Collectibles-General (Antiques)/stinky cabinet

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Expert: - 9/25/2008


Question

cabinet
This cabinet was passed from my great-grand-father upon his death to my grandma and now to me.  I believe my great grandfather passed away during the late 1950's or early 1960's. I just learned from a passer by that the cabinet is actually upside down. We have always used it as a book shelf, but the passer by said it probably sat on a desk or buffet of some sort. To my mothers knowledge she does not remember there being another piece. the tragety occured recently, in my grandmothers last years, a distant family member was allowed to move into her home and care for her. The family member, we believe, allowed her dog to urinate on the 'base' or really the top crown molding. That molding now smells horrible and the wood is now very soft and brittle. On top of all of that it smells of old smoke and dirt.  I am very afraid of ruining the finish, but also can't afford to pay someone to "fix" it either.  I ultimately would like to bring the cabinet in from the garage and use it in my home.  I have read in a few articles to was it with vinigar, or to wash it with a diluted air freshner, and all sorts of soaps. i have attached the most general photo i have, but i also have more close ups of the corners and so fourth.  Please help!

Answer
Thanks for your question,
The cabinet looks to me to be a freestanding cabinet, not sitting on another piece. The picture you sent shows, to me, that it is upside down. Most cabinets have the latch/handle on the right door. Does the molding at the top/bottom sit above the cabinet or flush with it? If one end is flush, I would belive that the bottom. Another possibility might be it was a hanging cabinet, which explains the mouldings at both ends.
As far as the odor goes, I would first clean with mineral spirits using 0000 steel wool, inside and out leaving the doors open for a few days to dry out. If the odor still is on the inside, there are several ways to go. Try putting charcoal in a pan and put them inside for several days to a week with the doors closed. If the odor is still bad, another choice would be to recoat the inside with 2 coats of clear shellac on everything. This will hopefully seal the odor in.
  You have cleaned the outside with the mineral spirits. The soft areas on the mouldings can be repaired by getting some 2 part epoxy from most any store. Read to back of the label and see what you need for clean-up and get some of this also. When you mix the epoxy, add some of the thinner to make it a bit more liquid and apply this to the soft areas. This should soak in and when dry, will stiffen up the soft part. If this won't work, you will need to replace the mouldings. You can also add a little paint to the epoxy to help it to blend with the color of the cabinet.
 Good Luck with your project.
 Rob
http://www.andersonsrestorations.com

Anderson's Restorations-Rob Anderson

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We can answer questions about wicker repair and restoration, chair seating[caning-rush-splint-danish cord] furniture refinishing and repair, brass and copper polishing, veneering and veneer repair. WE WILL NOT GIVE APPRAISALS or answer "WHATS IT WORTH" questions. If you want a value, contact us for our current costs for this service.

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