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About robert klein
Expertise
In regards to antique, vintage and collectible furniture I can help with wood identification, styles, age, and periods. As with all things, looking at pictures is not as good as actually handling the object. I am a qualified to answer questions about repair, restoration, refinishing, finishes, coatings, stains, historical coatings and materials. SEND PICTURES WITH YOUR QUESTIONS OR THE QUESTION WILL LIKELY BE REJECTED.

Experience
I have been in the antiques furniture and restoration business for 40 years and have continued my education in the trade by attending workshops and seminars through the Smithsonian, MESDA, and other organizations.

Organizations
Professional Refinishers Groop, Int. AIC

Education/Credentials
BA Florida State University 1970 BA University of West Florida 1971

Past/Present Clients
This is a list of people that i know personally across the country that are competent, knowledgeable and skilled refinishers, restorers and conservators. AL Elberta Jim Cole Antique Works; AZ Phoenix Hal Resnikoff The Village Woodsmith; CA Fort Bragg Joe Amaral Wood Finish Services; CA San Clemente Michele Rosen Michele Rosen Woodfinishing & Conservation; CT Bridgeport Jim Young Old Gold Furniture Restoration; GA Atlanta Brian Hillman Hillman's Restoration; GA Bogart Fred McLean McLean's Refinishing; GA Atlanta Alan Noel A. Noel Furniture Refinishing; GA Atlanta Brian Webster Brian Webster; KS Topeka Dave Macfee Macfee Refinishing; KS Topeka Ben Myre Macfee Refinishing; MA West Newbury Bruce Hamilton Bruce Hamilton Antique Restoration; MA Dedham Robert Judd Judd Refinishing; MD Monrovia Kevin Hancock Hancock Piano Restorations; MI Armada Al Venditelli Armada Furniture Services LLC; MN Bemidji Don MacKinnon MacKinnon Woodworks; NC Winston Salem Martin O'Brien Martin O'Brien Cabinetmaker; NY Holbrook Dean Camenares East End Wood Strippers; NY Brooklyn Emily MacDonald Korth Emily MacDonald-Korth; NY Latham Mike Mascelli Fine Upholstery; OR The Dalles Frank Laroque LaRoque's Wood Shop; SC Charleston Paul Garbarini Heirloom Finishes; TN Oak Ridge David Reeves Classic Furniture Restorations; TX Aledo Joe Hornor Little Jack Horner's Furniture Restoration; TX Houston Fred Woodall Fred Woodall Repair Service; VA Roanoke Dick Patch Astonish Antique Restoration; WI Milwaukee Bill Balsiger Artisan Restorations;

You are here: Experts > Hobbies > Antiques: UK > Collectibles-General (Antiques) > Birdseye Maple Armoire (Picture of Lock)

Collectibles-General (Antiques) - Birdseye Maple Armoire (Picture of Lock)

Expert: robert klein - 11/6/2009

Question
QUESTION: When I acquired this armoire the skeleton key was missing. I know very little about this armoire and I'm wondering if you could help me identify it (age/origin/maker), perhaps find another skeleton key. I unscrewed the lock & found that the words "NICO LETCHWORTH" was stamped on the back of the lock. I googled the name & nothing meaningful came up.

The bowed front doors and the sides of the armoire are Birdseye maple veneer. The 2 vertical thin strips of wood next to the door hinges are solid birdseye maple. I noticed that in certain areas of the doors there was a white powdery substance that kept reappearing no matter how many times I wiped it with a slightly moistened cloth. It also appeared that the front doors had a thicker & glossier finish than the sides. I did the alcohol test on the sides & I believed it to be shallec. However, the front doors are not bothered by the alcohol. Due to the white powder reappearing I decided to kleen strip it. After the finish was gone, I realized that the white powder came from areas of the veneer where there are prominent line (not cracks). I'm thinking perhaps the wood has expanded/contracted somewhat causing the original finish to fail & someone came along & put on a coat of glossy transparent finish on the doors. Maybe the wood kept shifting underneath the finish causing the white powder to reappear. Now that the finish was gone, I decided that I needed a repairable finish, or maybe a more flexible finish that I can periodically reapply without having to deal with the white powder. I used pure tung oil mixed with a little bit of mineral spirit, applied it multiple times, so far I see no white powder. But, the armoire is now a darker finish than I'd like. The veneers on the doors are darker than the 2 thin strips of solid birdseye maple although I applied the same amount of tung oil on both. Is there anything I could have done differently to keep the doors a lighter color & not to have to deal with the white powdery stuff?

Thanks in advance for your help.
IMAGE: Lock of Armoire

ANSWER: nice piece from europe or the uk, made in the 1930s.

it is a barrel key not a skeleton key. they have a hole in the shaft to fit over the pin in the lock. a good locksmith can make a key for around 15$

beautiful birdseye. i cannot tell you what the white powder was since i have not seen or touched it. it could have been the finish deteriorating or some other reaction of the coating. all coatings are flexible, tung oils are merely a bit of tung oil in varnish but since they are a wipe on they are easy. the way you are supposed to do this is to lay the doors flat and saturate the surface with the tung, wait 15 minutes and wipe dry, then repeat a few hours later for starts. tung oils need to be coated many times to get any type of build and protection. every other day for a week and once a month for a few months. then wax once every two years or so. many times the fronts have more coating that the sides or someone could have recoated the doors, we will never know.. I would have used shellac on the doors when recoating but tung oil wont hurt. you maybe should have lightly sanded the doors before you coated them. The original coating, if it was varnish or urethane had probably yellowed over time but regardless, it is not unusual for woods to be of different shades but blended with dyes that you could not have detected. when trying to see if colors match with raw wood it is best to wet the surfaces with mineral spirits or lacquer thinner, when wet they will give a true rendering of what they will look like with a clear coat on them.

the name on the lock is a company in the uk.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you very much for taking the time to help me. So far, I have already put on approx 8~10 coats of tung oil on the exterior (1 or 2 coats a day depends on how fast it dried). I have used Briwax (light brown) on the interior which is the same color as the dark bands on top of the armoire. I'm hesitant to use Briwax on the outside fearing it might darkens it further. Is my fear unfounded? Can I use Briwax on top of Tung oil? I was also quite hesitant to sand the doors because the veneer is so thin. I had instead used 0000 steel wool & some cotton rags to rub mineral spirit on the doors but the doors were starting to catch the fabric so I stopped. I know it's not perfect but I'm glad the white powder is gone.

Answer

you are certainly welcome. you are doing things right. the tung probably did not need the addition of the ms, that will slow the build and drying time.

briwax comes in many colors, you can use the clear or none. you can wax over any coating as long AS THE COATING IS DRY AND CURED and the wax contains no toluene.

for future reference, you can sand veneer, sometimes aggressively sometimes not. each time has to be assessed on its own. you can always gently sand it by hand just be careful at the edges as that is where you will burn (sand) though if you are not paying attention. the fact that the rag was catching tells me that at one time the fronts were exposed to water or extreme high humidity changes repeatedly, that raised the wood and possibly deteriorated the glue at the place of the cracks/splits/ separations.

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