To Restore or Not to Restore?

[D&b antiques]

there known as garden bench's.

[talesofthesevenseas]

Thanks D&B, good to know that! I did some hunting online and it looks like a some of them have been spiffed-up by putting a clear varnish over the old wood. I have some old Chinese buckets that that was done to that look really good. That might be an option for these guys, hydrate them and then just do a clear coat to protect and make them look nice again... if it even needs it after rehydrating.

Speaking of rehydrating, do you guys have any recommendations on what type or brand of oil to use for something so weathered?

[regularjoe2]

It would depend on the wood (according to me) and how you intend on finishing it .

If it were my project & I was going to keep it/them , I'd first acess if the wood has 'cooties' or still had water in it ... if so , I'd execute the bugs and let it 'dry out' for a month or so .
I'd then check it for other past or active rot & insect problems (dryrot included) and abate/stabilize those issues first .

Am still curious about what kinda wood you've got there , tales .

[talesofthesevenseas]

I am curious too. Looking forward to picking 'em up in a couple of hours! That's a good idea to check if they have any rot/bug issues. They have been indoors in an artists studio though for what I think was at least several years. So I think the weathering occurred earlier rather than more recently. I'll give them a good inspection though, thanks for the heads up on that.

Here's a photo of the stool. Same condition, size is 19" long x 10" wide,  23" tall


Here's the dimensions on the benches.

The smaller one is:
41"L x 8"W x 26"H  

The larger is:
59"L x 7"W x 17"H
('zactly the right length to go along the end of the Chinese bed!)

[talesofthesevenseas]

Well I'll tell ya one thing, no one will ever accuse these benches of being reproductions LOL! I ended up taking two benches for $20 each and the stool for $10. They don't look like they ever had any kind of paint varnish or anything on the wood. There is no trace of any finish anywhere, just bare wood. I don't know what kind of wood this is. It is not a hardwood, so I don't think it is elm. The benches and stoo are all VERY weathered and very dry, but none-the-less, very sturdy.

Here's the best of the three. It is the slightly taller in height, slightly shorter one in length than it's counterpart. No sign of any repairs, no rot, no bugs. Just very old wood, lots of scars.





This is the second bench, longer in length than the first, but shorter in height. It is in severely weathered condition, but it has charm.







Here is the stool. This one has quite a few empty slots, signs that I think mean that it once had the same kind of decorative pieces on it that the benches have, and a couple of supporting cross members that are no longer there. It, like the others, is sturdy as a rock, despite extreme weathering. It is bigger than I thought it would be, the slab of wood for the seat is about 4" thick.
 




Finally, the group of three, posing with a Fiestaware pitcher for size comparison. In reality, the  boards that appear lighter in this photo are only slightly lighter in color from being protected by the piece above them. A lot of that is from the flash.



Now for the big question: What to do with them. Well, to be honest, I think they are so weathered, that they would have more value if they were varnished, so that they could function as attractive indoor pieces. Looking at what similar benches are selling for on Ebay, it looks like people probably would prefer attractive/functional over original/functional. The condition right now is very much like driftwood. However, I think the cracks and splits are part of the charm and I don't think any sanding would be appropriate. Nor would it do the least bit of good! But the preservationist part of me hates to alter anything so original.

[cogar]

Me gut feeling tells me those are old, old timers.

Are they all peg and mortise construction? (meaning no metal)

[ironlord1963]

Wow These are cool Tales, great score, sure you will make them look great.  Nice Fiestaware too 

[KC]

So...to preserve and not alter.....rehydrate is the next step!

They definitely have lots of personality/charm about them.

Are you keeping them or selling?

[regularjoe2]

Congrats on getting all 3 , talesof ... bargain price too !


Hope I'm not going too far out of line , but I will anyway & suggest the following :

(disclaimer here - the look of varnished deeply weathered wood almost gives me hives & reminds me of nasty epoxy-dipped wood items at roadside souvenir stands)

I'd brush them down with a solution of 75% mineral oil & 25% mineral spirits repeatedly for a few months (in a well-ventilated spot) , let all of the mineral spirits evaporate for another month & then use tung oil for the rest of their lives (if they were mine) .... my other choice would be to leave them as-is (after a good scrubbing).

Nice group of Chinese peasant furniture items , talesof .

[talesofthesevenseas]

Thanks guys!  Answering the questions below...

They are 100% peg and mortise. No nails, no metal on them anywhere.

They look to be 100% untouched in any way shape or form. I'm thinking long and hard about if I want to do anything to them at all. I will take some time to mull it over. I'll also drop an email to the Chinese antique dealers who gave me the insurance appraisal on the Chinese bed. They produce a series of videos on Chinese furniture and I'll get an opinion from them too. I keep waffling back and forth about what I ought to do. I'm not used to the look of wood that is so weathered, so maybe it's me that needs fixin'. 

I am going to keep at least one bench and the stool for sure. I may sell one bench. I haven't decided yet.

[talesofthesevenseas]

I've been running searches this morning looking at similar benches and stools, trying to get an idea on the value. Looks like twenty bucks was quite a bargain. I'm not finding many that have not been refinished. I haven't been able to figure out if unaltered is a plus in this case, but the more dollar signs I see, the cooler they look, LOL.  

On Craigslist, unfinished, paint residue, similar condition, $185:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/atq/1371448719.html

Refinished, $395:
http://www.silkroadcollection.com/mix9009-chinese-bench.html

Refinished bench, dated at late 1800's for $799:
http://www.orientalfurniture.com/oriental-furniture/ANTIQUES_PH068.html?utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=yahooshopping

Refinished Bench for $1200 *gasp!*
http://hollyhockinc.com/products/Tables_Consoles_LR_WHITE/End_Tables/Bench,%20Chinese,%20ZZA-22,%20B.html

[talesofthesevenseas]

Just got an email from the seller of the benches. He just offered me this old Chinese rake, (Looks like a hay rake to me,) that came from the same person that the benches came from. $10. I accepted. No idea what its worth yet, but certainly looks worth the risk. Same type of wood and construction. No idea what kind of shape the handle is in.

[talesofthesevenseas]

This just in from Eugene at
http://www.chineseantiquefurnitureshop.com/videos.html

Hi Claire,
 
I think you got some nice pieces.
Answers to your questions:
1.   You don’t have to restore those pieces if they are still sturdy. Do refinish it only if you like refinished antique furniture better.
2.   They are not considered very valuable pieces. You can do it in the way you like the best.
3.   About 50 to 100 years.
4.   Since we don’t carry pieces like this, I can only give you our prices to the public if they were refinished: benches: $180 to $250 stool:$130
5.   From the three piece together photo, I see a replaced side apron on the shorter bench.
 
All the best,
 
Eugene
Chinese Antique furniture Shop

(One note the side apron mentioned was just lit up by the flash. I went back and checked and the wood is the same as the rest.)