Kauri Trunk

[Thumbthumper]

Hi all,

I found this Kauri trunk at the local junk store.
It was all original and had plenty of character. Never been painted and amazing wide single-piece boards.
This one's a keeper :U

Apologies for the terrible photography.

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Large case dovetails. I shouldn't have to knock this apart as it's very solid.
The inside tray is intact complete with a false bottom.
The inside hasn't been messed with at all. There are still the maker's reference marks on each panel and dovetail markings.
I'll clean the inside very carefully to retain these.

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The trunk has it's original lock and escutcheon (sadly it's missing the hook plate), hinges and side handles.
The hinges are both marked 'J. Sadler'

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The top seems to have a lot of figure. There's a crack that doesn't continue through the whole top.
I intend to clamp it up and make some bow tie fasteners to fix it.

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The moldings continue all the way round the bottom (unusual because they normally didn't bother at the back), and the front and sides of the top.
There's one run of molding missing and a few repairs that need to be made.
I don't have a complex molding plane with this profile, but I can make it up with snipes, rebates, hollows and rounds.

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After tapping the top molding off, I could see that over the years, many nails have been added.
There's an almost complete history of nails. Turn of the century rose heads, modern bullet heads etc.
Remnants of the original nails were still there. Maybe this trunk was earlier that I thought?
Cut nails.

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Then I found this tucked up into a corner under the top.
1844.
Even though the name is clear, I can't really make it out.
You can see the end of a cut nail just sticking out.

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So this may be quite an early trunk.

I'll use a rejuvenating mix to bring up the finish. I certainly don't want to over clean it.
The brew contains shellac, BLO, gum turps and cider vinegar.

I'll post some more pics as I get a chance to work on it some more.


Cheers all,
Stu

[Thumbthumper]

Fixed up the crack in the top today.
Band sawed the Kauri butterflies. Cleaned them up with a chisel leaving a slight taper underneath.

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A bit of chisel work and a router plane for the slots.

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Some hide glue before hammering them in.
I'll plane them off when dry.

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Next step will be the molding.

[pampelmuse]

That's a great find. Is the name J P B-a-l-e?

[Thumbthumper]

That's a great find. Is the name J P B-a-l-e?

Could be.

It's clear, but I just can't decipher the script.

[Xanthorrhoeas]

Hi Thumbthumper,

Given your byline I presume that you have thought of this - but - just in case - it does not look like Kauri to me. In fact, it looks rather like Huon Pine! The early/latewood banding looks like either a norther European Pine or a Tasmanian pine. The colour is also rather Huon Pine aged look. However, I'm sure that you would have picked that from the smell anyway.

The mouldings look earlier than 1844 but I guess moulding planes were used for many years ...

It is a lovely early box anyway. I have two cedar blanket boxes, one from earlier and one about this age. Mine have diamond-shaped ebony escutcheons. The brass escutcheon on yours certainly places it in the 1840's from what I can see.

They do not make much of an impact today for most people but I value them very highly.

[Thumbthumper]

Hi Thumbthumper,

Given your byline I presume that you have thought of this - but - just in case - it does not look like Kauri to me. In fact, it looks rather like Huon Pine! The early/latewood banding looks like either a norther European Pine or a Tasmanian pine. The colour is also rather Huon Pine aged look. However, I'm sure that you would have picked that from the smell anyway.

The mouldings look earlier than 1844 but I guess moulding planes were used for many years ...

It is a lovely early box anyway. I have two cedar blanket boxes, one from earlier and one about this age. Mine have diamond-shaped ebony escutcheons. The brass escutcheon on yours certainly places it in the 1840's from what I can see.

They do not make much of an impact today for most people but I value them very highly.

It's funny you say that.
The FIL came over on Saturday to see the trunk and the first thing he said was ... "That's not Huon is it?".

Alas ... after putting his glasses on, and having a closer look, he confirmed that it is indeed Kauri.
I wish it was Huon from this era. That would be a rare find.
After cutting into it for the butterfly keys, the fragrance was not there.

We also have a lovely cedar trunk with flame veneer on the top. I don't think it's particularly early though.

They're useful pieces of furniture at the end of the bed.

[Xanthorrhoeas]

Aah well, Kauri is a beautiful timber too.

[yvan]

Thumbthumper,

Does the cider vinegar in your rejuvenating brew act as a "stripping" agent?

