Supporting a Memory

Now, this was fun. During a recent home estimate a customer showed me a cedar chest. It belonged to his wife and he wondered if I could make a similar, albeit miniature box, one with a glass window in its top. Apparently his wife has an old license plate that carries some sentimental value. He wanted the little window box to show off the license plate. Long story short, I embarked on a small Christmas project for him---for her. 

 
It really is a work of art; an aromatic Eastern Red Cedar box, approximately 7" X 13" and 5" deep. Open the lid and draw a pleasant deep breath. Hmmmm. The finished product, according to my customer's follow-up report, was a success. Now, is that a "feel good" story or what!?

It's Wood Talkin for today. Best wishes for a promising New Year celebration to you and yours.

Dick   

Gleefully...The Happy Little Vitrine Danced Home

"I wanna go home!" That was the exuberant theme from this little lady. So, yup, she's been home for over a week now. She arrived home before Christmas day...and everybody was happy about it. What you see here is a not so good picture of her with all her hardware and her glass mirrored back panel in place. 

A Completed Face Lift

The gold tones are all gone...history, and "Thankfully so!" she exclaims.

Considering this young lady's wonderful lines and beauty, I think my customer made a good choice; a new lease on life for this handsome bell. For sure.

That's Wood Talkin for today. Remember...as a general rule, good listener's make good friends.

Deep Breaths n Finger Tapping

Bored to pieces

Here's a quick update on the Vitrine...stained and curing. She stands quietly, albeit impatiently, in a corner of the shop--bored. She's sorta like a gal at the stylist under the hair dryer waiting, waiting, waiting. That will be her situation for at least the next 24 hours. It reminds me of the little ditty, "Patience is a virtue, possess it if you can; seldom found in women...but never found in man." Ha.

That's Wood Talkin for today. Listening?

Naked Promise....a beautiful update

Blushing with modesty

I never would consent to strip a piece before giving it an initial, careful inspection. So, as I previously mentioned, it was that event that told me this piece, manufactured by this furniture company in the 1930's-40's, was very likely to justify my effort. (When I was a kid my dad always reminded me, "Ya gotta do your homework first.") I thought I could see "it" in the way parts of the cabinet had worn to reveal bare wood underneath. The "it,"  the quality of the wood, was quickly evident as the hardwood I could see promised to easily justify the effort I would be committing to this customer and this piece.

I was not disappointed! Removing the cabinet's cut glass surrounds, back mirror, and its hardware, some bare wood began to cough-up a promising story. Those glass pieces were carefully labeled and tucked away before I began hand stripping the cabinet's doors. "Voila!" --solid cherry!  

Oh, it's so, so cool. The cabinet of this little French Vitrine began to offer humble whispers, and an impassioned conversation followed. "Why would they hide all my natural beauty under these three coats.....of the silver-golding process?! (It includes a blue or green base coat, then silver paint, and finished with a gold glaze top coat.)

So, how do ya respond to a talking Vitrine? I used words like, "Um hum," and, "Sure," and, "I suppose your right.." and, "I feel your pain." Then I sensitively reminded this young lady what we're doing. I rehearsed just how exciting her "unveiling" is going to be. Wow...and at long last, how exciting indeed!

So, what you see (above) is what she looks like right now...in the beautiful buff! Just look at those legs! Every inch of her offers a wonderful promise of the glories soon to be her's at her unveiling! A beautiful Cherry Vitrine. Gonna be stunning for sure!

That's Wood Talkin for today. Keep on listening cuz there's more excitement to come!  

Every square inch of the project has contributed

A whole body "face-lift" at 72

I got a call to look at a family heirloom. My customer explained how she had recently inherited it from her mom, and as she described it, "a gold colored curio cabinet." Whenever I hear the words "gold colored" or "painted gold" attributed to an early 1900's piece my ears come to "A-tten-tion!". 

There was a lot of  really fine "gold-leafed" furniture manufactured in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Lots of it repeated or incorporated classic styles of the 16 and 17th. centuries. So, understandably, I wondered if the piece she was describing might fall in that category. I asked her to text me (above) a picture. 

Sure enough. What I saw justified the scheduled visit to her home and some timely discussion about what she wanted to do with her mom's "gold colored curio cabinet." Subsequently, I did some investigation about the manufacture, the Weiman Furniture Company, and their Table Quality Eirloom Series in the 1930-1940's.

