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

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

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.