Cheers Yvan

[Thumbthumper]

Thumbthumper,

Does the cider vinegar in your rejuvenating brew act as a "stripping" agent?

Cheers Yvan

The shellac softens the original finish, the BLO lubricates and the turps and vinegar clean off the dirt, paint splatters etc.
I want to retain the original finish as much as possible. I just want to even it out.

[Xanthorrhoeas]

Yes, your rejuvenation mix sounds like a version of Bristol Museum Mix, which has three main components in equal quantities: Boiled Linseed Oil, Vinegar, Natural (Gum) Turpentine - vigorously shaken together to make an emulsion). Then, depending on how much of the original finish you want to clean/remove/gloss up you add a touch - or more - of metho. The core mix cleans the dirt and grime, the metho softens the surface of the original shellac to give it back some gloss. I haven't heard of adding the shellac at this stage - a freshen up coat is often applied later - but I can see that your "all in one" mix makes sense.

[wood spirit]

Blo?

[Thumbthumper]

Blo?

Hi Wood Spirit,

'Boiled Linseed Oil'

[Thumbthumper]

I managed to get a loan of a complex molding plane that is very similar to the profile I need :U

I'll have a play with it on the weekend.

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[yvan]

Hi Thumbthumper

Are the components of your rejuvenating brew mixed in equal volumes?
Also, do you mix separate brews for different tones of shellac?
I would like to try your brew to clean up a cedar chest of draws!

Much appreciated Yvan

[Thumbthumper]

Hi Thumbthumper

Are the components of your rejuvenating brew mixed in equal volumes?
Also, do you mix separate brews for different tones of shellac?
I would like to try your brew to clean up a cedar chest of draws!

Much appreciated Yvan

I have exact the recipe in a notebook in my shed. I'll post it when I get home.

I don't have a different mix for different tones. It's just to clean an existing finish.
I don't want to change the tone of the original finish.

The mix doesn't use much shellac. I generally use the metho that I wash my brushes in.
You don't have to use shellac in the mix at all. I find that I get better blending if I do add it.

For this trunk, I'm hoping to bring back a bit more of the golden colour of the Kauri.

[Thumbthumper]

Hi Thumbthumper

Are the components of your rejuvenating brew mixed in equal volumes?
Also, do you mix separate brews for different tones of shellac?
I would like to try your brew to clean up a cedar chest of draws!

Much appreciated Yvan

As promised ...

Light cleaning mix

2 Parts weak shellac/metho mix (optional)
1 part boiled linseed oil
1 part pure gum turpentine
1 part cider (or brown) vinegar

Mix in a jar and shake often.
Lightly clean surface using 0000 steel wool.
Wipe surface regularly with a cloth.

I like to use the shellac mix to soften and blend the original polish if it is patchy.
But I have used it without when the original finish is fine as is.

[yvan]

As promised ...

Light cleaning mix

2 Parts weak shellac/metho mix (optional)
1 part boiled linseed oil
1 part pure gum turpentine
1 part cider (or brown) vinegar

Mix in a jar and shake often.
Lightly clean surface using 0000 steel wool.
Wipe surface regularly with a cloth.

I like to use the shellac mix to soften and blend the original polish if it is patchy.
But I have used it without when the original finish is fine as is.

TT

Thank you very much. Will try the mix.

Yvan

[Thumbthumper]

I made a run of molding on the weekend.

I don't think my colleague had used this plane before.
It needed a good sharpen and a tweak with the Dremel to tidy up the profile.
These big planes are a bear to push :~
Lots of wax and a touch up sharpen half way through.

I didn't have the luxury of being able to choose the perfect run of grain, so there was a bit of tear out that I had to scrape/sand away.

The profile was close enough.

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I drew a striking line on the end of the plane in pencil to keep the angle correct and began the cut.

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After some cursing and clean up, this was the result.

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I cut it off with the bandsaw and stained it with some oxide to make sure it would match up okay.

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I think it will work.

[Thumbthumper]

A small update.

I wanted to retain as much original molding as possible.

Here's one of the smashed bits that I decided to repair instead of replacing.
I built it up from pieces and planed it to shape.

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Was a tricky thing to do, but after some light staining it should look fine.

[hiroller]

Nice work, looking forward to the end result.
It's a great find, what are the dimensions?

