age of an antique dough box

[waywardangler]

Ooooo, the rumors are going to start now! Will you be running off to Oregon by chance?

[talesofthesevenseas]

What geographic region did the family that owned this come from? It is probably made of local woods, whatever was available.

[carlav]

To all who posted: Enormous thanks for all your help and knowledge!!

[carlav]

What geographic region did the family that owned this come from? It is probably made of local woods, whatever was available.

They're from New Hampshire (Southern NH, near the MA border).

[waywardangler]

Piney woods.

[cogar]

Something in this picture just doesn’t look right to me.

[waywardangler]

Could you explain your question cogar?

I am assuming you are talking about the presence of new rust. New rust can occur on old metal if exposed to damp or humid conditions. The rust actually spider webbed into the wood in the upper hinge leg and around the pivot pin, rust has discolored the wood. Being that this is a dough box, I think the lid is pretty tight which is also exhibited by the difference in oxidation, inside and out. Anything damp left in there could cause the new rust on the metal or a difference in air temp where it was stored (unheated building for example). Just my thoughts.

[cogar]

wayward, it was an observation not a question.

And I observed the fact that there are two different types of screws in the lid portion of the hinge.

And I observed the fact that given the extent of the rusting of the upper portion of the hinge there is basically little to none of your per say “spider webbing into the wood” of the lid, ….. a fact that I find hard to believe …… given the fact that the lower portion of the hinge is considerably less rusty but there is obviously a greater amount of your per say “spider webbing into the wood” of the back board.

wayward, extensive rusting = minimal bleeding ……. verses …… minimal rusting = extensive bleeding, …….. makes no sense to me ……… unless the top board/lid has been replaced, ….. which would support your claim of it being made out of pine. And the way the hinge is made it has obviously not been turned around. 

Now the side boards of that box looks to me like they are 4-quarter, which would be what one would expect to see for something that was made sometime in the 1800s, ….. but the question is, ….. is the top board/lid also a 4-quarter board? If not, then pretty much for sure, it has been replaced, ….. because the tops of dough boxes were used as a “work surface”.

wayward, I have at this very minute, lying on my carpenters bench in the garage, three (3) 4-quarter by approximately 29” X 50” popular boards, that were salvaged from the base unit of a large 2-piece cabinet/cupboard, anyone of which could be used to put a lid on that “dough box”, ….. which is for such a reason I have been saving them for more than 20 years …. and the fact that these size boards are scarce as hen’s teeth because they were cut out of “virgin timber”.

I just took a photo of them because a picture is worth 1,000 words. The one on top, with the 48” plastic straight edge lying on it, was the top of the base unit, the other 2 were the side boards of the base unit.

[mart]

Ooooo, the rumors are going to start now! Will you be running off to Oregon by chance?

Nope !!  Can`t take the winters there !! Old age you know !! Thought he might be a snowbird !!

[waywardangler]

wayward, it was an observation not a question.

Sometimes, cogar, I read questions where there are none. Must be age.

The other pictures were removed so it is hard to tell the thickness of the top board. It would be nice to see if and much wear is on the top. That should be as thick as the sides if it is original.

Nice boards you have there, cogar. You never know when those may be needed.  Not something you can run down to the lumber yard and pick up for sure.

[mart]

Cogar I think you are correct about the top being replaced. Notice the different color in the wood. I think the hinges were reversed when the new top was added. Bottom shows the oil from making bread in the wood and it has just started bleeding through on the top !! Dough needs to be warm to rise properly and over time it would have evaporated and colored the inside top as well !! This board is a later addition I think !!  And Yes,, I do make a lot of bread but I use the oven for proofing a single loaf !! A dough box is for making several loaves at one time !!

[waywardangler]

I am not so sure about the hinges being flipped. The screw holes closest to the pin would be opposite where they are now unless the hinge was also flipped (the outside exposed hinge would have been the inside against the wood). Taking one leg off (of the back board) would tell whether this happened. The base leg hinge is also bent to fit in the mortise and I do not see a bend in the top hinge leg. If the top was replaced, I think the hinge position stayed the same.

[cogar]

wayward, that hinge has been bugging me and I think I just figured out why.

Is it not just a plain ole strap hinge for a door ...... when it actually should be an inside chest lid hinge with a 1" offset on the base leg? 

And if not a 1" offset hinge then shouldn't it be a small "butterfly" hinge that is mortised into the top edge of the back board with the pivot joint to the outside.

That pictured hinge will allow the lid to be opened and closed ...... but when it is in the closed position is there not going to be a gap between the lid and the back board?

Me now beginning to think the hinges were replaced when the top/lid was replaced.

[waywardangler]

I am not sure if there would be a gap because the base hinge is mortised to sink the hinge point lower into the wood. That would allow the lid to close down tighter than if it was non-mortised. There would be a gap. The owner, carlav, could tell us that. But it really was not the right hinge to use. Probably something that was on hand. Taking the hinge off would tell if there are previous holes from an original hinge.

[jmanning778]

The end grain looks very much like fir to me..