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Tim Puro writes:

Groop,

I am cleaning and repairing an 1875 Victorian American Aesthetic
Ladies writing desk.  The desk is made of walnut and has ebonized
accents with gilding in the incised machine carving.  This desk
comes from New York City and is a Herter Bros. or Meeks knock
off according to the guy who appraised the desk.  In restored
condition, the appraiser says that the desk could bring $4,000 to
$6,000 in San Francisco, the Pacific Northwest or the deep South
but only about $1,500 here in the Midwest.

Most of the original finish is intact and I have been cleaning 125
years of soot, coal dust, furniture polish and dirt off the surface
using a gelled mixture of mineral spirits, detergent and water (better
known as Gojo Original Hand Cleaner).  I use white Scotchbrite
pads and 0000 Liberon Steel wool to get some mechanical action
to aid in my cleaning.   After wiping off the Gojo I spritz water on a
soft cloth and wipe off the excess oils left behind by the hand
cleaner.  I have included some before and after pictures of my
cleaning work.

My question to the Groop is how I should proceed with the touch
up of the piece?  The ebonizing is worn off in certain places and I
would like to touch that up as well as add some bronzing powders
to the areas where the gold is missing. I plan on using shellac as my
touch up medium.  Should I apply a barrier coat/varnish of an
acryloid (B72 or B67) over the areas to be touched up before I do
my work or is this overkill for this desk?  I would also like to
French polish the desk to give it some luster again. Would it be
prudent to apply an acryloid varnish to the whole thing and then
French polish or would the acryloid varnish be tough enough with a
coat of wax on top to withstand light use?

As you can see I am just full of questions (my wife always says I am
full of it!) and would welcome any advice the Groop can send my
way.  Thanks in advance for your help!

Tim Puro
Bloomington Indiana

View TimP's Victorian desk on the show page:
http://www.alan.net/prgshow/timpvictorian.html

Cover of desk before



Cover of desk partially disassembled with the cleaning in process.
Note how the ebony accents and gold are popping out.



Here are before and after pix of the turning on the stretcher:





These are the brackets behind the cast metal angels:



Here is the carving on the top of the desk before....



And after cleaning.







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