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Thread: Restoring an old writing slope
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22nd October 2021, 12:30 PM #31SENIOR MEMBER
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I had a few minutes to do some blacksmithing to get this old lock working.
You won't see this today, all cast from a solid brass. Luckily I have a heaps of old locks and keys which works a treat to repair old hardware. A little beating to get them straight, some filing and fiddling with the mechanism and key, et voila, a working lock.
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22nd October 2021 12:30 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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23rd October 2021, 03:43 PM #32
That's quite a collection of locks you have acquired there. That one you are working on looks like it is coming up a treat. Nice little anvil.
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24th October 2021, 10:01 AM #33SENIOR MEMBER
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The end is in sight. An as luck would have it I misplaced the little slider that keeps the writing surface locked so I had to make a replacement.
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Al that remains is the writing slopes. These were missing when I go the box so I had to make some new ones. They were easy enough, I had some thin rosewood left over from something which I just framed using some walnut to match the veneer on the outside.
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I will pause here for the day and reflect a bit on how to go forward from here, attaching the slopes. I might glue a piece of cloth in between the lid and bottom, gluing that itself to the two slopes? The initial plan was also to get a replacement leather embossed insert but they are about $100 so I might go with this bright pink pigskin I have. It will certainly evoke some comments when the box is opened , yes, no?
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24th October 2021, 10:37 AM #34GOLD MEMBER
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24th October 2021, 11:00 AM #35
Looking great .
The slopes that you replaced . Every one Ive seen is made of three parts each . Each one has a strip tongue and grooved on each side . Like a bread board end on a table top sort of . About 25 to 30 wide roughly . This will (Mostly) stop it warping . So will making them out of good Plywood.
Then its veneered on top . And when veneered its not all around 4 sides of each . Its 3 sides of each . They hinge by the leather or cloth being one piece and covering both slopes and being stuck down to the box sides as well . If you want pics let me know and I will put them up .
Pink ! And Your doing such a great job so far
The leather to use is Veg tanned leather . That what you have is Chrome tanned . The chrome tanning affect has to be hidden so they Paint it basically. And it doesn't emboss so good I don't think .
Veg tanned can be stained and sealed with your own choice of stains ( any colour ) and sealed ? polished with shellac. That looks much much nicer . Veg tanned can also be shaved down in thickness either at edges or all rover on the rough side. Chrome tanned could probably be shaved down too . Ive never done that though . Once a veg tanned top is laid it gets the embossed tooling . I do all mine with no gold . Ive got the tooling wheels for it . You could just use a straight edge and a shaped piece of brass to do some straight lines set in off the edge what ever you like for a simple effect .
Here's a link to veg tanned. Nice and thin at 1mm. It doesn't have to be Roo leather . Moo Cow is good too . Thicker though and bigger sizes. Not sure if that Roo is large enough for Your job .
WHISKY Color VEG TANNED Kangaroo leather skin hide for plaiting whip making etc. | eBay
Rob
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24th October 2021, 11:21 AM #36SENIOR MEMBER
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24th October 2021, 11:24 AM #37SENIOR MEMBER
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24th October 2021, 12:22 PM #38
Some pics of two boxes I have here .
The under side of a flap . See red arrow where the flap is hinging on its leather top.
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Green arrows where veneer is on three sides of top flap . Two red arrows show where leather is glued down at box sides. Its across both flaps and the sides from one piece. One red arrow in middle shows where they crack after lots of use . You can see how the it has cracked from when the box is opened and closed but the flaps haven't cracked yet as they don't get used so much .
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lifted on its leather hinge
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A mahogany pair I made years ago for a Rosewood box (BRW). Unfinished project.
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I slotted both sides with a saw blade and glued a loose tongue .
The first box above doesn't have a tongue. It appears to be just butt joined .
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Red lines where veneer would go to surround the later applied leather or cloth .
Or if a little more veneer added around the hinges to bring the line in like the top box , Wider veneer can be used . That'd look better.
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Rob
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24th October 2021, 02:09 PM #39SENIOR MEMBER
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Thank you Rob - it makes perfect sense now.
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24th October 2021, 02:12 PM #40SENIOR MEMBER
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I decided to ditch the rosewood leaves and make some new ones as suggested by Rob. Much happier with these.
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12th November 2021, 03:59 PM #41SENIOR MEMBER
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I had to wait for the leather insert but it’s finally done. Thanks for all the advice and convincing me not to use my bright pink pig suede [emoji3]
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12th November 2021, 04:04 PM #42SENIOR MEMBER
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And something for Rob - another antique Tunbridge box found in the wild. I decided to leave this one as is since the veneer and box itself is in a decent state. I did I’ve it a new coat of oil and wax though. I might also try and fix that lock and gaping holes in the front though.
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12th November 2021, 05:37 PM #43
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13th November 2021, 11:24 PM #44GOLD MEMBER
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Hi Jacques,
A really lovely job even if you didn’t use the bright pink suede For a while there I had visions of inlaid glitter lines, embedded LEDs triggered by bass beats and a secret-compartment dry ice “smoke” machine. Ah well, next time?
What will you do with this now it’s complete?
Best regards,
Brian
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14th November 2021, 01:45 PM #45SENIOR MEMBER
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