Question about a desk

[lal5000]

hi,

I have just bought this desk from a charity shop and am trying to determine what type of wood its made from?

I'm guessing its mahogany but I'm not sure.

Its certainly mostly solid wood (apart from the panels).

I want to sand and wax it, my girlfriend wants to leave it as it is,,

I'm guessing its relativity modern.

Any insight or thoughts greatly appreciated.

20150411_122920 by laurencerexedwards, on Flickr

Laurence

[frogpatch]

From my vantage point it looks like cherry and the hardware looks like Craftsman style brass. I would like to see the wood close up and some pictures of the drawer on the inside where the front and sides are joined. Also look inside and on the back for any labels or markings. Do not do anything to the finish except clean it. It looks like there may be something over the original finish. That shine just does not look right from here.

[lal5000]

thanks for the reply.

Much appreciated.

I would tend to agree that there is something over the finish. its a bit too shiny but you can kind of see a patina through it.. Its as if its aged, then been refinished.

i can get some more pics in the morning as its dark in the garage now and i dont have a flash on the camera.

The weird thing is there are no dovetail joints and i doubt they are hidden dovetails. I will get a picture of this tomorrow anyway

A couple of things that strike me is the glue appears old. almost resin like and there are a number of dowel joints that look pretty old to me.

How would you recommend getting the finish off then without stripping/sanding?

[frogpatch]

Where are the dowel joints? Before you do anything you need to determine what you have. It could be a mid 20th century piece or it may be early 20th century. I will wait for your pics.

[lal5000]

I wont touch it until I figure out what it is..

The dowel joints are hidden on the back and inside and rather irregular.

[lal5000]

How about this sideboard?

Got this for a super bargain of £35!

been stripped back by the guy i bought it from but i really like it.

Im hoping Victorian era.

any ideas..


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[frogpatch]

Beautiful oak Edwardian piece I would surmise. English furniture is something I know little about. I do know it is really well made. I like it very much.

[mart]

Frogpatch is right !! What dummy stripped it ?? Would have been a soft honey color or golden oak !! Too bad about the original finish !!

[lal5000]

it was a company called...

wait for it..

Strip It LTD.

I think there 1 size fits all approach didn't fare too well as I bought this from a guy who was liquidating the companies assets.

I have given a good wax with briwax and I'm calling it a day.

Will get pictures this morning of the rest of the desk.

Thanks for all the comments.

[lal5000]

Hi,

There is definitely some sort of varnish on this - probably with some stain as well i think.

Its very shiny and water resistant but the inside is a much lighter reddish wood.

Quite resinous in places but i dont think its a softwood although it does quite remind me of cedar.

have a look a the pics and let me know what you think.

cheers,

Laurence



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[frogpatch]

It looks to me that it is from the English Arts and Crafts movement. The wood is not familiar to me. I see that there was something used called brown oak. I don't think that is what it is though. It almost looks like teak but that doesn't really work with the era. Remove the top coat beginning with the gentlest method first. You may try alcohol but that has to be done with fine steel wool in one hand and a wiping cloth in the other as it loosens and drys in seconds. Do one little section at a time and expect to put a lot of hours in. Mart is very good at restoration. Lets see what she says. It is a very nice peiece and well worth putting the time into it.

[lal5000]

thanks again for your reply.

Having looked at it today in more detail my opinion is that its probably oak that has been stained and varnished to look like something else. its a very, very open grain and in the places where the varnish has chipped off its much lighter than I first thought. Doesn't quite explain the resin though unless its made with hide glue and it began to seep in some hot weather.

I will wait for some further advice re. the restoration but am happy to put the effort into to get it into shape!

[cogar]

How would you recommend getting the finish off then without stripping/sanding?

Lacquer thinner.

 

[cogar]

Quite resinous in places but i dont think its a softwood although it does quite remind me of cedar.

have a look a the pics and let me know what you think.

I think those last pictures show a "mixed wood" construction.

And it looks to me like oak and walnut. 

Chestnut and oak looks similar.

[mart]

Could be a mixed wood !!  The top is different from the base !!  Grain is wider, pattern is different !! However with this old computer I can`t see well enough to say what it is !!  The pics are so large I could not load all of them !!  My choices would be Walnut or Elm but when its cleaned off a bit those choices may change !! Will go back and see if I can load the other pics !!  Didn`t notice the pegged construction before or it was on a pic that didn`t load !!
As Frogpatch said,, denatured alcohol is a pretty safe thing to use to remove the varnish without stripping the patina but it is pretty labor intensive !! Yes laquer thinner works too but I was not fond of the smell and takes same amount of work !! Plain old rubbing alcohol will work but the 50% dilution is not as strong and the 70% dilution is not always available !! Plus its just cheaper to buy a gallon of the denatured alcohol at any home improvement or hardware store !!  You will need 4-0 steel wool and lots of old rags and a pair of rubber gloves unless you want to spend a day or two cleaning the residue of varnish out of your fingernails !! Use it the same as Formby`s and yes,, work in small areas !!