Kauri Trunk

[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

[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