My mother just phoned me from 2000 miles away wanting to know how to clean an old secretary that she can purchase for $500. It’s in good shape but the brass hardware is tarnished nearly black and the finish has “use” micro-scratches. Not sure what the finish is.
I advised to clean and polish with Renaissance wax. Perhaps some of the micro-scratches will “disappear”. This should remove the grime and built-up dirt from the finish.
What should be done with the brass hardware: “Brasso” or other metal polish?
Greg
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Exo 35:30-35
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Replies
If old means 18th. century or early 19th century don't do anything, including wax, without first consulting a serious professional conservator. And, particularly don't polish the brasses. It is unfortunate that this is the current collectors ethic, but it is.
First, let's sort out whether you have a real period piece at an absolute steal of a price, or a $500 piece of old furniture. For the forum to be of any help we would need pictures. Show the overall style, closeups of any carving and of the brasses, and perhaps a picture of the dovetails on the drawer. A view of the back would also be useful. It would also help to know from what kind of source it was acquired.
If it is just old furniture, then you would clean it, first with naptha to remove oily dirt, and then with sparing amounts of water. Polishing the brass would be a matter of personal taste.
I'll add a bit to Steve's list for pictures - one can often get a good deal of age information by examining the bottoms of the drawer bottoms, and photographing the inside of the case where the drawer dividers are.
Most all completely hand-made furniture from the 18th and early 19th centuries will have deep scallop marks going parallel with the drawer front from a heavily cambered jack plane. Inside the case, one rarely finds full dustboards on American pieces except for the Charleston area.
The secondary wood's important too from the standpoint of assessing the age, origin, and ultimate value of a piece. If you find the characteristic ray-fleck pattern of quartersawn oak as drawer sides and interior secondary wood, the piece is likely English. If you find white pine or tulip poplar as the secondary wood, it's likely American.
I will echo what Steve said - it's most probable that you've a mid-19th century nice old piece of furniture, but you need to be careful. The Antiques Roadshow has examples nearly every show of a true American 18th century piece that someone thought was just an flea market chest of drawers. Many of these pieces have been "restored" by stripping, sanding, and coating with a modern finish, which takes them from a $50,000 antique to a $1500 useful old piece of furniture.
Cincinnati' wash it with Murphy's oil soap, no wax.If she does decide to clean the brass? brasso will work fine /remove the hardware and use 0000 steal wool to rub in the brasso. just a reminder that it will start to darken again quickly if one does not clear coat it,you have already been warned about the value issues
Dan
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