Writing Slope Restoration Question

[will103]

Hi, I recently brought a Victorian writing slope, in quite good condition. It is made of mahogany, and although quite plain did come with all but the lid over the pen tray. It even included the key! I have a question about the wood. The condition of the outside is very good but on closer inspection I can see evidence of shrinkage and minor splitting in the inside of the box - suggesting that the wood has dried out. Ah the problems of modern central heating. My question is should I treat the wood in some way, and what should I use?

[my63]

Hi Will

Welcome to FPN looks like a great box

I have one or two of these and have restored a few.

Could you post some larger pictures in particular the shrinkage.

 

Michael

[scrivelry]

The condition of the outside is very good but on closer inspection I can see evidence of shrinkage and minor splitting in the inside of the box - suggesting that the wood has dried out. Ah the problems of modern central heating. My question is should I treat the wood in some way, and what should I use?

I am also interesting in this - I have one bock with very wide cracks on top and bottom, and the inside is finished with shellac. As much as I would rather not remove the original finish, I do wonder if doing so would make it easier for the wood to absorb moisture from whatever I put in there. Painting the cracks with water is not enough... (I have been trying...)

 

T

[my63]

Hi Scrivelry

I was about to reply when fpn went down.

Shellac is an exterior finish and would not have been used on the inside of the box.

If you post some pictures i will be happy to help.

Regards

Michael

[warblerick]

Well, let me add my two cents. I am a furniture restorer/refinisher. I do this for a living going on 30 years, so I do have a bit of experience. Shellac is not necessarily an exterior finish. And it certainly could have been used on the inside of your slope, to prevent moisture from getting into the wood (at least that was its intent). It is not really a great finish though, as it does not hold up well over time, absorbs stains and even moisture over time and will lose its protective abilities as well over time. It is soluable in alcohol, so not too difficult to remove should you choose that route.

 

The cracks in the wood will not ever really close up again, and if you want then to "disappear" the box needs to be stripped of any existing finish. Then you could fill the cracks with a water-based putty or even better, one of the new epoxy putties that come in a roll (looks like a jelly-roll, kneaded together to form a thick well holding putty). This can be sanded and stained after it hardens. It will not pull out once it sets but is very easy to work with. After that, a light hand sanding, stain if you choose to, then put on a finish to protect the wood. I would probably use an oil finish such as tung oil because of ease of use, but there are some new water based urethane finishes that are easy to apply and look really nice (in satin). And they are very durable too. These are all things you can do at home with little expense, and hardly any odor. Were I to do this in my shop, I would go a different route, but you should get good results following my suggestions.

 

If you only want to put something on top of the existing finish, I would try to find something with beeswax and oil in an emulsion. Goddard used to make a nice beeswax/oil liquid "polish" but don't know if it's still available. Still. the cracks will be there but at least it will provide some much-needed moisture to the wood.

[scrivelry]

I think - and I really do mean I only think, as I am not at all certain - that I have managed to beat my photo thingers into submission and will be able to post pictures, possibly as early as tomorrow.

 

This particular box has a history of sorts - you'll see when I post it - and the cracks are pretty wide. I'd like to fix them as nicely as possible, and in a way that leaves the possibility of it being used by reenactors for US Civil War.

 

Micheal, there is some sort of shiny finish on the inside of more than one of my boxes, and I think it is shellac, but I am going to test with a cotton swap and a bit of denatured alchohol to be certain. I have no idea why they are, either.

 

T

[warblerick]

I am also interesting in this - I have one bock with very wide cracks on top and bottom, and the inside is finished with shellac. As much as I would rather not remove the original finish, I do wonder if doing so would make it easier for the wood to absorb moisture from whatever I put in there. Painting the cracks with water is not enough... (I have been trying...)

 

T

Forgot to ask; why are you painting the cracks with water, exactly?

[Unky]

Are you painting the cracks with water in hopes of the wood absorbing the moisture and swelling to reduce the size of the cracks?

[scrivelry]

Forgot to ask; why are you painting the cracks with water, exactly?

 

 

Well, What Unky said, hoping the wood would absorb, although it occurred to me pretty early on in the process that this was at best an inefficient and probably pointless way of going about it. And it occurred to me at some point that if I really had any hopes of getting any significant absorbtion, I would really need to have it be equal on both sides of the wood to keep the wood from warping and making everything worse.

 

As far as I can tell, this box has been many places, quite possibly with a missionary. (It was an engraved gift from members of a prayer meeting and inside are pasted sheets of paper with people's addresses from all over the world.) I would like to keep it as authentic as possible, while still getting these rather wide cracks to lessen a bit, if possible.