[Thumbthumper]

Nice work, looking forward to the end result.
It's a great find, what are the dimensions?

Thanks.

Metrically speaking, it's ...

850W x 520D x 540H

Perfect for the end of a bed.

[Thumbthumper]

Lots of commissions getting in the way of the Kauri trunk restoration.

I've had a bit of time to get stuck in again ..... then I found this cedar trunk at the local junk shop.
It has a fair bit of character!

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It's missing the molding around the top and it's bottom skirting.
The front will be stunning when I either rejuvinate, or clean back the old polish.

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It still has the original base boards that stink of sump oil.
I will try and reuse these after a good clean.

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The candle box is interesting. It had a sliding lid held in place with a drawer lock.
I'll need to remake the lid and fit a replacement lock.

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Nice zinc plated hinges :~

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Because of the need to clean the base, and lattice head nails in all of the dovetails, I've knocked the entire trunk to bits.
I presumed the joints were all loose and digging the nails out wasn't an option.

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I managed to source some old heavy cast hinges.
I also ordered handles from an ironmonger in the UK.

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The cast handles will look a lot better than the finger pinching brass 1980's handles that came with the trunk.
The original handles would have looked very similar to these.

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I've glued up a few splits and will reassemble the case very soon.

Should have two nice trunks to move into the house soon :U

[hiroller]

Nice score! Keen to see how that Kauri trunk turns out.
They should make a nice set.

[Xanthorrhoeas]

That cedar trunk looks like a beauty, it has lovely figure in it. Good find and great that it will be sensitively restored.

Could you give the contact for the ironmonger in the UK please? I have two old cedar blanket boxes with bracket feet and diamond escutcheons. One has the recess for two locks, but only one original lock, so I am searching for a close match.

David

[Thumbthumper]

Good find and great that it will be sensitively restored

It didn't feel that way when I was bashing it apart with a big hammer :U

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Could you give the contact for the ironmonger in the UK please? I have two old cedar blanket boxes with bracket feet and diamond escutcheons. One has the recess for two locks, but only one original lock, so I am searching for a close match.


Here's where I got the handles (I'm going to buy more as they are very good) ...
They may have a website (not sure)

CAST IRON VINTAGE STYLE CHEST LIFTING PULL HANDLE TRUNK COFFER BLANKET BOX | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/CAST-IRON-VINTAGE-STYLE-CHEST-LIFTING-PULL-HANDLE-TRUNK-COFFER-BLANKET-BOX/261683492699?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=560551585358&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649)

I got the hinges from my FIL's big bucket of old stuff :U
I'm not sure they will have the locks that you're after, but good luck. You may have to search other sellers.

Looking forward to making the skirting probably with a single bead (love using my molding planes) and the molding around the top.

The best part will be the first coat of polish after cleaning down the old faded finish.

[Xanthorrhoeas]

Thanks for that. It is an interesting shop but unfortunately no old box locks there. I'll keep searching. Unfortunately all the cast iron box locks available on eBay and local suppliers seem to be different sizes and proportions to this one. If there is only one lock, and it is missing, I have in the past let in a piece of cedar and fitted a smaller replacement, but that doesn't look so good when you need to match another lock. I may eventually do that, but then again I might just leave the space vacant - after all, it is only visible on the rare occasions the lid is lifted.
David

[Thumbthumper]

Thanks for that. It is an interesting shop but unfortunately no old box locks there. I'll keep searching. Unfortunately all the cast iron box locks available on eBay and local suppliers seem to be different sizes and proportions to this one. If there is only one lock, and it is missing, I have in the past let in a piece of cedar and fitted a smaller replacement, but that doesn't look so good when you need to match another lock. I may eventually do that, but then again I might just leave the space vacant - after all, it is only visible on the rare occasions the lid is lifted.
David

While both of these trunks that I am working on have their original main locks, none have the male part that fits to the lid (staple?)

I have no real intention of locking them anyway and while the key sticking out (maybe with a tassle) may be cute, it would leave a fair mark on my shins :C

I have bought some quality cabinet furniture from this business ...
I notice they have chest locks in a couple of sizes.

Locks & Fittings : Watson Brass Fittings, Reproduction Antique Cabinet Hardware (http://www.watsonbrass.com.au/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=12)

[Xanthorrhoeas]

Yes, the staples often disappeared for some reason. I suspect they caught on clothing or hands when the box was opened and since we no longer have the Victorian obsession with locking every box and drawer in the house, the staples were simply removed and discarded.

