Ice Chest

Hi all,

New here and this is my first post. I have alittle woodworking experience, having attended classes with Richard Vaughan for a while before he moved to Brissy and also having restored a Moth sailing boat a few years back.

http://sharperstill.com/jonreid/pics/IMG_0688.jpg

My current project is a long overdue restoration of an old ice chest. I'm moving house soon and want to use it in the new place. It was wet when I photographed it and so looks a little darker...

http://sharperstill.com/jonreid/pics/Chest.jpg

http://sharperstill.com/jonreid/pics/Badge.jpg

Already I've done some work getting the structure sound (it was a bit out of square with a sagging back) and fitted it with a new floor and hidden feet.

A friend told me it was Tassie Oak and that it would have been finished with shellac and that I should scrub it with steel wool and metho to remove any old shellac. I have done this but on the outside of the box, particularly the sides, it appeared to have no real effect. Inside the lid and in other protected places it noticeably removed a deep reddish-brown finish.

I was thinking of finishing it with Tung Oil (Feast Watson Floorseal) which I have used before on furniture restoration projects before.

It still appears however that there is some visible finish on the sides and areas of the top and the unfinished areas now appear, after the metho scrub, somewhat paler than before (see the close up picture below).

http://sharperstill.com/jonreid/pics/CloseUp.jpg

I've decided not to take it back (sand it), as I like the fact that it looks old and used and I don't want it looking too new.

So my question is: After scrubbing it with metho, will I be right to oil it regardless of the appearance of some leftover shellac?

Would bees-waxing it be an option? (it will only be used to store linen or other dry stuff. Not food or anything wet).

I'm not going to be too anal about this piece but want to finish it fairly quickly. I'd appreciate any advice you have that meets these parameters...

Lastly, the original front-door latch was long ago replace by a padbolt. I have no idea what the original latch would have been. I've managed to source new rebated hinges for the front and top doors but don't know where to start on the latch. You can see some original screw holes near the padbolt

http://sharperstill.com/jonreid/pics/Latch.jpg


Cheers,
Jon

Welcome to our madhouse!:):):D
I think you are right not to try to make that old beast look new.
You probably need to do more scrubbing and then apply Tung oil.
Can't help you with the latch but you might look up "Goods and Chattels" on the internet. They have a good range of old style brass fittings.
Good luck.:wink::wink:

the whitening in the grain looks like shellac thats bloomed with the meths.
Get a tooth brush or a softish nail brush and give it some more scrubbing. with meths.
Try putting some thin new shellac on a bit where its white. this might renew thw old shelac underneath.
you can oil on top of this.

Astrid:)

Thanks for the replies...
If I can't get the blooming stuff (geddit?) off, can I go ahead and oil? And if so will it be visible?

Jon

Jon.
There is a firm here in the US that sells all sorts of restoration hardware. They have section on ice box hardware, listing all sorts of hinges and latches. The name is Van Dyke's Restorers. www.vandykes.com.
Good hunting.
Doc Ron

depends on what the bloomin stuff is and how thick it is etc etc.
test a bit. if it doesnt work, youve only got to wash it off with meths and fresh shellac comes off easy.

cheers
Astrid

You might want to try using Lacquer Thinner or Acetone, you could also use 50% of Meths and 50% of either one of the other solvents.

Good Luck