Advice on restoring/fixing a cabinet

[Evanism]

Hi all,

I've been asked to effect a repair on a cabinet. I know nothing of its age or worth.

Fixing it isnt really too much of a problem, but I do have a couple of questions from those in the know....

-- Just by looking, is it possible that someone might be able to guess the timber?
-- Is it best practice to restore in a manner that isn't perfect? i.e. its very good and very close... rather than 100% spot on?
-- I can do the perfect repair, or very close. Is this a standard that repairers adhere to?

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[mark david]

What you have is almost certainly an English,late Victorian period Circa 1880 bookcase cabinet.
Probably made from Honduras Mahogany.This cabinet is quite a faded example.
The damage around the hinge is quite common to find and I would try to repair it so it was hardly noticable.

[rwbuild]

Is it possible to find a spot inside the cabinet that no one will easily notice and cut a piece large enough for the repair in a crescent shape on one edge so it will blend into the grain without actually showing a true shoulder insert, if this all makes sense.

[Evanism]

Is it possible to find a spot inside the cabinet that no one will easily notice and cut a piece large enough for the repair in a crescent shape on one edge so it will blend into the grain without actually showing a true shoulder insert, if this all makes sense.

I was thinking exactly that. Just like a knee ligament repair :)

[rustynail]

To determine the cabinet's authenticity, open the draw and have a look at the dovetails, if they are large and chunky its a replica. Next, take a bit of a chisel shaving off the area of the damaged hinge. If the timber is light in colour it is not Honduras Mahogany its Philippine Mahogany and not worth a bumper. The corbels look like replicas also.
I'm tipping a cheap Philippine Mahogany replica import. Lousy, highly active, semi dry timber that moves at the slightest weather change.

[Xanthorrhoeas]

I can see why the previous poster thinks it is possible that this is a repro as the design is so common that there are many reproductions of it. Without seeing it in actuality it can be difficult to assess. However, overall, I am inclined to agree with mark david that it is 1880's mahogany. The figure in the timber seems to be formed by parenchyma bands (lighter tissue) rather than lines of pores (ring porous timbers include Australian cedar). The age is also given away by the wear marks, the darkness in the crevices and the white speckles in the timber. Late in the 19th century French polishers used a light coloured filler stained to match the timber colour (probably Plaster of Paris I have been told). Unfortunately the stain they used was not a solid, stable colour (technically it was what was called fugitive) so has faded back to light speckles in time. Late 19th century mahogany furniture is currently worth very little, although it may have been purchased for quite a lot of money. The value cycle is low for it at the moment but it will come back in time as people realise the quality of the cabinet making and timbers are so superior to current fabricated board cabinet work. it is therefore important to treat it with the respect it deserves.

IMHO a good repair of an antique removes as little original material as possible and matches as closely as possible to the original so as to become almost invisible. Now, there is a school of thought amongst academic restoration experts that repairs should be perfect in terms of joinery and fit etc. but be painted grey or some such to stand out and make clear that they are repairs. I completely disagree with that school.

Most restoration experts would recommend that the repair be glued in with a reversible glue such as hide glue and that the finish be exactly the same as the original - i.e. brown button shellac (not orange flake please). I do not believe however that you need to grain fill with stained or unstained plaster of Paris - just make the repair as minimal and least obvious as you can. Hide glues work very well and have been proven over hundreds of years so there is no valid concern about their quality.

Good luck

David

[Xanthorrhoeas]

P.S. Furniture conservation would argue strongly against taking a piece from elsewhere in the cabinet. Use new mahogany and stain/bleach it to fit. Most of what you can buy is quite pale so so should not need to be bleached.

[yvan]

Before speculating about possible cheap Philipino mahogany and parenchyma bands, has Evanism asked the owner(s) about the provenance of the piece? Its history might actually tell exactly what it is !!!

yvan

[Evanism]

Yvan is right. I have asked, but no answer yet. I'm not an expert in antique or even old restoration, but I have fixed dozens of pieces over the last 4 years.