Thanks for that link. The lock I need is 4 3/16 inch by 2 3/4 inch. The standard locks, as sold by Watson, are 4 inch by 2 1/4 inch. I actually purchased one of those but haven't bothered to fit it - the offset for the key is wrong too.

I agree with you about not locking them, and not having a key sticking out to damage one's shins. My interest in replacing the lock is solely because i don't like things to be incomplete - that empty rebate screams at me. But, since the box is really used as a plinth so it sits covered with a large turned bowl and some table lamps that I made, that means it is very rarely opened - only when searching for some long-lost item that may possibly be inside it!

[artme]

What agreat find!!!

Good to see you keeping it original!:2tsup::2tsup::2tsup:

Smell would have been a dead giveaway for Huon.

[Thumbthumper]

Been doing a bit of cleaning today.

I washed down the insides of the Cedar chest while it was apart.
I like to leave the original marking out lines. There were some pencil marks under the main lock and the candle box mortices.

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The bottom boards needed a good scrub.
I decided to give them a good coat of shellac to try and seal the surface to prevent the oily smells.

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Here's the board I will use for the skirting.
It has ready made patina. I'll just clean this and won't plane or scrape it.

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I made a test drive with a couple of side beading molding planes on some scrap.
There's a 3/4" and a 1/2". I'll have to decide what sort of look I want around the base.

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[Kidbee]

I can't help thinking that you should have done research on the name and date of the Kauri trunk with a museum or the like, before you began your restoration. It may have had some historical significance and been more valuable than you thought. I believe early Australian stuff like that may have value.

[Thumbthumper]

I understand your thoughts.
There have been tears shed when I think of the amount of these boxes (and indeed all antique furniture) that have been belt sanded and estapoled. Let's not talk about 'shabby chic'.


I can't help thinking that you should have done research on the name and date of the Kauri trunk with a museum or the like, before you began your restoration.

I have researched every iteration of the signed name and date I could think of and have come up with nothing.
I move within a circle of restorers/conservators and always seek advice and collaborate when restoring just about any piece, especially early pieces.
I use traditional tools, adhesives, finishes and techniques for my restorations.


It may have had some historical significance and been more valuable than you thought

It may have.
We can only speculate.
It could also have been made by grandpa in the back shed :U


I believe early Australian stuff like that may have value.

It does. I value it highly but will never sell it.

It was unusable as a blanket box as I found it, but it will be very useful after I have finished restoring (conserving) it.
It will not be over cleaned.
Every single original piece of it has been retained.

[Thumbthumper]

I needed to clean up the front edge of the cedar top to prepare for the molding.
Whilst I'm not looking for perfection, I would like a better joint.
The original molding has been missing for a long time. The edge was rounded over either from wear, or sanding to remove the sharp edge when the molding broke away.

A number 7 is perfect for this job.
I removed about 5mm from the front.

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The molding will be a simple round over section.
Made on the edge of a board with a large hollow plane and cut off with the bandsaw.

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More to come soon ...

[Thumbthumper]

The top molding is now pinned on.
Glued on the long grain and a few dabs of glue on the end grain.
Clamped overnight to ensure a tight fit.

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Nails punched under and the holes filled with coloured wax.
It's now time to clean down the old polish.
I'll wash the dirty polish over the molding to blend it in a bit.

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After cleaning under the top, some old motor oil bled back up.
The trusty Tricleanium will take care of this over a few days.
Second pic shows the result after the first clean. I'm expecting it to bleed back up again. I want to get rid of as much of it as I can because I won't be applying finish under the lid.

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[Thumbthumper]

Not too much to do on the Cedar trunk now.
Once I get it out of the way I can start on the Kauri trunk again :doh:

The new (old) drawer lock has now been fitted on the candle box.
I had to plug the old keyhole and cut a new one in a slightly different position.

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The top has had its first couple of coats of polish.

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Cutting the skirting bead.
And of course, the plane hit an old nail during the first run.
After some cursing and reshaping the side bead iron (removing a nick on a fairly complex profile is not so simple), the skirting was ready to go.

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Day 1 the box was glued up.
Day 2, the bottom boards nailed on and the skirting fitted.

