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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    788

    Default Red Cedar chest of drawers

    SWMBO mentioned a Facebook Cedar chest giveaway (free ) in our suburb.
    We expressed our interest and received it the same afternoon.

    Mostly all there and some really nice Cedar.
    Drawers are Cedar fronted Pine.

    1.jpg2.jpg

    It has its issues.
    Someone seems to have stripped the shellac but luckily it doesn't look to have been sanded.
    Still has a lot of old red stain which I'll clean.

    Some issues ...

    The top will need a good clean. Can't wait to see what the grain looks like polished.
    Split in the lower molding. I'll clean it out and re-glue.
    A few chunks missing that I'll patch.

    3.jpg4.jpg5.jpg

    The regular issues ...

    The wear in the rails is too deep. I'll have to splice in some patches.
    Case drawer runners worn right through.
    Drawer runners were pinned in a previous restoration. This will never end well.

    6.jpg7.jpg8.jpg

    Someone 'restored' the molding around the top edge.
    Some sort of Ash profile tacked and lightly (thankfully) glued to the front edge. Maple boards tacked to the sides.
    All removed now.
    This chest would have been cross-banded around the edge.
    I have access to another chest with very similar proportions that had a fairly subtle rounded cross-banded profile. I may try this.

    9.jpg10.jpg11.jpg

    The front pillars are missing some details.
    The similar chest I mentioned above, had carved corbels and shield plates.
    Not sure what I'll do here, but it'll be a while before I get to that.

    12.jpg

    I'll post some progress pictures as I go ... unless you tell me to stop

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    788

    Default

    Working my way through the drawers.

    Runners built up on the sides

    1.jpg

    This is the first time using the Moxon vice in a restoration.
    Great for scraping out drawer joints.
    Great for planing and trimming drawer runners.
    I think I'll keep it

    2.jpg3.jpg

    Gluing up.
    I had to teach the smaller drawer a lesson in geometry.
    The larger drawer behaved.

    4.jpg5.jpg

    An interesting find on one of the drawer sides.
    The maker messed up his dovetail cuts at the back

    6.jpg7.jpg

    Might have been made after workshop happy hour

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    788

    Default

    Happy new year all!

    Time to post some progress pics.
    I should get a chance to finish it this weekend.

    Patched a few spots.

    1.jpg2.jpg3.jpg

    The rails.

    4.jpg5.jpg

    There was dry rot in the corner of the baseboard that required patching.

    6.jpg

    Original case runners were shot, so I milled up some Kauri Pine and Cedar.

    7.jpg8.jpg9.jpg

    I decide to use flat cross-banding.
    I had some nice thick Cedar band-sawed veneer that was squared up on the shooting board.

    10.jpg11.jpg12.jpg

    The cross-banding was pinned with with fine panel pins during gluing and planed flat with a skewed block plane (after removing the pins ).
    I don't believe this chest had any corbels as there is too little overhang on the top.
    Figured Cedar side shields have been added, the first few coats of shellac have been applied and I'm starting to fit the drawers.

    13.jpg14.jpg

    All that's left is to lightly clean the escutcheons, drawer locks and knobs before a lot more polishing

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    788

    Default

    A few more pics to close off the thread.

    The red stain was cleaned off the knobs. They ended up being a warm brown pine colour.

    1.jpg

    Drawer fronts were polished.

    2.jpg

    Drawer stops were added.

    3.jpg

    All done and moved into the house

    4.jpg5.jpg

    Thanks for looking in ....

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Jan 2014
    Location
    Sydney Upper North Shore
    Posts
    4,464

    Default

    Excellent restoration. Thanks for sharing.

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    91

    Default

    Looks good!!

    Thanks for all of the photos.

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Hobart
    Posts
    497

    Default

    what a great result you achieved there. Most impressive. such a nice looking chest with decent proportions and grain. I really like the crossbanding and delicate pillers on the front, really nice details.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Location
    Dandenong Ranges
    Posts
    1,866

    Default

    Hi TT. Thanks for sharing your resto. Where are you sourcing the replacement red cedar from?

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Location
    Canberra
    Posts
    788

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Mountain Ash View Post
    Hi TT. Thanks for sharing your resto. Where are you sourcing the replacement red cedar from?
    Thanks for looking in!

    I have access to a fair bit of new (old milled) Cedar from my Dad's shed in Wauchope (Timber Town).

    The Cedar I use for my restorations mainly comes from old orphaned furniture parts.
    My father in law has a couple of massive sheds full of unrestored colonial furniture and parts in another part of the country.
    We won't run out of projects and stock any time soon

    1.jpg2.jpg3.jpg4.jpg5.jpg

    My biggest issue is to find buyers for restored pieces as our houses are already fully furnished with some pretty nice furniture.

    Might have to open a shop in the future.

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Oct 2018
    Location
    Dandenong Ranges
    Posts
    1,866

    Default

    Wow. this is me, green with envy.

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