were badly worn and broken. Dovetails also had to be re-glued (all repairs done with hide glue). The runners were also badly worn to the point that the front edges had big notches worn in them. I have also repaired a lot of veneer chips along edges. The top was such a mess, I had no choice but to sand it down to bare wood. There was apparently a top piece on it at some point as there were screw holes that had been crudely puttied. I put in some mahogany plugs.
I know it was refinished at least once with shellac. I remember my mother-in-law doing that in the late 1950s (my wife and I were dating at the time). I am sure she had good intentions, but did not have much experience in doing it. While the shellac held up fairly well, it was streaked, uneven, and flaking off in some places. I think that her purpose was, in large part, an effort to cover problems with the top.
Not all of the shellac has been removed; only the top and places where repairs were necessary. I have sanded the remainder smooth with 220 grit in prep for refinishing. My original intent was to refinish with another coat or two of shellac thinking that it was the original finish. I now think that the original finish was maybe lacquer. From my reading, I think that would be in keeping with the era. So, I'm now thinking of perhaps putting on a seal coat of shellac and then finish with lacquer. I know this would not be the same lacquer as original, but it might be somewhat more durable. Any advice?