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The trunk will now need a good clean and polish.

[Thumbthumper]

The Cedar trunk is now finished and in the house :2tsup:

Now to finish the Kauri trunk ...

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[fletty]

Wow TT, that is just beeeautiful, well done you!

fletty

[hiroller]

Nice work, you must ba a trunk whisperer!

[Thumbthumper]

Some holiday down time has allowed me back into the shed. There's a spot for the Kauri trunk in the house now.

The top has had it's first few coats of polish and I'll call it done for now.

Before ...

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After ...

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I didn't really want to knock this trunk apart, so I'll fix up some of the loose joints separately.

Some problem areas

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I may set some bow tie keys in the case for this split

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The first of the repairs are underway.
I cleaned out the joints with a card scraper and washed them out with water.
The joint were flooded with hide glue.

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I was interested to see if the handles were original (pretty sure they were).
Looks like they have never been removed.

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One of the hinges broke while I was freeing it up. There was a lot of old fatigue.

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I'm going to have a go at welding it. A small neat weld with a bit of clean up.
Any gotchas?
Is there a better way?

I'll never be able to source another hinge like this.
I can have one made if it comes to that.

[Canisbellum]

Some holiday down time has allowed me back into the shed. There's a spot for the Kauri trunk in the house now.

The top has had it's first few coats of polish and I'll call it done for now.

Before ...

426679

After ...

426680

I didn't really want to knock this trunk apart, so I'll fix up some of the loose joints separately.

Some problem areas

426681426682

I may set some bow tie keys in the case for this split

426683

The first of the repairs are underway.
I cleaned out the joints with a card scraper and washed them out with water.
The joint were flooded with hide glue.

426688

I was interested to see if the handles were original (pretty sure they were).
Looks like they have never been removed.

426684426685

One of the hinges broke while I was freeing it up. There was a lot of old fatigue.

426686426687

I'm going to have a go at welding it. A small neat weld with a bit of clean up.
Any gotchas?
Is there a better way?

I'll never be able to source another hinge like this.
I can have one made if it comes to that.Silver solder or Braze it. Much less heat.

[Thumbthumper]

Silver solder or Braze it. Much less heat.

I've only ever used an arc arrangement.

I have access to a MAP torch, I'll do some research on brazing it.

[auscab]

If you were to braze it you would have to put it back together around the pin and braze the broken crack only . How could you do that without the silver solder going to far and running around the pin ? That's what silver solder likes to do , go for its life and fill the lot .

Then on the other hand if you heated and straightened out the broken part . Then silver soldered it , you couldn't heat it and bend it back around the pin . or even do it cold I think . Not possible . I think the silver would break .

Straightening it and welding is how I would do it . Then grind it back to original shape and heat and bend back around the pin . Arc is a bit strong for such a job but if you have the magic touch I bet it could be done .

Edit . I do remember a Jewelers trick for soldering , not sure I remember correctly .
If you don't want silver solder to flow or be barred form spots, then coat the parts where its not wanted with Yellow oxide.
Maybe try that.

Rob

[Canisbellum]

If you were to braze it you would have to put it back together around the pin and braze the broken crack only . How could you do that without the silver solder going to far and running around the pin ? That's what silver solder likes to do , go for its life and fill the lot .

Then on the other hand if you heated and straightened out the broken part . Then silver soldered it , you couldn't heat it and bend it back around the pin . or even do it cold I think . Not possible . I think the silver would break .

Straightening it and welding is how I would do it . Then grind it back to original shape and heat and bend back around the pin . Arc is a bit strong for such a job but if you have the magic touch I bet it could be done .

Edit . I do remember a Jewelers trick for soldering , not sure I remember correctly .
If you don't want silver solder to flow or be barred form spots, then coat the parts where its not wanted with Yellow oxide.
Maybe try that.

RobDone lots of brazing and that would be easy.
Braze it without the pin in and then drill the pin hole to clean it up.

[auscab]

Done lots of brazing and that would be easy.
Braze it without the pin in and then drill the pin hole to clean it up.


OK :D Good idea :)

[Thumbthumper]

Done lots of brazing and that would be easy.
Braze it without the pin in and then drill the pin hole to clean it up.


OK :D Good idea :)

I agree ... good idea.
Looks like I'm doing some brazing soon.
Should I braze the original seam as well as the break for extra strength?