I'm of two thoughts.

First is to preserve, but if the thing is "just an interesting old cabinet" what does it matter what happens to it? Since we know it isnt some rare artifact with some particular provenance it makes me think that to make a non-reversible repair the thing to do. This should be fun and not too difficult.

Second, if it is worth something, then he is essentially unaware of it. Even if it is "worth something", is a high class repair is even needed? I don't know. Clearly it isnt some magical attic find.

I took the time to buy 2 good books on the field and I'll read all of those to scraps. Thanks to everyone for their wisdoms.

[yvan]

The "style" of repairs to an old piece is always a debate.
I personally believe that the best way to preserve a piece is to use it and, in the process, look after it.
We tend to forget that an old piece today may become an "antique" in years ahead.
The fact that a piece is in use may to some extent "dictate" how it is repaired to remain functional.
This obviously doesn't excuse butchering !!!

yvan

[Xanthorrhoeas]

Whoa there yvan. I am a botanist (PhD), and have been a collector and restorer of antiques for over 40 years so my comments about parenchyma bands are not speculation - they are informed observations from the photographs and were made with an interest in providing helpful information for Evanism in his future timber identifications.

BTW, the usual behaviour in these forums is to be respectful of others' posts and opinions, even if they differ from your own.

If Evanism knew or had been told the timber, history or origin of the piece he would not have asked for forumites opinions. He did so we gave them in a spirit of helpfulness and respectfulness that should be the standard all adhere to.

[Evanism]

I was on Gumtree over the last few weeks and thought that people selling old wardrobes and desks was an excellent source of timber!

A $50 or $75 solid wardrobe or table has heaps of timber for boxes.

Antique or not, it's cheaper than the local timber supplier :)

Thanks for the advice all. Deep knowledge!

[Xanthorrhoeas]

Damaged old furniture is especially cheap (virtually worthless) and can be a good source of timber.

[Evanism]

Xanthorrhoeas, do you have any suggested books on the restoration of antiques?

I bought one on Amazon that's on it's way "The Furniture Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Identify, Restore & Care for Furniture"

It's proving to be a very interesting thing repairing furniture. It's much much harder than making it new, therefore more challenging and far more enjoyable.

Any advice for resources would be grand.

[rustynail]

[QUOTE=Evanism;1925341]Xanthorrhoeas, do you have any suggested books on the restoration of antiques?

I bought one on Amazon that's on it's way "The Furniture Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Identify, Restore & Care for Furniture"

It's proving to be a very interesting thing repairing furniture. It's much much harder than making it new, therefore more challenging and far more enjoyable.

Any advice for resources would be grand.[/QUOTE
So are we going to get any info on the dovetails?
Another dead giveaway is the use of a single timber specie.
If you google Phillipine mahogany repro furniture you will see a classic example of your cabinet.

[Xanthorrhoeas]

Xanthorrhoeas, do you have any suggested books on the restoration of antiques?

I bought one on Amazon that's on it's way "The Furniture Bible: Everything You Need to Know to Identify, Restore & Care for Furniture"

It's proving to be a very interesting thing repairing furniture. It's much much harder than making it new, therefore more challenging and far more enjoyable.

Any advice for resources would be grand.

Hi Evanism,

Yes, it is challenging and rewarding work. It is also a field where you can make good money because, in some places like here in Brisbane, restorers are becoming difficult to find. Locally, many of the good restorers have become old and died or retired. That may also be the case in your area and if so owners of antiques, including antique shops, can have difficulty getting items repaired. Here in Brisbane that can work in the favour of collectors like me as I have picked up some pieces inexpensively because the dealer could not afford to restore them! However, it could also work in favour of a "starving artist" as you describe yourself! If you contact the local dealers you may find yourself with an extra line of work.