I was fascinated to find exactly the same piece, an heirloom French Vitrine, featured in a fine furniture store, in N.Y., NY....and it wasn't going to sell for pennies on the dollar! This was the real deal. I suggested three choices: don't do anything, but maybe touch it up a little; sell it and buy an attractive piece that will fit your color scheme; or, refinish it. Understandably, my customer has chosen to keep this marvelous little vitrine "in the family." This little 72 year-old jewel will get what we'll call a "full-body face lift." Yah...don't you wish!

That's Wood Talkin for today. You might want to follow this fun little story...so keep listening.

Here's another, "Is it or isn't it."

Ummm um. A handsome sight!

It's a 1930-40 vintage medium "Hope Chest," otherwise described as a Cedar Chest. The question I'm wanting to answer here is the one many ask, "Is it a Lane?" In this particular instance I really don't know. The obvious serial/model number on its marvelous backside doesn't look "Lane." But that may have more to do with my ignorance than it has anything to do with the chest's historic identity. 

What you see in the (top) picture is the almost completed refinish/"restoration." Compare it to what it looked like when it came into the shop (below). As you can see it  had a lot of battle scars, not the least of which--and the most visually grabbing--was a very large water spot on the center, front edge of the lid. The Walnut veneer was badly checked and split in that spot and it was also deeply discolored. Bummer!

 

With that kind of insult and its accompanying discoloration in the veneer, any anticipation of it's complete removal is generally poor. But that doesn't mean we can't hope and try...right?! So we did, and I think we realized a marvelous return on our "hope investment." (What do you think?) So, understandably, this handsome guy is begging to go home. When that finally does happen a lot of it's furniture compadres will do a jaw drop as they see this handsome guy reappear. 

Monday, one more top coat and some generous hand buffing will find it ready for a timely home delivery. 

That's Wood Talkin for today. Keep listening.

 

Yup, it's a 1940's vintage Cherry Duncan Pfyfe Pedestal Table. It was made by Drexel. With six accompanying chairs to compliment it, it offers a very attractive dining room presence. (As you see it here, it's just been stained with its three leafs.)

Note differences in color, top vs leafs!

Of course we often learn some fun things in the refinishing process. In this case the bases (below) are stamped "MAH" atop their pedestal bases, suggesting the table may originally have been issued with a Red Mahogany stain. You can see from the picture (right) that the three stripped leafs seem to contrast the table's top--a competition between cherry and red mahogany? God knows.

Naughty Kitty Cats!

Our goal is to blend them to the customer's preference as best we can...............CHERRY.  And whenever you've got an item as pretty as this with several years (72!) of family history behind it, we can expect to get the stories that come with that history. In this case one of those includes the presence of Kitty Cats....as you can see. If the top was of solid wood those signatures could be sanded out, but because this is a fine veneer, these kitties have permanently left their mark. Yes, those guys will be forever remembered.

The pedestals stood in line, the last to be cleaned up....so they are last but not less important.  Here, (below) you see them with clamps variously placed. Those will soon be removed and the staining process will be completed before sealing and finishing begins for all the pieces. That event is just around the corner...it'll probably be all done by the end of the week.

Yup, the table is anticipating....going home soon...An-Tic-I-Pate-Ing. Its a fun word and one I hear thematically in this shop. 

The table's two Pfyfe pedestals await stain

And that's Wood Talkin  for today....so...Keep listening.

A Prized Air-Loom

My customers reported how she has carried this little beauty with her as a coed ...and then even as an airline passenger! I think that's showing a lot more than a little affection for this piece of art--and it's just plain FUN. The piece's wonderful  walnut carving of flowers and vegetables is reliefed below the protective glass cover. Its legs and skirt are similarly carved of a softer bold grained wood, like a conifer--cedar or pine...or maybe gum.

Inspecting it very carefully I could not for sure determine if it was a 1950's replica of an Elizabethan piece or whether it was indeed Elizabethan (1830's to around 1900). Whichever, it is absolutely exquisite. Hand carved and hand made throughout, this gentle lady is a real eye grabber. At some point in the past it was re-coated with shellac. Before that....varnish or oil?

