18th century? Mahogany desk and cupboard restauration

Hi,

New member of the forum here. I just wanted to say that I've very fond of antique furniture and woodwork but I'm by no means a professional, more of an amateur.

I recently purchased this old bureau with a glass cupboard from a local farmer. In terms of backstory, it belonged to a expat Brit who had moved to the country some time ago and brought a lot of old furniture with him. He sadly passed away a few years back. His neighbors then bought his house and all of the furniture within it. They then moved it all out to a barn where it's been sitting for a few years.

I've had a look at it with my father who knows a bit about antiques and he seems to think that it likely dates back to 1750-1770. If someone could confirm or deny this I would be grateful.

It's taken a bit of a bashing (missing part of the frieze, split in the wood, etc.) but overall is in okay condition, amazingly all of the locks are still working.

To my astonishment, there didn't seem to be any woodworm although I gave the base and the feet a coat of killer anyhow just to be safe. The cupboard doors, I have gone over with a linseed oil and beeswax mix.

It's the bottom part that I'm now going to focus on. Some of it's been sitting in the sun, namely the door that hinges down to become a writing slope. Also, there seems to have been some sort of spillage which has eaten away at the finish, especially on the top drawer. There also appears to be some dark discoloration on parts of the wood. No idea what that is... Tobacco? Shellac? It doesn't come off if you rub it.

I'm guessing that I'm going to have to strip down the drawer and refinish it again? My main question concerns the crack in the writing door.

Any/all help and advice is welcome.

Thanks for your time,

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The last quarter of the 18th century is right for this bureau bookcase.

It looks to be a marriage . The top off another piece, married to the base. A common occurrence, its a bit hard to check sitting here but they normally are slightly less in width and depth than the base. Your looks to big in both directions. Another way of checking is to look at the backs and see if the timber and construction matches . same with the nail heads holding the backs on . Judging it by the back timbers is not 100% right all the time, if the top was meant to be seen through glass and the base was not but the nails or screws and tool finish on the back should match . There are other things to check if you want to get into that.

You normally dont see woodworm in Mahogany. In some of the secondary timbers is a possibility.

Around the crack in the bureau flap look to be staining where there is no finish left . It could be iron oxide staining ? or just grime and dirt . A test with oxalic acid may clean that up . The crack needs whats called a feather of timber fitted, probably from both sides . Slightly wedged shaped thin lengths. Lightly tapped in and glued. Shaved back to level just slightly under the polish level, then any small holes filled and then coloured out and polished. This has to be done not removing finish . Specially on the top . The under side has been altered around the crack already so practice on that side first and see how it goes. I can see the colour change. If its done well and coloured well its still going to be visible but could come up a lot better. If not done like that there are cheap nasty ways of filling it . Well matched wood is best though . The face is veneered in Cuban mahogany veneer by the looks . If you could find an old broken piece of furniture with the same veneer for using on the small cracks you would be doing well . Nothing like a good stash of breakers or parts for getting matching timber.

The spillage Id first test by seeing what a light rub back with fine paper and some mixed linseed oil and turps does on a test . Then see if it could be colour matched out with pencil brush and shellac with the right colours before giving the whole piece and light cut back and re shine with a rubber and thin shellac before giving it a wax. Or just repair finish and lightly repolish over them and wax the whole piece.

I wouldn't be stripping anything unless other tests don't work, if a polish job can be revived then that can look very good and save a lot of work as well . Sometimes this sort of thing shows up untouched with its original oil or waxed finish which means you don't french polish over the top but revive using the same original technique. With a guess from here Id say that has been worked on and is a french polish finish though.

Rob

I'm not into antiques, but I suspect it could be worth checking out whether you may be destroying its value by 'restoring' it. Those collectors of antiquities are an odd lot and may not appreciate your intervention.

Thanks for the replies. I'll look into the feather technique as soon as I can.

It's not actually a veneer but solid. Cuban mahogany's not readily available around here. Would African be a good replacement?

The rule about 'restoration' destroying its value varies from piece to piece. In this case, touching up the staining an fixing the crack wouldn't be harmful, quite the opposite. What you want to avoid is making it look brand new. I don't plan on touching the timbers inside, changing the screws, etc. So that should be okay.

The bureau flap is veneered . I can see the the cleats or what ever they a called on the inside of the flap and a nicer figured Mahogany covering them on the outside face . Part of the reason its split . without the cleats they warp though . I cant tell if anything else is veneered on it but if the flap is there would be a good chance the drawer fronts are . Sides are normally solid . In what they called Bay wood back then I'm pretty sure . A name for the standard grade Honduras or Bazillion type Mahogany . I forget which .

Nice Cuban veneer normally has to come off something else . Funnily enough some of the cheap plantation mahogany we get here sometimes matches 18th century Cuban very well . Although its mostly lighter weight but not always. And you really only see straight stuff not crotch or figured like that is . I did a post here of me matching some extension table leaves from the plantation stuff to a pretty incredible Original Cuban top. As perfect a match you could get except for the weight. Its here in post 6 that you can see two of the three new leaves being stained with one new pink one still to go .

https://www.woodworkforums.com/f173/m...oration-218733

Your spot on about the rule for restoration. You can tastefully clean and restore that and not change its value, just improve it . Mahogany in general has suffered badly with its value for the last 25 years. In the UK and here and mostly every where else I think . Its a good time to buy the stuff . Its a bargain . Big time . Ive seen two last quarter 18th century Mahogany writing bureau's like your base there sell for under $200 each on ebay here in Victoria in the last year. Its not that bad in the local auction rooms of the surviving antique shops. They try for a bit more. The chances of selling one in an antique shop if your a dealer are nil . You cant really de value the stuff any more than what the last 25 years has done to it.
Still, its beautiful stuff . And deserves a nice job done on it .

If African is the best you can get then use it . Its pretty good and hard. The grain can be slightly coarse and it normally has the banded look or ribbon grain thing happening but in thin feathers it will hardly be noticeable.
A good restorer can get that repair looking great with a range of timbers . The closer you get the timber the easier the job can be to match in colour.


Rob

Thanks for the link! It's really helpful.

I'm not a dealer and have to plans to sell it on. It's actually a piece I bought for myself as I happen to love old mahogany furniture and it's going dirt cheap at the moment. I've seen some beautiful pieces for for, ludicrously low amounts. I guess it's not fashionable at the moment. I picked up this secrétaire for my own use. It'll be good to put my stuff in.

I'll have a look around. Maybe at the local skip I could find some old chairs that people are throwing out.

Living in France, we have access to African primarily but I might go and see if I can find some other stuff asking around some of the furniture restorers in my area.