Cabinets, Furniture, Woodworks/cedar chest in pieces

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Expert: - 3/18/2010


Question
Greetings, Before his recent death, my dad and I restored 4 cedar chests of varied sizes. All were sanded inside to revive cedar aroma. On exteriors, all were stripped of shellac, lightly sanded, and finished with hand rubber tongue oil. They were quite beautiful.
Then KATRINA . They soaked in 15 feet of water for @ 3 weeks. Then sat for 2 months. When retrieved, they were emptied, scrubbed with a solution of soap,water, and bleach and have been air-drying for 4+ years on covered, well ventilated, outdoor carport.
Yesterday, I un-stacked them and found that some are coming apart. I mean the sides-seemingly made of glued together cedar planks- are separating.
Where should i start? Once I identify which pieces go to which chest, I'd like to put atleast one back together. Believe it or not, the largest still had that cedar aroma when I lifted the lid....then the sides came apart. ;-) I will appreciate all your guidance. Thank you, Maria

Answer
Hi Maria, not sure how to guide you, what exactly do you need help with? You'll need to just disassemble and then reassemble the chests...you'll likely find that  the wood has shrunk and/or moved around quite a bit though, so miters, joints, etc. may not fit together anymore.....and that can be a problem, requiring you to refit and remake the entire piece to properly fit again....some major woodworking.....please post back- regards- Greg

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Greg Scholl

Expertise

Questions on Woodworking, wood finishing and refinishing of all kinds, repairing furniture and wooden objects, Architectural details, Woodturning, carving, tool usage, product usage, some chemistry as it applies to woodworking and related interests,cabinet making and furniture construction/design, etc. I have experience with all manners of colorants, finishes, paints, stains, dyes, glazes, and coatings, wood species recognition and usage,tool recommendations, blade types and recommendation,techniques and methods for many Woodworking related issues, etc.

Experience

Fine furniture restorer and cabinet maker for over 30 years,serving high end Antique dealers, Interior designers, Collectors in the CT area. Consulting for area Painting/Decorating and Building contractors on non painting issues..(staining, wood prep.,clear finishing, floor restoration and architectural detail restoration and repair, etc.) Sold, built, serviced, setup Home, Industrial, and Commercial stationary woodworking tools for a major tool retailer in CT. for three years, sold hand and power tools , provided knowledge, parts replacement, service, and on site service, Trade show Demo, and training as well.

Publications
Published in Fine Woodworking Magazine (12/97), included on Fine Woodworkings first "Best of Fine Woodworking" CD-ROM (2002) ...("27 year compilation of expert know-how")

Education/Credentials
Art School at Silvermine Guild in Norwalk, CT., 9 year apprenticeship in a European run Cabinet and Restoration shop in CT., various classes on subjects having to do with the field. Seminars from major Tool manufacturers, Skil/Bosch, Delta, Powermatic, Ritter, Porter cable, Milwaukee, Dewalt/B&Decker, Performax.

Past/Present Clients
Many varied clients including work on Martha Stewarts' Westport, CT. show house, many fine Antique dealers and private collectors in and around Fairfield County and in Woodbury, CT. (the Antiques capital of CT.), Golden Age of Trucking Museum, Wilton Historical Society.

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