My customer has recently moved from another part of the country. In the process the legs of this little gem were severely racked and loosened. It had the motion of a rocking chair--but no longer. It stands now firmly, confidently, on those four beautiful legs. Before it went back home I gave it a treatment of (Guardsman) polish which contributed a warm, pleasant glow that is quite appropriate for any Genteel Lady.

That's Wood Talkin for today.Are you listening...cuz wood talks

1860's Armoire

Here's that wonderful armoire. 
As I may have mentioned before, this fascinating old gentleman introduced an interesting challenge. Initially a decision had to be made about how to address the problematic deterioration to the cabinet's exterior finish. Because it is so big it sat in an open carport for several years! Working with an antique like this I carefully discuss issues contributing to its value. For example, I want to avoid sabotaging its real value for a future appraiser or collector. If I apply 21st century refinishing materials and techniques to a mid-18th century antique--well, that would be a BIG no-no!  Similarly, I want to know what my customer's expectations really are: maybe they want a contemporary look?  This customer wanted to retain the piece's historical integrity as best we could possibly make that happen.

 Then I ran into a curious issue inside the cabinet. Close examination of the case confirmed something my customer had suggested: this old armoire was originally engineered so it would come conveniently apart. It was then fabricated so it could be disassembled in one location, taken piece-by-piece through narrow hallways or up to a second floor, and then it could be reassembled. But.....someone had more recently added the set of interior shelves you see in the picture, left. That craftsman permanently attached the shelves frame to the cabinet's front and back panels. Consequently, the armoire's cabinet was no longer able to be disassembled for easy transport.

I proposed a solution that could regain the cabinet's original design dynamic. We removed and modified the shelves and made them compatibly collapsible with the surrounding cabinet. That solution worked splendidly.

We discussed what to do with the unsalvageable exterior finish. It was completely destroyed by weather exposure--except for its crowning cornice (which stands a full seven feet above the floor, protected from rain and snow). We decided a hard oil (linseed type--no stain!) finish on this (mostly) walnut cabinet was also contemporary to the 1860's. It's use similarly simplifies cabinet care and maintenance for my customer. (Many coats of oil and hand rubbing produced what you see in the pictures.)

We took advantage of the armoire's newly regained collapse-ability. When I returned it to my customer it happily went home in pieces and was stored temporarily for future reassembly in an appropriate spot. Is that cool or what! 

That's Wood Talkin for today. Keep listening--'cuz wood talks!

Antique Bees?

Here's a look I didn't show you....till now. I introduced the armoire, but not the beehive. Get a look at this! Yup, a hornet's nest. These bees know quality when they see it; they built their home in a corner of the high-rent district.                                                                                                                                                         My customer has told me some interesting and really fun stuff about his armoire. It's been in his family for a very l-o-n-g time. Originally it's from North Carolina--most likely the place where it was fabricated. Repeated inside the case in strategic places on its back, sides, floor and front I find the number 16--a pattern number indicating the compatability of these pieces for assembly as this particular model.  

At the time the armoire was built, homes in North Carolina were taxed according to the number of bedrooms in each home. One of the defining features of a "bedroom" was the presence of a built-in closet. So to avoid the "bedroom tax" many homes were completed with rooms on the upper floors that purposefully did not include built-in closets. Then, wise furniture makers capitalized on the demand for stand-alone closets--the armoire! Armoires like this were designed and constructed to be carried up the stairs to bedrooms.

But as you can see, this armoire is both TALL and handsome--and heavy! It stands a full 86'' from the floor to the tip of it's top cornice and it's four feet wide. Those dimensions are going to present some interesting challenges when it comes to its maneuverability--getting it up the stairs, around the tight hallway corners and through small room doors.

So it was also designed so it could be easily disassembled into seven separate pieces....its top, 2-sides, the front, the inside floor, the drawer case, and the back. Each can then be carried up the stairs separately and reassembled for service--ya just need a screwdriver. Is that cool or what!

Given the size of this handsome guy, guess how I chose to work on it in the shop. Yup, you guessed it---in pieces. After I had cleaned it up, I disassembled it and "VOILA," I'm working on each piece separately in preparation for a final reassembly...when it's all beautimus again. I'll say something about value preservation in the next blog.

So, that's Wood Talkin for this morning...and listen; your furniture speaks!