 

If not, I might do something as simple as pasting felt on the inside of the lid, just so nothing falls out of it, and letting it be what it is. The bottom is also cracked, but in general the bottoms of these things are n othing to write home about and a layer of felt is actually expected there.

 

I would tend to go with shellac even though it is not as durable as modern finishes precisely because I consider this as much an historical object as one for my own use, and I'd rather keep it as historically accurate as I can. This is clearly based on my personal sensitivities rather than practicality. I do have a smaller box which is redone in polyurethane (by someone else, before I got it) and that one looks to become quite a workhorse once I get the writing surfaces recovered, but it is smaller and more nondescript to begin with as well. (I suspect it may have been one of the ones with a lithograph pasted to the top originally. Those lithographs have not necessarily held up all that well...)

[Paddler]

I have a lap desk very much like the one in your picture. Mine is also mahogany and has a crack that goes clear across the top and another that goes clear across the bottom. They were both perhaps a millimeter wide when I bought the piece, last winter. There is evidence that someone had refinished the outside, possibly with urethane varnish. The inside is unfinished. During the humid summer, both cracks closed up completely, although they have not opened up again, they did remain visible. So far this winter, they have remained tight. I have a whole-house humidifier and keep the humidity at 40 - 50 % for my guitars and other instruments. Finishes like shellac and varnish will slow down humidity changes in wood, but will not prevent them.

[saharawest]

Sorry if I'm doing this wrong, but I've never used a online forum before . . . so I apologize ahead of time for butting in on an existing thread. That said, I will proceed with butting in . . .

 

I too just purchased a lovely writing slope in need of a lot of tender loving care. It looks like somone took it on as a project, but then abandoned it after stripping the inside material & removing some hardware. My beautiful box originally had a reader stay, which the actual hing-stay half is missing. The support plate w/holes is still in place. The side drawer pin is missing as well. Does anyone know where I might be able to get a replacement reader stay & drawer pin?

 

I've also never restored anything like this before, so any suggestions would be appreciated. Although it looks bad, I think it just needs a good cleaning/oiling/waxing. It has a few repairable cracks & veneer pieces to be replaced. The main issue is the inside panels. Should I strip off the glue residue or just sand it? Is it ok to steam off the stamps?

 

You can see the missing stay on the right side of this picture and the interesting stamp collection:

 

http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/3/8/8/7/5/3/webimg/723065767_tp.jpg

 

Thank-you!

Barb

 

[kiavonne]

Welcome, Barb! I certainly hope you enjoy the forums and will stay with us a while.

 

The reader stay may be available somewhere if looking hard, or finding one from another discarded project, or, maybe look at jewelry box hardware. You might also have to fabricate something in its stead.

 

As for the stamps and refinishing of the wood, there are more than a few folks here who can give advice, and MY63 has been doing several of these types of projects and may have some more insight for your slope.

[my63]

Hi Barb and welcome to fpn.

I have restored one or two writing slopes but I am by no means an expert but I do love working on them.

The stay you are missing would have been solid brass you will be able to make a pattern from it slot on the side of the slope.

The pin that secures the draw is often also used to open the secret compartments if there are any there are sometimes secret compartments above the drawers inside. Try lifting those little dividers in the front where the pen tray is. Do you have the ruler that is what should be in the Chanel.

Can you oust more pictures or links to other pictures.

I would not advise you to use steam it will reactivate any hide glue loosen things up a small paint brush and water paint over the stamps with water and use a craft knife to lift them up.

That is a fine writing slope

Michael

[saharawest]

Thanks for the welcome!

 

I've been looking around online for the stay & have come to the same conclusion that it was going to be specialty hardware, but thought I'd ask anyway. My sister is very crafty so I'll ask her to make a new one. The desk came with spare brass pieces of which some look like the prev owner tried & gave up, so I've plenty of extra.

 

There are 3 secret drawers under the inkwell area w/working mechanism. The trigger is to press the center base of the last inkwell space on the left & it just pops open. I was so excited since none of the seller's pictures showed this area. I was almost expecting it to be just an empty hull. Everytime I walk past the slope I can't stop myself from pressing the trigger. I suppose I will have to control myself at some point or I'll wear it out.

 

There is also a little drawer with a spring attached on the side under the longer compartment on the left side of the slope. Not sure what the spring is for but it's a cute little hidden box.

 

I don't think any of the parts are a ruler but I'll have to look closer when I get home. Will it have measure marks on it or is it just a flat piece. There is the flat piece that forms the front panel of the inkwell area & then on the other side of the long pen rest there is another flat piece that is in front where the desk panel locks to. The panel that covers the secret drawers presses against this one.

