I've just acquired an old hardwood filing cabinet, which I guess was
made some time between 1920 and 1950. Nice brass fittings. It needs
smartening up. There are no major scratches on it, but the wood has
accumulated a good bit of grime, as one would expect over 50 years.
I'm not sure what finish it has had, if any. Can anyone advise me how
to clean it up so it looks smart and clean? I'm not sure what kind of
hardwood it is.

Thank you,

Jake

"Jake" wrote in message
...

I've just acquired an old hardwood filing cabinet, which I guess was
made some time between 1920 and 1950. Nice brass fittings. It needs
smartening up. There are no major scratches on it, but the wood has
accumulated a good bit of grime, as one would expect over 50 years.
I'm not sure what finish it has had, if any. Can anyone advise me how
to clean it up so it looks smart and clean? I'm not sure what kind of
hardwood it is.

I acquired a single drawer example of this which had been used in a foundry
so was VERY encrusted with, well, muck.

I spent a lot of time on it with soap and water and a dishcloth. It came up
beautifully and is still in use, forty years on.

Mary

Thank you,

Jake

On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 19:47:19 GMT, (Jake)
wrote:

There are no major scratches on it, but the wood has
accumulated a good bit of grime,

Cleaning wood is too variable to describe well in text.

What's the finish ? Are you trying to avoid damaging that, or strip
it too ? Start with a good scrubbing. Plain soap is good, as is
Ecover washing-up liquid, or some shampoos.

Personally I like caustic soda for shifting heavy grease, but you have
to be careful not to strip (some) finishes too. Washing soda is a
gentler start.

Avoid ammonia. It'll attack shellac finishes and it'll darken oak.

I'm not sure what kind of hardwood it is.

Oak would be typical. Any sign of the ray-flake pattern ? If you
look at end-grain, you might see some radial dark lines. If you find a
near-radial face ("quartersawn") then you can see the "flake" pattern
as these get sliced through.

--
Smert' spamionam

white spirit and wire-wool (gently does it tho)

On Mon, 22 Sep 2003 10:40:44 +0100, "Baxter Basics"
wrote:

white spirit and wire-wool (gently does it tho)

I've given up on steel wool - I use the plastic abrasives instead (3M
or Webrax). Easier to work with, and they don't leave rust-spots as
steel wool can do.

--
Smert' spamionam

On Sun, 21 Sep 2003 19:47:19 GMT, (Jake)
wrote:

Thanks everyone for the replies. It looks to me as if the cabinet
probably had one coat of button polish or similar, and that was it. Or
perhaps it was just waxed.

I'm not sure if it's oak or not. The wood looks a little too yellow
where it is bare, and a little too orangey whee it has been finished.

Unusual grain on the face of one of the drawers: looks like
light-coloured tiger stripes about 5mm at their thickest point, which
interrupt a more uniform fine-grain. Quite a nice feature.

On reconsidering, I think it looks 1940s to 1950s. The back is
actually a piece of hardboard that you can slide out from the bottom.
That looks much the same as modern hardboard. But then, hardboard has
been around for many years, hasn't it? I remember it was around in the
50's.

Jake

On Mon, 22 Sep 2003 20:01:46 GMT, (Jake)
wrote:

It looks to me as if the cabinet
probably had one coat of button polish or similar, and that was it. Or
perhaps it was just waxed.

Wax alone would be unusual. If it's '50s (which is likely) then it
would be shellac on a good piece or cellulose lacquer.

I'm not sure if it's oak or not. The wood looks a little too yellow
where it is bare, and a little too orangey whee it has been finished.

You can't tell from the colour - it's too easily changed by finishes.

Unusual grain on the face of one of the drawers: looks like
light-coloured tiger stripes about 5mm at their thickest point, which
interrupt a more uniform fine-grain. Quite a nice feature.

Sounds like quartersawn oak

http://www.swartzendruber.com/html/quartersawn_oak.html

On reconsidering, I think it looks 1940s to 1950s. The back is
actually a piece of hardboard that you can slide out from the bottom.
That looks much the same as modern hardboard. But then, hardboard has
been around for many years, hasn't it?

Postwar. Prewar stuff (it was first made during WW1, but didn't become
popular until the '30s) was usually fibreboard and didn't have the
extremely hard face on one side that we think of as hardboard todat.

--
Smert' spamionam

On Tue, 23 Sep 2003 01:23:23 GMT, (Jake)
wrote:

Now I just want to optimise it's appearance, since I'm thinking of
using it as a pice of livingroom furniture.

Picture ?
--
Smert' spamionam

"Mary Fisher" wrote in message et...
I acquired a single drawer example of this which had been used in a foundry
so was VERY encrusted with, well, muck.

I spent a lot of time on it with soap and water and a dishcloth. It came up
beautifully and is still in use, forty years on.

I somehow felt you would be the non-invasive spit and polish type
Mary. Well done. Did you finish it with beaswax by any chance :=))

I love this newsgroup.

There is a saying amongst the Jewish community......

2 Jews, 3 opinions. Round here it's more like.... well, lots of opinions anyways!

B rgds

Chris

On Tue, 23 Sep 2003 01:23:23 GMT, (Jake)
wrote:


I saw one of these things in an antique mall in California, and the
asking price was like $400

PS, but that was nearly 10 years ago. Probably be $750 now..

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will proceed with cleaning and how
it goes.

Jake

"Chris Holmes" wrote in message
om...
"Mary Fisher" wrote in message
et...
I acquired a single drawer example of this which had been used in a
foundry
so was VERY encrusted with, well, muck.

I spent a lot of time on it with soap and water and a dishcloth. It came
up
beautifully and is still in use, forty years on.

I somehow felt you would be the non-invasive spit and polish type

I can be very invasive :-)

Mary. Well done. Did you finish it with beaswax by any chance :=))

No, I don't do any of that elbow grease stuff any more. I once used beeswax
polish (before I kept bees so it must be going on for thirty years ago) to
polish the stripped (steel wool and turps) top of an ancient but very nice
cantilever table. It gave a very beautiful finish but took ages.

And was ruined the first time someone put a hot mug without a saucer on it.

When it got too bad again (two or three years ago) I stripped it again and
did it with polyurethane.

The filing cabinet had been finished with button polish I guess and was only
filthy. It had been in a foundry lab.

Mary

"Chris Holmes" wrote in message
om...
I love this newsgroup.

There is a saying amongst the Jewish community......

2 Jews, 3 opinions. Round here it's more like.... well, lots of opinions
anyways!

I've never heard it of Jews but I've used it of beekeepers.

Then I realised that it's true of all communities and adds to our wealth of
learning - even when some opinions are patently not worth the candle.

Mary

B rgds

Chris