1860's Armoire

Tall, dark and handsome...and a whole lot dusty! This is a wonderful old walnut armoire most likely manufactured in the 1860's.  It elicits all the deep breaths appropriate of quality craftsmanship, but it was influenced by the fast approaching industrial revolution here in the United States. So, it appears to have been crafted just before that big mass-production push and just after the "official" end of what has been called "the completely hand-crafted eras."  

I'm going to tell you a lot more about it. The work will begin with a thorough cleaning and a general inspection.

That's Wood Talkin for today...are you listening?

Heirloom TLC

People rarely part with pieces like this one. It's the stories they tell which are often about people or a person who did some significant and meaningful things that are associated with the piece. That's the stuff of Heir-looms: inherited memories encapsulated in a tangible article of furniture, clothing, etc.

This beautiful little coffee table has a temporary "Owie." As you can see the legs on one end have separated from the table's skirt; its mortise and tenon joints are severely broken. But the table has quite a story to tell. It was constructed by my customer's father in the basement of the family home 70 years ago! He reported how "Dad" made the top from the center panel of an interior door--a marvelous burled walnut specimen for sure. The legs and skirt are, in turn, salvaged and fabricated from walnut pieces he scavenged here and there. It has been fashioned with the "glue and fasteners" of love and affection, the stuff we all associate with family relationships--precious artifacts in the heart. Really though, all of us have legs that get wobbly with the wear and tear of life.

So, Wood Talkin got the chance to participate in this continuing story! Understanding its story spawns an appreciation for the esteemed privilege I have here. I carried it from my customer's home and into the shop where I soon began the rehabilitative task, and developed a working relationship with this beautiful albeit humble and "already a Grandfatherly" piece of art.

There were no huge surprises in this effort. It was the joy and modest exhilaration I experienced in cleaning and stabilizing those old joints, stiffening and supporting an old table's resolve to serve again, that made this fun! It was my privilege to discover and even stand in the shadow of a family's artisan "Dad"--his labor of love. Thanks for the privileged to participate in giving this beautiful little piece a "little push" into the future...whatever lays out there for it and for you.

...and that's Wood Talkin for today. Keep listening!

Summer seems to introduce all kinds of distractions.  I'm correcting a posting delinquency. Delightfully, the distractions (aside from some vacation time-off) are attributed to woodtalkin's busyness! That's a good thing. But it's still just a comparatively lame excuse .

The maple headboard sat cap-less for about a week while the fabrication process was taking place. Then it had to wait on a couple other pieces standing patiently and handsomely before it in the cue once I returned from vacation. The new caps were cut from a block of hard rock maple, glued, fashioned and placed atop their respective sentry posts--to which the foot board appeared to respond with a hardy, "Ahaaaa, thank you very much!" Here's the nearly finished product--stained, sealed, and with a first coat of finish.  

 

"Get back, back, and stay away doggies!!!"

This contemporary solid maple foot board walked in the door just before I headed for a vacation. Yup, it was a dog that chewed on it--it appreciated the solid maple too! The initial plan was to salvage one of the caps, the one that just had a few chews on it and fabricate the other one. Along the way we'd also strip the top rail since it had some claw indentations here and there. But once we popped off the posts' caps and discussed the plan with our customer, the plan changed to one of fabricating two new caps and refinishing that top rail. The foot board seemed to fancy the second plan too--it wanted to retain it's unwrinkled youthful appearance as long as possible. (Furniture likes to look good too!)

The Old Hickory Chair Company...An American Ingenuity Story

Here's to expanding your (and my own!) working knowledge of furniture building.  The story behind this rustic furniture is just plain fun. The label featured here (above) is the distinguishing mark of the Old History Chair Co. of Martinsville, IN. The company started up in the late 1800's...and it's still selling furniture today!

Found on the underside  frame of the table's top

No doubt this was a stain from a flower pot

Getting the top all alined amd secure gain

I wish I could give you a picture of this hickory table. Truthfully...my enthusiasm got the best of me. I started working on it before I snapped a picture. Oh well, I promise to make it up to you in future blogs featuring these pieces. In the meantime here are several pictures of the blemishes--respective foci of attention in the effort to re-stabilize the table and recapture the top's integrity.





