Restore or not, is this worth it?

[Woodwould]

isn't it a chamber pot stand?

What gave it away - the tell-tale stain on the bottom shelf?

[munruben]

What gave it away - the tell-tale stain on the bottom shelf?

Now you tell me

[wheelinround]

Means it could be a shyte of a job eh John

[munruben]

Means it could be a shyte of a job eh John

No exactly my cup of tea.

[Clinton1]

Hmmm, seems I lost a reply to this thread a few days back.

Thought it was worth the comment about it being a chamber pot stand... remember the chamber pot and water jug 'sets' you used to get?
That might put a different slant on the restoration or and modification.

It may be worth more if it is restored and presented for sale with a chamber pot or bowel ( sorry, couldn't help myself), or with any modification done in a manner that allows it to be put back to original... without incurring any damage.
An example might be to pull the back of it off, store it away, put on a replacement back which you will pierce to allow electronic's cables to enter/exit and turn it into a tv stand, video/dvd cabinet. Later you can replace the back if you want to sell it in 'original condition'.

A 1920's cabinet (if that is what it is) is worth a few $ only; in the future it will be a sought after antique (to someone) and minimising the modification and keeping it original might have been a good thing.

An example is:
About 15 years ago, when I was in Qld,the fashion was to go to garage sales, and buy old cupboards that had 20 coats of leftover house paint on them, applied over the last 70 years.
People would gut them, add a shelf or two, paint them again, trim the doors down and make the doors able to open and then slide into the cabinet. Turn them into tv cabinets.

At the same time I was buying the same cupboards and removing the paint, fixing any loose joints and refinishing/waxing them... turning them into restored antique "Gentlemens or Ladies Dressers".
Hidden under all that paint was a lot of silky oak and red cedar.

[petersemple]

An example is:
About 15 years ago, when I was in Qld,the fashion was to go to garage sales, and buy old cupboards that had 20 coats of leftover house paint on them, applied over the last 70 years.
People would gut them, add a shelf or two, paint them again, trim the doors down and make the doors able to open and then slide into the cabinet. Turn them into tv cabinets.

At the same time I was buying the same cupboards and removing the paint, fixing any loose joints and refinishing/waxing them... turning them into restored antique "Gentlemens or Ladies Dressers".
Hidden under all that paint was a lot of silky oak and red cedar.

I once helped to restore a garage sale dresser. That was a very nice piece indeed when finished. As you say, it was top notch red cedar.

Peter

[Woodlee]

Hmmm, seems I lost a reply to this thread a few days back.

Thought it was worth the comment about it being a chamber pot stand... remember the chamber pot and water jug 'sets' you used to get?
That might put a different slant on the restoration or and modification.

It may be worth more if it is restored and presented for sale with a chamber pot or bowel ( sorry, couldn't help myself), or with any modification done in a manner that allows it to be put back to original... without incurring any damage.
An example might be to pull the back of it off, store it away, put on a replacement back which you will pierce to allow electronic's cables to enter/exit and turn it into a tv stand, video/dvd cabinet. Later you can replace the back if you want to sell it in 'original condition'.

A 1920's cabinet (if that is what it is) is worth a few $ only; in the future it will be a sought after antique (to someone) and minimising the modification and keeping it original might have been a good thing.

An example is:
About 15 years ago, when I was in Qld,the fashion was to go to garage sales, and buy old cupboards that had 20 coats of leftover house paint on them, applied over the last 70 years.
People would gut them, add a shelf or two, paint them again, trim the doors down and make the doors able to open and then slide into the cabinet. Turn them into tv cabinets.

At the same time I was buying the same cupboards and removing the paint, fixing any loose joints and refinishing/waxing them... turning them into restored antique "Gentlemens or Ladies Dressers".
Hidden under all that paint was a lot of silky oak and red cedar.

The wash basin and water jug (called a ewer ) set usually sat on a wider stand with a stone or marble top that had a back board covered with ceramic tiles and a shelf for the soap dish.
At least the one I had anything to do with anyway .
The two door cupboard underneath was used to store the towels.

My Great Grand parents had one in the guest room (sleep out) on back of their house .

I saw one of these wash stands and a wash basin set in an antique shop in Alice Springs a few years ago they were asking $2,500.00 for the whole deal.


Kev.

[CuriousBird]

Hi Munruben, I wouldn't sand it back - it looks like there's still a lot of the good old polish on there.

You can easily acheive good results without losing its antique patina by using a Reviver...

Over the parts displaying unsightly use (top for example) do a wet and dry sand with 280 grit (or finer) wet&dry sandpaper, with mild soapy water (just to remove gunk & bumps - don't sand through the polish) Then do the whole thing over, rubbing with 00 grade steel wool with a Reviver solution (turps & boiled linseed oil or metho & BLO). This sort of 'melts' the old polish and repositions it. Remove excess with rag as you go. Wait a week for oil to cure, then wax. lovely! Rhianna

[astrid]

highly unlikely a simple reviver would do much.
a lot of these 1940 pieces were made out of really good australian hardwoods that they sprayed gunk on to make em mahogany or something.
I've stripped and restored dozens of these and usualy found honey myrtle or sassafrass under the gunk.
strip and restore it

Astrid

[munruben]

Thanks Rhianna, thanks Astrid. I have taken all comments on board and will get around to restoring it in the not too distant future.

[Saskatoon]

Hi, just saw this thread. Curious about whether you have found out more about the piece.
From the photo it looks like the decoration on the doors and the handles are in Art Nouveau theme. If so the piece could date from early in the 20thC., though it does seem to have a mixture of styles.
Terry

[AlexS]

Missed this one earlier. I'm interested in the moulding on the inside. Never seen that before - was it common?

[astrid]

I've never seen it either. but I spose you've got to hold the door panels in with some thing. This is just better done beading
I'd put it about 1935
well made, whats the timber on the door frames?