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I found a visitor in my workshop scrap pile this morning.
After a catch, photo op and release, it was back to the trunk glue-up.

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[Canisbellum]

I would probably do both, but do it as neatly as possible so you dont have to drill a complete new hole. I find that if you use a fine tip on your gas torch its possible to braze very neatly.

[Thumbthumper]

After a bit of procrastination, I started the hinge repair

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I practiced on some scrap iron to see how the manganese/bronze rod would flow.
I seemed to get the hang of it.

Here's the result after some cleaning up. I'm happy with it.

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I drilled out the hole which was easy with a sharp bit.
There was some flow through the seams which I expect is a good thing.
Tapped the pin back in, and peened the pin end.

The hinge is now working fine. I may or may not colour the braze (it's part of it's life now).

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The trunk just needs a clean and polish.

[Thumbthumper]

Oh .... and thanks to auscab and Canisbellum for your help on this

:2tsup:

[auscab]

Nice stuff your doing ! I only really read though the thread the other day for the first time . Nice to see the use of moulding planes . Ive been collecting them for years . And use them whenever I need.
The only thing I'm not so keen on is those Butterfly Patches. As structurally good as they are . I spose if your keeping them on the inside its not as bad .

Rob

[Thumbthumper]

Nice stuff your doing ! I only really read though the thread the other day for the first time . Nice to see the use of moulding planes . Ive been collecting them for years . And use them whenever I need.
The only thing I'm not so keen on is those Butterfly Patches. As structurally good as they are . I spose if your keeping them on the inside its not as bad .

Rob

Thanks Rob.

I really didn't want to use the keys.
The crack in the top was a problem. I had to close it because it was too wide (I ignore most cracks).

For other restorations, I have run the crack through the band-saw and re-glued.
But because of the tolerances of the top fitting onto the case, and the crack being about 8-10mm wide and 1/2 of the way across the top I resorted to the keys.
Is there a better way?
I'm always willing to learn from people who do things properly. Some of the restoration stuff I see on the internet makes me want to cry.

Quite honestly, the bloke (or blokess) who made this chest wasn't that fine of a cabinet maker.
There are dovetail mark out lines inside the case which were ignored, nothing is square (from day one), the handles were not set level. There are plane marks all over the chest (which I quite like).
The base molding is carried around the back which is unusual for a blanket chest.

Whilst the chest is early, it's not really a fine piece of woodworking.

We'll be keeping it and I'll leave it to my kids.

[Thumbthumper]

The last couple of days were spent cleaning and polishing.

My blue-tongue friend turned up in the shed again. I moved him 50 meters across the yard, but he found his way back.
He can live there if he wants. Plenty of spiders and snails to eat.

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The backs of the handles and lock were wire-brushed. The fronts were gently cleaned with some fine steel wool and metho.

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Here's a progress shot of cleaning the original polish with the oil/vinegar solution.
It blends the crusty top layer and leaves a lot of polish on the wood.

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The chest has now been polished and waxed.
You'll notice in the last picture that I have pinned in some quad molding that I made out of Kauri. The bottom is a single board of Kauri and had shrunk leaving some gaps.
Because I was reluctant to knock the entire chest apart, it was a way of keeping the silverfish out.

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Thanks to all who had a look and gave advice.

[auscab]

Thanks Rob.

I really didn't want to use the keys.
The crack in the top was a problem. I had to close it because it was too wide (I ignore most cracks).
Ah that Cedar one was in the top was it ? I didnt notice. Did the patches go on top or under ? . I was thinking in my reply of the ones you may be putting in the side of the second chest .



For other restorations, I have run the crack through the band-saw and re-glued.
But because of the tolerances of the top fitting onto the case, and the crack being about 8-10mm wide and 1/2 of the way across the top I resorted to the keys.
Is there a better way?
I'm always willing to learn from people who do things properly. Some of the restoration stuff I see on the internet makes me want to cry.

Yeah , being the top you had to do something structurally good for it so I can see why you used them . Ive never liked them because of some of the shocking ways Ive seen them used . Like as an added decorative feature on polished show wood starring you in the face . I have a table . Original 1770 Chippendale where one was put in the polished inside of the folding top.Looks terrible. Its a table that's had a very hard life and I'm stuck on how I should fix it, (plenty of things wrong with it ) so haven't touched it in twenty years.
I once saw a "How To" restoration book from the early 70s showing how to add them . There seemed to be a bit of a trend possibly back then for adding them in . I regret not buying the book for my Library of woodwork books because it was a great example of how not to do things!:) And how any body can write a book and publish it even with limited knowledge on a subject.