OK. That's Wood Talkin for today, but keep listening...cuz it does!

The Sligh Dresser is Done

 Yup, it's ready to go home...and telling me so. Have you ever noticed how anxious furniture acts just like antsy little kids!

Two pics...same dresser

Two pictures of the dresser. It really is pretty. The Sligh Furniture Company really does some nice work; it's definitely heirloom quality stuff.










That's Wood Talkin for today. Remember to "listen."

Of Mice and Men

Sometimes the best laid plans just don't work out. That's been the situation this week here in the shop. A difficulty with the sprayer introduced some heretofore unanticipated challenges. I think all is well now, but there was some necessary back-tracking to do and a lot of time was lost.

I can well remember how that when I as a kid at home my dad would often be heard to say, "A stitch in time saves nine." It's oh so true, and this "little hole" just couldn't be seen coming before it was a big "rip." 

That's Wood Talkin for today. My sincerest best wishes for a great Memorial Day weekend!

The walnut knobs are removed for refinishing

This handsome walnut dresser was manufactured by the Sligh Furniture Company(click on this). It makes a very elegant statement. Well designed, durable and attractive its varnish finish probably dates it to the late1940's or mid-1950's. Its nicely veneered with solid walnut trim and accents over and around a solid pre-manufactured core. It comes to the shop because it's varnish has wrinkled and checked with time .

 

As you see it here it's been hand stripped and re-stained throughout. Some loose dovetail joints have been re-glued--but then those of us who have been around for at least fifty years tend to need that anyway. The dresser is happily waiting to get a lacquer sealing coat and two lacquer finish coats before buffing and final clean-up.

Check-out the progress

As I said ... this Empire era dresser gets my motor revving. So I've got to show you what's happened since we walked it in the door.  

It's seen a lot of elbow grease removing stains and spots and restoring its overall color integrity. That's been the main effort to date. Check it out. Cool huh.

 
So, we officially end the week. 

That's Wood Talkin.

1810-1837 Empire Dresser

It felt as though the other pieces in the shop stopped breathing. They were poised in acknowledgement as I carried this "fine old gentleman" in the front door. This is a piece that even gets me all twitterpated!  

Consistent with the skills of the Empire era, it's all hand made--from the flat stock on the dresser's backside including the screws and nails that hold it together and in place, to it's joints, screw and dowel holes. It's unquestionably the real deal! We're going to use some "old world" refinishing skills and techniques here. It's about historical appreciation and the preservation of INTEGRITY!

When I'm in a customer's home being introduced to a piece, usually in order to offer an estimate for its repair or refinish, I generally don't get to really SEE IT. So, developing a realistic and factual relationship with the piece is the first thing I do when it comes to the shop. I get to carefully inspect it. It's an event much like going to the doctor's office for the yearly check-up. So, I start talking to it, getting to know it personally. Hopefully it marks the beginning a pleasant conversation and a lasting friendship. 

This wise old man is quick to carry his side ... of our conversation, and he's got some really fun stories to tell about the past 192 years!

Straight slots and those horizontal lines are from the artisan's plane

To start, all the drawers are signed with the craftsman's scrawled initials. Then, on the back of the dresser I found what I suspect is the location of the shop in Milwaukee where it was made (below--and yes it's hard to read).

J. Teedeman's, 15704  Reed Street, Milwaukee

 Check out the screws (above the signature pic). Yes, they are the same diameter, but you can see irregularity in the placement of their hand-made "straight slots."

The hat pin has slid back and forth...follow the ball

Finally, here's a really unexpected find! Yes, it's a black hat pin (above) lodged in the cabinet's upper left corner at the back of the top drawer's frame and slide. It's understandably rusty and you can see it has moved back and forth--see the friction marks against the outside wall of the dresser--but there it is....and my client doesn't use hat pins! So, how long do you suppose it has it been there? Fun, huh.

Ok. There are more stories to tell and pictures to see, but we'll save them for another blog. So you better keep listening....because it's Wood Talkin for today!

Cherry Record Cabinet Update

Do you remember seeing this little beauty? Well, here she is in all her splendor. She is really special for her quarter-sawn veneer inlay in some patterns that really catch the eye and maximize the contrast and color effects. I've pulled up the "before" picture, too, and placed it (down below) so you can compare it to the way she looks now. Um mm, she is a stunner! As you can see--although barely in these pictures (sorry)--the damage to the top repaired perfectly. 