I am not familiar with the book that you have ordered but it sounds good. I used to have a series of similar books and books on French Polishing but seem to have lost them when moving from Hobart to Brisbane 15 years ago. The removalists did not deliver everything!

If you PM me with your email address I will send you a MS Word document that I found some time ago titled Furniture Restoration Guidelines by a North American author called Joshua Kline. It is relatively short and may not take into account your high-level woodwork skill set but does put quite a lot of information in the one place. Mr Kline has also started a magazine devoted to restoration - the first edition of which is about to be published Mortise & Tenon Magazine (http://mortiseandtenonmag.com). I have ordered a copy but not yet received it so I do not know how good it will be.

I think that understanding how early furniture was made is an important part of being able to restore/conserve antique furniture. I have seen a lot of furniture over the years and have been fortunate to work on some of it so have gradually learned about how it was made - not that I profess to know it all by any means, I still have my L plates in furniture restoration and expect/hope to keep learning.

Have you seen the series of books put out by Lost Arts Press? Carbatec are in the process of becoming their distributor here in Australia but do not have them all yet. One of the books The Joiner & Cabinetmaker by Anonymous, Christopher Schwarz and Joel Moskowitz sounds interesting (it is not available with Carbatec yet). 370 pages and based on an 1839 English cabinetmaking book. https://www.carbatec.com.au/books-dvd-s-and-plans/books/lost-art-press/joiner-and-cabinet-maker-anonymous-c-schwarz-j-moskowitz. I intend to purchase a copy when it is available.

I do not know if you have French Polishing as one of your skills? Hand polishing with a rubber is a critical skill for restoration - and you also need to use appropriate shellac, not the orange flake variety but the brown button raw form shellac that was used originally. I can let you know a supplier if you need one. Of course, one would hope not to have to polish very much on a restoration because original finish and patina are such an important part of the value of an antique. Many collectors will not purchase an item that has been extensively repolished although they will accept repairs to veneer and structural repairs as part of the patina. A new polish will usually at least halve the value.

I do not have a copy of it but I have been told that the UBeaut manual on French Polishing is the go. I learned my technique from an old Austrian cabinetmaker (in his 80's) and through trial and error. It is not as difficult a skill to gain as may be thought, especially since the old, patinated finishes you need to match are not perfect. One also needs some skills blending stains to match new timber colour to old faded timbers.

I hope this helps

David

[Evanism]

Xanthorrhoeas, what an excellent response. I'm super happy at the time you've taken to assist.

I'm not a starving artist. :) it's more of an aspiration!

I'm very familiar and quite skilled at a number of finishes. It's one part of my skill base I'm really focusing on at the moment. Until now, it's been all the "modern" things. Clients are pushing me hard in new directions I really didn't want to go in.... Paint, nitro, waxes, stains,etc.

Previously I was making pretty much everything and perfecting shape, strength, clean glue ups, great curves, smooth joins and a well refined finish. I was pretty happy with that, then I was asked by a big client to ....paint. Errr, no..... But I was encouraged strongly.

That was the slippery slope.

Since then I've spent a huge number of hours researching finishes and repair techniques from a very wide range of skills... Knife makers, shotgun makers (for the handles), lutherie, cars paints and prep, European fine boxes, etc.

Re French polish, I've done a bit, but not a lot. I've certainly read a lot and seen a great many tutorials. Ubeauts book just came in this week and it's already found a place on the night stand for gentle bed time reading :)

Getting more supplies is next. My finishing shelves are already groaning, but it seems one is always missing 1 or 2 items!

I'll grab those resources you mentioned.

[yvan]

Whoa there yvan. I am a botanist (PhD), and have been a collector and restorer of antiques for over 40 years so my comments about parenchyma bands are not speculation - they are informed observations from the photographs and were made with an interest in providing helpful information for Evanism in his future timber identifications.

BTW, the usual behaviour in these forums is to be respectful of others' posts and opinions, even if they differ from your own.