 

I will try to take & post some pictures of the secret drawer area when I get a chance. Here is the ebay# that shows the seller's pictures: 151199808560 - "Vintage Folk Art Folding Wood Traveling Portable Desk Project Great Potential"

http://www.ebay.com/itm/151199808560?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3F_sacat%3D0%26_from%3DR40%26_nkw%3D151199808560%26_rdc%3D1#ht_4009wt_1203

[Tinjapan]

Barb,

 

Welcome! I think the ruler that goes with your slope is cylindrical, as in the photos.

If anyone can confirm or deny this, please do.

 

Looks like your slope has great potential!

 

Todd

[Unky]

Well, What Unky said, hoping the wood would absorb, although it occurred to me pretty early on in the process that this was at best an inefficient and probably pointless way of going about it. And it occurred to me at some point that if I really had any hopes of getting any significant absorbtion, I would really need to have it be equal on both sides of the wood to keep the wood from warping and making everything worse.

 

As far as I can tell, this box has been many places, quite possibly with a missionary. (It was an engraved gift from members of a prayer meeting and inside are pasted sheets of paper with people's addresses from all over the world.) I would like to keep it as authentic as possible, while still getting these rather wide cracks to lessen a bit, if possible.

 

If not, I might do something as simple as pasting felt on the inside of the lid, just so nothing falls out of it, and letting it be what it is. The bottom is also cracked, but in general the bottoms of these things are n othing to write home about and a layer of felt is actually expected there.

 

I would tend to go with shellac even though it is not as durable as modern finishes precisely because I consider this as much an historical object as one for my own use, and I'd rather keep it as historically accurate as I can. This is clearly based on my personal sensitivities rather than practicality. I do have a smaller box which is redone in polyurethane (by someone else, before I got it) and that one looks to become quite a workhorse once I get the writing surfaces recovered, but it is smaller and more nondescript to begin with as well. (I suspect it may have been one of the ones with a lithograph pasted to the top originally. Those lithographs have not necessarily held up all that well...)

Depending on how much restoration you want to do on the writing desk, your best bet for repairing the cracks would be to strip off the finish, using wood filler on the more significant cracks, sand and refinish. As simple as it sounds, it will take time, effort, and patience.

[kiavonne]

I think you got one exceptional deal on that slope, Barb.

 

And you definitely came to the right place!

[saharawest]

Yes, I thought so too. The way they listed it it didn't show under writing slope but under portable desk. Only one other person found it to bid on. Let's just say I did the sneaky winner dance when I found out I was the high bidder.

[my63]

TinJapan is spot on that is the ruler that fits in the slot in your slope I have seen them advertised in UK but they are expensive.

The spring loaded drawer will have had a release mechanism at some point in the past there is a lot of detail brass work on the corners I would like to see the outside.

I don't think I would be stripping the finish off a writing slope to repair a crack or split because I don't have the ability to refinish it or replace100 or more years of patina.

If the cracks and splits stop you from using it the look to repair them if they don't then leave them alone.

But most of all use it and enjoy it.

Michael

[saharawest]

Michael to answer your question, no there was no rolling ruler included. Although there is a brass rod, but it is only about a 1/4" around and most likely something the prev owner was planning on using for restoration.

 

I was wondering what the extra-long “pen rest” was for. Thank-you for the information & Tinjapan for the pictures, I’ll have to keep an eye out for a 18" replacement. Of course then I’ll have to learn how to use it. It was a little disappointing to find out that this section was a solid block of wood. With all the other hidden compartments, I was wondering if it too opened in some fashion. But I guess I’ll just have to be content w/pressing my trigger & popping my spring.

 

Oh, I figured out how the spring-box works. If assembled correctly (at least I think I did according to the wear marks), when you pull up the little divider between the raised section & the inkwell space on the right side of the slope it spring-slides the raised section over to reveal the little box/drawer. Kind of like a sideways Jack-In-The-Box!

 

I also discovered that I’m missing a short divider that splits the raised section vertically into two parts. The left side is then split horizontally by the little scalloped piece of wood (which was laying down in the seller's pictures). I'm not sure what would be so small but of such quantity that you would need a divider to keep it organized?

 

The brass edging is mostly there but missing in places (replacement pieces were included from prev owner) and also kinked here & there. It is just a plain smooth edging strip. Should I remove it and try to straighten it out or just leave it as is? Some of the kinks are jagged & sharp.

 

Well, that's my additions for now. I did take pictures of the drawer area, but tried all weekend to add them to this post without success. When I figure it out, I'll post them. Thank-you all again for your wonderful assistance. I didn't realize that slopes were so individualized. As I search online & in books, I haven't been able to find another one that is assembled quite like mine on the inside.

 

Thanks again!

Barbara