            

I suspect she was probably manufactured in the mid-to-late 1940's, and my guess is that there were a limited number made of this particular veneer pattern and design. On the bottom of the cabinet is a number, probably the number of the cabinet, i.e., number 135 of an anticipated 200 to be made.

She wants to go home and in response to her wishes the delivery is scheduled this Friday. It's been fun!

That's Wood Talkin for this morning. Keep listening ... because wood talks!

Updates, updates, updates...

Here are some newly completed pieces you first saw in earlier blogs. Remember those chairs with the cane seats that had "blown-up" (April 17th's blog). Well look at the cane seats now...good as new again! These chairs have navigated the challenges through several generations already; they have the battle scars to prove it. Yes, they would definitely benefit from some cleaning-up, but it's not going to happen this time around. Nevertheless, it is unanimous--I heard it from them!--they're happy to be going home.

And...do you remember the 60's-styled solid Mahogany lamp table? As I mentioned in the previous blog, it appears to have been a high school shop project for a student (John Toohey...anybody know him?). Well, here's that project some 40 years later and it's pretty nicely weathering life's storms, wouldn't you agree? I wonder what John would think of it know? Nice job John. Memories, memories--yes, wood does talk!

In the final stages of this finishing process I stumbled into a reeeeely bad case of "fish eyes." They're never any fun. In this case I believe I know why it happened, but as a result I had to do a lot of heavy duty buffing to lessen the damage. For your information, "fish-eyes" are a circular rumpling of a still wet newly applied surface finish. It's caused when oily-type impurities have penetrated the finish surface of the wood to lurk on or just beneath it's surface and "rumple" the wet finish--it's a reaction kind of like an oil on water phenomenon. Once they appear there's little a finisher can do but start all over again...or invest a lot of time and energy through several surface applications and buffing, buffing, buffing. Even then the final surface product often remains mildly compromised. Here, below, is a close-up picture of what these "eyes" looked like staring up at me from the piece's surface. Ugh, but I did a good job softening their stare this time. I think we foiled em. Ha. They won't painfully detract from the color and depth of the Mahogany's beauty.

OK...that's WoodTalkin for this morning. Keep listening for those fun whispers.

Dick

Incoming...

Of course we've all stood in line. We started doing it in Kindergarten, but then nobody every told us we were developing a skill we'd be using for the rest of our lives. Now some of us are better at it than others. These pieces have just joined the Que-- newest additions to the shop's lineup. 

This little quarter sawn cherry record cabinet (below) displays it's wonderful veneer inlay--it's already a beauty. We're going to gently restore it to it's former magnificence.

 This little SOLID mahogany lamp table (below) appears to have been a high school shop project. As with all of us its lines clearly date it, but it will go nicely with the color and finish of the recliner it's being paired with.

That's Wood Talkin' for now. Keep listening. 

Red Oak Library Table

This beautiful old Mission-styled table glows again. In keeping with it's near antique status the choice was to remove the rings from the top of the table as best we could. That was done primarily with commercial grade bleach (and a lot of patient perseverance). Then the goal was to restore continuity of color and patina to the top. Sanding a jewel like this is an effort of only the very last resort, so in this case it was kept to a bare minimum--only as needed to support that color continuity effort.

So, what you see here (below) is what you get. The dark rings are 95% gone; a mere shadow remains of their haunting "before" presence. (Of course our customer will pass final judgment on this outcome.) What you see in the pictures is finished in a fine "hard" oil then waxed and buffed to a soft patina typical of the antique world. It's a finish that is easy to maintain with the quarterly application of some good quality furniture polish (Guardsman polish is recommended). It will feed the wood and keep it from drying in Colorado's semi-arid climate.

Here's a fun observation made along the way. As the table was originally being fabricated (probably @ 1940), its drawer bottom was cut just a smidgen too small. As a result the bottom didn't fit tightly into the grooves designed to hold it. The weight of the drawer's contents then tended to warp downward. (Check out the little pic, right. See the gap!?) Wow, isn't it interesting that even back then they had an occasional "bad day." Haaa, in April, 2012, we fixed it. Super.

That's Wood Talkin' for today. Keep listening!