Bruce Hamilton follows up:

Fellow groopsters,

Thank you all for your responses. I took your advice and started

at my local industrial supply. They had something similar. These

things are called sex posts. I never would have guess the name. I

wound up with a non-slotted female post and a round headed

brass screw with a washer. I can rearrange the original posts so

that they will appear in most noticeable places. The replacements

will go in the holes higher up that aren't so noticeable.

This "credenza" is really a piece mass produced office furniture.

It has a center section with two drawers and two doors.

Attached on either end is a single drawer/door section. Finished

end panels are then attached to these end units also with sex

posts. The joints between the three section in the front are

hidden with an astragal molding. The three sections are also

connected with a full length top and a three sided skirt on the

bottom with a back board attached with metal clips. The top,

drawers and doors have attractive crotch mahogany veneers. It

is the best partial board money can buy, it sages in the middle

when lifted and it all weights a ton. The base did not survive the

last move from Germany.

I had to turn I the unit upside down and set it on two 2 ax 4's

lied with their 2 x dimension facing up. Then I had to raise on

end up about 3/4" to get a flat surface determined with the use of

a piece of string stretched over the case's full length of eight feet.

Then I rebuilt the base with an oak stinger and some 2 x 4 cross

members. Please see the attached photos.

Next is touchup and overcoating with lacquer. Hopefully the

movers can get it back in the apartment on the eighteenth floor

of a Boston high raise without damaging it. Thanks again.

Best wishes,

BruceH
MA