If Evanism knew or had been told the timber, history or origin of the piece he would not have asked for forumites opinions. He did so we gave them in a spirit of helpfulness and respectfulness that should be the standard all adhere to.

Xanthorrrrhoeras

I apologise if my post gave the impression that I had dismissed your observations and, by inference, your expertise and experience in the matter.

yvan

[Fuzzie]

If you PM me with your email address I will send you a MS Word document that I found some time ago titled Furniture Restoration Guidelines by a North American author called Joshua Kline. It is relatively short and may not take into account your high-level woodwork skill set but does put quite a lot of information in the one place. Mr Kline has also started a magazine devoted to restoration - the first edition of which is about to be published Mortise & Tenon Magazine (http://mortiseandtenonmag.com). I have ordered a copy but not yet received it so I do not know how good it will be.

David

Hi David,

Out of interest, is your MS Word doc more detailed than this article by Mr Klein?
How to Repair Your Own Furniture | The Art of Manliness (http://www.artofmanliness.com/2015/07/17/how-to-make-4-common-furniture-repairs/)

Thanks, Franklin

[Xanthorrhoeas]

Hi David,

Out of interest, is your MS Word doc more detailed than this article by Mr Klein?
How to Repair Your Own Furniture | The Art of Manliness (http://www.artofmanliness.com/2015/07/17/how-to-make-4-common-furniture-repairs/)

Thanks, Franklin

Hi Franklin,

It is exactly the same article. Thanks for the link as that will help other readers of these forums:2tsup:. I found the article reprinted somewhere with only his name as credit so I didn't get the link. I do not agree with the "art of manliness" bit. Especially as the best antiques restorer still working in my area is a woman!

Regards

David

[Xanthorrhoeas]

As an addition to my earlier response I wanted to mention that not all books or articles on restoration are good to follow. Just like in building restoration there was a phase where "professionals" were very impressed with new materials and believed, incorrectly, that they were automatically superior to the old ways. For example, soft lime mortars were replaced by "better" hard cement mortars - and that resulted in ghastly damage to old stone and brisk buildings (lime mortar let water out but the cement mortar was impervious so the water and salts rotted away the adjacent stone and or brick).

Likewise, some restoration "professionals" enthusiastically embraced modern techniques and adhesives without understanding the damage they were doing and the reduction in value their repairs caused. I have a book by a Frenchman, Michael Doussy, Antiques professional Secrets for the Amateur 1977 Book Club Associates, London, that exemplifies how not to do it. He includes techniques that remove original material and recommends the use of inappropriate adhesives from vinyl to contact adhesives. I pity the people who will have to make good his style of repairs later on.

Some older books however, were much better than others and a couple may be available in second hand bookstores locally or on-line if forumites are interested. The ones that I have are not necessarily the definitive books on the subject, they are just the examples that I picked up along the way.

Charles Harding, Furniture Doctoring and French Polishing, 1970, W. Foulsham and Co, London, (0-572-00710-8 may be the SBN), was a very useful book for me when I was first learning.

Other books that are useful and informative have focussed on the frequency of reproduction or faked furniture being passed off as antiques. One example of these books is an old one that I have by W. Crowley, Is It Genuine? A Guide to the Identification of Eighteenth-Century English Furniture, 1971 Eyre & Spottiswoode, London (but relevant to later periods too).

One much lighter book that forumites interested in furniture history and restoration may enjoy is by Norman Lindsay Dust or Polish. I do not have the other details because the person I lent the book to some years ago has not returned it - but it is a fun read.

The Furniture History Society (UK) Home | Furniture History Society (http://www.furniturehistorysociety.org/) or the Australian Furniture History Society The Furniture History Society (http://www.furniturehistory.org.au/) publish journals with interesting articles on antique furniture and the Australiana Society publishes a high quality colour magazine with lots of information about some fascinating items of Australiana including furniture.

If there is any interest I can also list some of the furniture books that I own, but this post is probably quite long enough for now and I need to get some workshop time!

David