"Is there a better way "
Maybe not for the top of a box. If they were put on the under side ?
Me . For cracked sides of some chest of drawers , I / we put in whats called a feather . A Slim tapered wedge of wood , grain running same directions as the side . tricky to make dissapear though . Thats not much good for what is just a plank for a hinged top though. No strength.
For a top like table tops I have parallel sawn the crack out taking the minimal , and added it back at the back or side. depending on grain direction. Only if I have really good matching wood though . With good wood and good colouring You can get invisible repairs . With me being another promoter of keeping and restoring original patinated finishes making repairs like this are easier to hide . Nicking some of the same wood of an out of the way piece off the same piece can be done sometimes. replacing that with replacement wood.

Edit
In the old days, The cosmetic fix. If the crack wasnt moving around , it was just stopped up ( bogged Up ) with a hard wax filler , or a beaumentage a french word which I have no clue how to spell . Ill go google it later . The coloured hard wax was melted in and shaved off while soft , left to set and buffed or polished over . Not the longest lasting stuff but good for a few to ten years . The Beaumentage was Shellac sticks with colour mixed in . Rock hard stuff like shellac is . Melted in off the end of a heated chisel . Shaved flat when dry . Not so good for long cracks , better for small damage .

Here it is

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beaumontage



Quite honestly, the bloke (or blokess) who made this chest wasn't that fine of a cabinet maker.
There are dovetail mark out lines inside the case which were ignored, nothing is square (from day one), the handles were not set level. There are plane marks all over the chest (which I quite like).
The base molding is carried around the back which is unusual for a blanket chest.

Whilst the chest is early, it's not really a fine piece of woodworking.

We'll be keeping it and I'll leave it to my kids.

Sounds good . I like seeing lay out lines. specially on really early stuff. Early Aussie like 1810 to 20 I have got to see a few times and lots of UK 1650 to 1780.
Love the plane marks as well. All that stuff is more interesting than some of the finest pieces that done have it I think sometimes. Almost takes you back in time with some imagining .
It looked like the base moulding hung below its bottom . Not sure if I saw that right ? strange? Was it sitting on its moulding ? or was I seeing it wrong ? I think it was a pic of where a piece of the side was missing from under the mould.
Edit . I just added your pic . That's the strange looking bit like it sits on the moulding . Not the done thing if that's what it is . Wont last with shifting and a decent weight on the inside.

Rob

[Thumbthumper]

Ah that Cedar one was in the top was it ? I didnt notice. Did the patches go on top or under ? . I was thinking in my reply of the ones you may be putting in the side of the second chest

The keys were put in underneath the pine lid.
I decided against keying the crack on the side. I can live with it.


"Is there a better way "
Maybe not for the top of a box. If they were put on the under side ?
Me . For cracked sides of some chest of drawers , I / we put in whats called a feather . A Slim tapered wedge of wood , grain running same directions as the side . tricky to make dissapear though . Thats not much good for what is just a plank for a hinged top though. No strength.
For a top like table tops I have parallel sawn the crack out taking the minimal , and added it back at the back or side. depending on grain direction. Only if I have really good matching wood though . With good wood and good colouring You can get invisible repairs . With me being another promoter of keeping and restoring original patinated finishes making repairs like this are easier to hide . Nicking some of the same wood of an out of the way piece off the same piece can be done sometimes. replacing that with replacement wood.

I've used feathers in cracks before. Also have parallel sawn out cracks.
The crack in the pine top had a fair curve to it so it wasn't really an option. It's also hard to find old golden Kauri.



It looked like the base moulding hung below its bottom . Not sure if I saw that right ? strange? Was it sitting on its moulding ? or was I seeing it wrong ? I think it was a pic of where a piece of the side was missing from under the mould.
Edit . I just added your pic . That's the strange looking bit like it sits on the moulding . Not the done thing if that's what it is . Wont last with shifting and a decent weight on the inside.

Rob

The bottom molding does sit below the base. The moldings have strips nailed to them which sit under the base board. The chest does sit on the molding.

Cheers,
Stu