Another Chest...

[hosman321]

How many chests can one person have? I think I need to stop after this one. I fell in love with it when I saw it on Craigslist. I paid $50, which I thought was more than fair for my area. The woman had no idea what it was, she just wanted to get rid of it. It didn't fit much with her decor, she lived in a lavish multimillion dollar home in the woods. I couldn't believe her house! Anyways, I'm trying to date it (not romantically) and was also curious about what kind of wood it might be. I can't tell if it's pine (it seems lighter than pine) or if it's birch.
Info:
What is now the front used to be the back. A replacement lock and escutcheon were added to the new front.

The back has the the holes where the old lock used to be, they have all been filled in with wood dowels.

There is a little plastic tag stapled onto the bottom with numbers. (Museum deacession?)

The replacement handles with new-ish screws appear to be cast iron on a very thin sheet metal base. Maybe late 1800's? Looks like maybe someone bought antique handles and used new screws.

Cast iron and cut? nail replacement hinges.

Rosehead nails. The seller and I both thought it was strange that rosehead nails were used all along the dovetails. Seems like maybe they were added later for reinforcement?

The knots that are in the wood are almost perfect little circles, at first I thought they were dowels.

I hope this one is really old but it seems hard to date...
 
I have a bunch of pics, so here they are.

[hosman321]

More.

[waywardangler]

I like everything about it but the hardware!  Yes, I agree the rosehead nails were added later, probably after the hide glue used in the dovetails failed.  Nails are easier then regluing.  I cannot tell from the photos but is that one board per side?  If so, that is an old chest.  I would find replacement handles with holes to match the original (now dowels) ones.  Simply make a paper template of where the holes should be and carry it with you when you go antiquing.  No time rush here as it could take years to find the right old pair.  My guess is not birch but fir if it is not pine.  I especially like the bottom scroll detail making this more like a blanket chest.  I wonder if it was originally painted?  nice buy.

[hosman321]

Thanks for your input wayward! Yeah, the hardware is definitely off the mark. Not very flattering. Each side (as well as the top and bottom) are one board. I'll get measurements in a few minutes. It's not quite small enough to be a document box but also too small to be a blanket chest. Kind of in the middle. Trying to figure out it's purpose...

[hosman321]

It's 23"x12"x12" overall. Maybe it is a document box, it just looks big in person...

[hosman321]

Ok, I have one more question. Wayward will probably know.
I grabbed the flashlight for closer inspection and this is really strange. Maybe it can help with dating?
The whole thing is covered in these little "fish scales." Rows and rows just like fish scales. They are so tiny and faint, you can't see them without really looking well in bright light. They remind me of the little waves that people doodle when they draw ocean waves. You can't feel them at all, they are too tiny and faint. Does this give a clue about how the wood was cut? My camera can't get them all, but you can barely see some here. I just don't know if any kind of saw can leave faint scale-like impressions in the wood like that. They don't look like circular saw marks.

And I was mistaken about the top and bottom being one board. I thought they had split. They are both made with one board that is 8 3/4" wide and one that is 3 1/2" wide.

[fancypants]

Hey hosman321 .... those marks were made by an orbital sander , I'd say (& a rather heavy grit too) ... if my eyes are seeing what I think they are seeing ....

Cool little item !

[hosman321]

You're totally right fancy, it was a sander. I did realize that the inside was sanded but I never would have thought the outside. I thought the original finish had worn away but it's pretty clear the dark patina was sanded away now that I look at it differently. Kinda sad, the deep ridges in the wood consistent with shrinkage and age were mostly sanded down, but I can still feel them. Even a lot of the shrinkage and popping out in the dovetails was sanded down. So, since it has been sanded down inside and out, would it be the end of the world if I paint it with federal red or mustard milk paint? I do like it's current look, but someone else already sanded away a lot of it's history.

[talesofthesevenseas]

What a lovely chest Hosman! Even with the sanding it has loads of personality left. Love to see the staining in the wood around the nails and the shrinkage in the wood. Looks like it has a whole lot of stories to tell! Love it!

[fancypants]

Well , although the wood-butchers got ahold of this one , it's got lots of real charm IMO .
I'd guess that 'they' simply retasked a nice old antique box into a 'decorator item' , without regard for its' former patina & slapped a healthy price on it .

I usually get a nice feeling when I see/feel hand-cut dovetails in old wooden furniture/items .

Maybe some faux-painting might be another way to deal with refinishing this one ?

[talesofthesevenseas]

Since you are dealing with raw wood, you could also mineral oil it first, to see if that darkens it to your liking, then go from there.

[hosman321]

Ohh now that's a good idea tales. I may just leave it be though. I've never used mineral oil on anything, anything special I should know? Are there different kinds?

[fancypants]

If you buy yourself a small bottle of (unscented/pure) food grade mineral oil (@ a pharmacy) it'll be pretty universal for use on woods (including rolling pins/woodware) you'd like to 'moisturize' a bit .... been known to be used for iron items too .....

[talesofthesevenseas]

Adding a bit more to Fancy's comment- You can pick it up for just a couple of bucks, and it is non-toxic and safe to use on food prep surfaces, which is nice. Just ask for USP mineral oil at any pharmacy. (it sold for use as a laxative) Some things it darkens more drastically and immediately. Other woods are more resistant and it takes a longer time of regular oiling. My wooden bowl soaked it up like a sponge and got a really neat dark shade to it. It brought out a lot of the darker patina. That work surface of my Hoosier has been more resistant and it just has taken time and lots of regular oiling. Different woods seem to react very differently, but I like how everything has looked that I oiled. I've used it on everything from wooden handled kitchen gadgets to the pie safe, and it is more of a subtle thing than staining or varnishing, it just deepens the richness that is alreay there, and it does help to moisturize very dry wood. Love the stuff and have been hooked on it since the Hoosier project.

[talesofthesevenseas]

Forgot to mention the tag was made with what we called a "name labeler" or "tape labeler". These were really popular in the 1960's and 70's. They worked by impressing the letters into colored tape, which would turn white as the letter was pressed into the tape. Here's a picture of one: