Writing Slope Dilema

[my63]

Firstly I would have a good check around your box to make sure there are no secret compartments there already.

 

Shrinkage is caused when the wood dries out if the wood has been veneered problems occur when the wood and the veneer dry out at different speeds.

 

Centrally heated homes cause no end of problems for wood you can try adding moisture via a damp cloth or standing a tray of water inside the box and allowing it to evaporate inside the box, I am not suggesting you soak or pour water onto a box although I have done this in the past.

 

I have also used a scalpel to pierce the wood in line with the grain and then added water and passed a hot iron over a soft cloth to remove dents.

 

It would be good to see pictures of your shrinkage if you know what I mean

 

michael

[Shangas]

Hi Shangas

Nice work so far by the way.

This company have nice ink wells they are reproductions but look good

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pair-Victorian-style-Ink-Bottles-ink-pots-inkwells-for-writing-slope-lapdesk-/390607218767?pt=UK_Antiques_Woodenware_RL&hash=item5af201284f

 

I don't know if they would post to you from the UK but I would be happy to help you with that.

 

Michael

 

Hi Mike,

 

Those might be the right size. Thanks!

Edited September 21, 2013 by Shangas

[my63]

The big writing slopes are on hold until I have more information on them.

In the mean time I am starting a long term project as you can see from the pictures below it is in a bit of a state.

I expect this box to take quite a while to complete it is a triple layer box.

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7411/9935755185_6cfbd67bc0_z.jpg
IMG_4981 by my0771, on Flickr

 

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3823/9935775676_ea9dc1fc42_z.jpg
IMG_4983 by my0771, on Flickr

 

 

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2811/9935902073_e46950cf31_z.jpg
IMG_4985 by my0771, on Flickr

 

 

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5323/9935905463_f2e5732d70_z.jpg
IMG_4986 by my0771, on Flickr

 

Thanks for looking

 

Michael

[Luma]

Michael,

Are you going to reconstruct the missing inlay of the existing pattern or just replace it with an entirely new pattern? I'm definately looking forward to your step by step progress on this unique box!

Edited September 25, 2013 by Luma

[scrivelry]

This is fascinating on many levels, Michael! will you be showing us pictures of the rest of the box?

 

What information are you hoping to get on the bigger boxes?

[my63]

Luma and Scrivelry

I don't plan to remove any of the inlay that is there lots of it appears to be made up of small strips of veneer.

This process will take a long time I need to find a way of cutting the wood I have to the right size 1 or 2 mm 3/64 in or 5/64 for those working in imperial.

The actual colour of this box is a few shades lighter when the old finish is removed.

This is the interior with the lid removed

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7398/9937861673_ca6f80e237_z.jpg
IMG_4991 by my0771, on Flickr

 

Inside of the storage area underneath the writing leave it looks like there may have been something else under the ink and pen box but it has been removed

 

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2811/9937864523_6a1bff9503_z.jpg
IMG_4992 by my0771, on Flickr

 

The bubble wrap contained the pieces that were missing from the ink pen area.

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7434/9937750425_00c5a4b4e1_z.jpg
IMG_4996 by my0771, on Flickr

 

Outside front

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7364/9937765406_d45b54ac07_z.jpg
IMG_4998 by my0771, on Flickr

 

I have used my small scraper plane to clean this area up I might have to invest in a decent card scraper to get the finish right it is not a good idea to sand coloured veneer as apparently you end up with a mud coloured mess.

 

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2845/9937794094_b622fe0e3b_z.jpg
IMG_5001 by my0771, on Flickr

 

I am hopeful this will be ready to go to its new home by Christmas

 

As for the two big writing slopes I have not made a decision on what to do with them.

thanks for looking

 

Michael

[scrivelry]

This is an amazing challenge, but I am sure you can do it justice!

 

T

[my63]

I have secured all of the loose veneer and as I still don't have a scraper I have given the top a good sanding.

While walking with my dogs this morning I was thinking I could spend 100 + hours on the missing veneer and still not be happy.

 

in the past I have always bought total wrecks to restore and although I have removed some loose and broken veneer I am not going to destroy the rest.

 

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5512/9949827815_4bc57c036a_z.jpg
IMG_5012_1 by my0771, on Flickr

 

 

So I am considering the options

I could persevere and try to match what is there which might take some time.

Or I could clean and polish the outside ensuring the box is sound add some leather as a writing surface and put the interior back together and sell it for a reasonable price.

 

If anyone has any thoughts I would love to hear them

 

Thanks

 

Michael

 

edited to add picture

Edited September 26, 2013 by my63

[Luma]

If it is for yourself, I would definitely try to preserve it as much as possible. It truly is beautiful workmanship.

[scrivelry]

One thing you could do, besides gluing down everything that's loose, is to take a neutral color of veneer and cut single larger pieces to replace the areas where there is loss. That is, there might be forty-four tiny little bits missing, making up a complicated pattern, but you would cut one piece, total, to replace them all with, out of a veneer color that is used on the box somewhere and does not call attention to itself. Of course, it would be one piece for every area of loss, but as long as the loss was contiguous, it could just be one piece. Or you could compromise - replace a part of the square shaped design with one piece, and the infill around it with another piece, and then the missing banding-within-the-banding with another. But I do think one piece would, for the sake of evening out the surface and having it look like it is not broken, suffice.

 

That way, you preserve the design that is there, which is lovely, by making it whole, even if it is different than it was - more pieces are less likely to fall out this way. I've seen things done this way in museums - little dots of color infilling areas of pigment loss so you don't notice it from a distance, but can tell where the repair was made close up.

 

If you want an ongoing project that you do little by little over years, you could repair the veneer to look exactly as it was, perhaps, but it would either be a very intensive few weeks/months that might drive a person batty, or a very long drawn out affair, in which case you don't end up with a salable piece any time in the near future.

 

I do agree absolutely that what is there is worth retaining, and I think infilling with single pieces of veneer or just leaving it alone after stabilizing whatever is loose are both far far better ways to go than trying to replace those bands or the veneer overall.

 

Just my opinion.

 

T

Edited September 26, 2013 by scrivelry

[my63]

I have decided that I will try to replace the easy parts first and may progress to the harder parts.

 

So to start with I cut some mahogany veneer with the grain in the right direction

 

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2888/9968434644_aabf2a0c57_z.jpg
IMG_5021 by my0771, on Flickr

 

I stuck the veneer to a piece of tape this allowed me to cut the mitre unfortunately it did not stop the corner falling off.

 

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5471/9968437564_3e17bb1c2f_z.jpg
IMG_5026 by my0771, on Flickr

 

I then realised that I had cut the piece backwards I had planned on sticking the veneer to the lid while still attached to the tape and then peel the tape off when the glue was dry

 

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5329/9968446084_470f2e158e_z.jpg
IMG_5031_1 by my0771, on Flickr

 

I have started to sand the new veneer down

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3695/9969385874_901a02437b_z.jpg
IMG_5054_1 by my0771, on Flickr

 

I am working on a plan for the more complicated sections more to follow I like Scriverly's idea of putting a neutral veneer into some of the gaps if I cant find a way to replace the small sections.

 

Thanks for looking

 

Michael

[Luma]

Have you considered cutting the angles before you cut out the smaller strips? I'm not sure if it would make any difference though... let us know how it works out.

[my63]

Hi Luma

I think if I had not stuck the wrong side to the tape and been able to stick the veneer to the board with the tape on top I think it would have worked.

I might try your idea anyway.

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7301/9970038003_f0d3202b6d_z.jpg
IMG_5064_1 by my0771, on Flickr

 

I am sorry for the quality of the picture above what we have is a piece of maple dyed green and then a piece of mahogany (red) and finally a piece of oak cream coloured.

I have stuck the pieces together once it is dry I will cut the thin strips even smaller and then stick them in place I am looking for books that might give me an idea of how this was done originally but I think this is pretty close

 

Thanks

Michael

[my63]

The next stage is to cut the laminated veneers to size and then stick the pieces into place once dry I used a model makers plane that uses a safety razor as a blade.

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7394/9971645094_2f207c2fb5_z.jpg
IMG_5070_1 by my0771, on Flickr

 

I still need to do some filling around the edges the inner pieces which are multi coloured are going to be a real challenge they are 2mm x 1mm.

[scrivelry]

I think those tiny bits would have been made up in sticks, like the ones you used on the other box - they would glue up a whole bunch of one mm thick pieces which were larger than the 2mm you need, and then cut them into 2mm wide slices, and then the length, or the other way round - but at any rate I do not think they were cutting 1mm by 2mm pieces and gluing them down that way, if that is any consolation.

 

What you have done so far is absolutely amazing, it is really bringing that box back to a useable life, which it richly deserves! One thing I love about these boxes is that they pose different challenges, and by doing a few of them one can learn so much!

 

The first thing I need to learn, I think, is how to glue the side pieces back on the writing surfaces - most of my boxes ahve these things just itching to fall into three pieces each if they haven't already. If I survive my weekend I may be taking pictures on Monday...

 

T

 

ETA: It looks like you are using regular masking tape. Have you tried the painter's easy release tape, or the delicate surface easy release tape? The housepainter here swears by these. They are less likely to pick things up when you pull them off.

 

Of course if the masking tape does not do that there is no clear benefit to buying the specialist tape, but if you have some around in the house you might want to try it.

Edited September 27, 2013 by scrivelry

[my63]

Hi T

Thanks for the input I have glued strips together in the past you are correct it is fairly easy as you have the long edges to glue.

These small pieces are glued edge to edge so the glue area is 0.6 mm by whatever length so even with the correct inlay saw which is great the pieces fly all over the place when I start cutting.

My next idea is similar to the 90 degree piece I cut above put the strips together on a piece of tape then stick that to a board then cut through the tape and veneer at the same time.

I do use normal masking tape if I want to reduce its stickiness I dab it on my jumper first what I do need to get is some veneer tape but it is expensive.

 

Your writing slopes that have the edges comming off the first thing to try is a little heat brush the area with a little water cover witha damp cloth and apply a medium heat iron the steam will often reactivate the hide glue and make it stick again.

If you don't feel like trying that then use either an artists pallet knife or thin piece of wood veneer is fine failing that the blade of a knife, scrape out the loose bits then force as n

Much glue as possible into the gap.

Then cover with cling film and place between two flat pieces of wood and clamp.

I do hope you survive the weekend:)

Michael

[my63]

I have removed the old skiver (writing surface) I have a piece of goat skin in a similar colour to the original

 

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3827/10023926325_0be9969e48_z.jpg
IMG_5074_1 by my0771, on Flickr

 

As I am replacing velvet with leather I was considering using the suede side as it is very soft I have never used suede before does anyone have any experience of suede as a writing surface.

 

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5481/10023871224_1318e28630_z.jpg
IMG_5072_1 by my0771, on Flickr

 

 

In this picture you can see the velvet had an embossed edge do you think I should try to replicate that.

 

Thanks

 

Michael

Edited September 30, 2013 by my63

[Luma]

Wow I'm curious as to the process of how to emboss the edge of the suede. Let us know how it turns out! Good luck.

[my63]

So Am I Luma I think it may have to be negative I think the word is debossing the suede will be backed onto a piece of card the design will be cut out of the card.

I might practice this first.

Thanks

Michael

[fuchsiaprincess]

Hi Michael,

 

I haven't actually written on suede on a writing box, but could think of a couple of disadvantages. Firstly, it will absorb ink spills much easier, unless copious amounts of ScotchGuard is applied. Secondly, it might be too soft and 'cushiony' as a writing surface, especially for those who write with a bit of pressure, eg. Roller-ball pens or BP pens.