restoring an old Queensland maple-rimmu wardrobe

Hi,
I am trying to restore a 1920-30 queensland maple wardrobe. The outside is maple, all in good condition, the inside is rimmu (N.Z. timber). Here is what I need advice with:

1. The rimmu is wraped in various places. Can I just glue-screw the rebelious parts into place or is the wraping likely to be strong enough to tear the glue-screws? (I know its difficult to answer without pictures but its dark and the wardrobe is outside)

2. The wardrobe is 450mm deep and I want to extend it to 500mm so that we can hang clothes loosly. What's the best way to do it? The wardrobe is not very firm right now so I need to strengthen its structure somehow and I am afraid that extending the depth by gluing-screwing 50X30mm pieces to all four sides (at the back) and still making the frame strong is going to be tricky.

3. I've sanded the maple because I didn't like the glossy varnish (or whatever it was). I want to apply something as matt (non-glossy) as possible but still retain the antique look. What are my options?

How will hard oil (such as Volvox) look? (I must admit that I am not crazy about the looks of maple but the wardrobe itself looks really nice)
How will shelacing look on maple?
Any other suggestions?

thanks very much

are yu in brisbane

Blue mountains (Blackheath). In the meantime I have dismantelled the wardrobe completely and I plan to extend the depth by:

1. Replacing the 4 corners horizontal support pieces + two supports for a shelf with longer pieces

2. wacking on the 4 extention pieces which will be glued/screwed to both the support pieces and the existing frame.

Would still be happy with advice on all three points.
thanks

[QUOTE=
How will shelacing look on maple?
Any other suggestions?

thanks very much[/QUOTE]

Hi most likely the finish you sanded off was shellac, (comes off really easy with metho and cuts down on the sanding work at the end).

To refinish it again with the same stuff would be in keeping with the style.

To get a matt finish after several coats and sanding back put on the final coat then cut with 0000 steel wool. Finish with a good wax and there you have it.

Where abouts in Brissy are you, if you have problems with the shellac PM me as i'm up there quite a bit.


Cheers



Steve

It may not have been shelac. I have second wardrobe, made from only rimmu, which is shellaced and which looks quite different - much darker - to the way the maple was finished. In any case, I love the shelac on the other one, so I'll try it out on the maple as you suggest.

Thanks also for the kind offer, but I live in the Blue Mountains (Blackheath). If you are in the neigbourhood, drop in for a cupa'.

Eyal