Appropriate Restoration

[SkirlGHB]

I've restored a few pieces in the past and very conscious of over-restoration. The attached carpenter's chest has just been passed down to me and I'd like to restore to use as a living room coffee table. Looks to be a mix of oregon & pine, and while old, I don't think is ancient, given the machined corner dovetails.
I'd welcome any advice on how far to go to clean it up, yet not take out all the aged patina.

Thank you in anticipation.

[truckjohn]

That's a fantastic point about over-restoration....

I wouod repair what needs repair and then leave the rest unless you really want to have a go at it and leave it looking 50x better than it was ever made in the first place... So for example - glue the cracked battens back together. I would use titebond.. Wouldn't fool with hide glue in this instance.

If it needs paint - give it a good coat with something decent and move on... No sense paying $100/qt for custom made period correct oil paints...

[Handyjack]

If using it as a coffee table, a good dust off and then a sheet of glass cut to size on the top. All the character remains and the top is very usable. Perhaps a coat (inside and out) of a stain or varnish to seal it.

[auscab]

Sanding , painting , over applying clear glossy finish all send this sort of look over the edge. .

Two things .

Do you like its colour the way it is now with a test done with a little water to show the wet colour as it will be close to when polished?
If yes then just glue up splinters and loose cracks, and polish as it , keeping it thin and finishing with wax.

Or If you want the more attractive light pine look without the yellow or orange that flake or button shellac can give. Test the effect of Oxalic acid first . On a dry pine like this looks, it should make a big difference . If you like the test do the lot . wipe off dry oxalic with a damp metho rag.
seal in with a few thin coats of blonde shellac or the u-beaut blonde hard stuff. get a thin build and give a rubber . When it looks good give a wax or dull first and give a wax.

Rob

[Xanthorrhoeas]

Well, quite a range of opinions to choose from there! For an item like this it really depends on what you are looking to see in the end. You probably don't want a dust trap so the glass top idea could be good for practicality (not really my thing, but then I either don't do rustic or have it dirt and all - but outside). Rob's idea to seal and wax would give a mellow look. I haven't used oxalic in that way so can't comment on that. I wouldn't recommend paint or polyurethane - it's not easily reversible if you don't like it.

There used to be a lovely little antique store near the waterfront in Hobart. When you walked in the whole place had an old, mellow polished look and great smell because they used to give a good wax polish to the furniture. I don't know if they sealed the timber first, but, historically a lot of bare pine timber was simply waxed.

Make sure that you use a good quality furniture wax, not bees wax. The latter feels good and often smells good but remains soft and sticky to attract dirt and show fingermarks. Good furniture wax has a high content of hard waxes like Carnauba wax. UBeaut sells a good version IMHO (no financial or other connection to me).

Good luck with it

David