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| Thread ID: 43010 | 2004-02-29 21:13:00 | OT: And hugely so! How do you restore artificial tortoise shell? | Billy T (70) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 219152 | 2004-03-01 10:12:00 | *cough* Deep embarassment here albatross :8} A poor choice of words, though you have vindicated my faith in the collective wisdom of PF1. By long-winded I meant the time taken to work through the telephone tag necessary to get to the right person. Reversing will not help as both sides are more or less equally faded, which kind of reinforces my view that a chemical agent was applied some time in the past. Cleaning agents of the mid to late 50's are the most sophisticated options likely to have been used as the unit went out of service in the early 60's and hasn't been touched since. Yes there is enough thickness to skim, but only just. I can skim the rear of one of the support pedestals though and see what the inside looks like. I will heat test the back of the pedestal before I skim it to see what it smells like as it may not be casein based at all. I tried Google again today but there is simply nothing about restoring this material. Cheers Billy 8-{) |
Billy T (70) | ||
| 219153 | 2004-03-01 21:26:00 | No offence taken on the comments Billy,lets face it they are only peoples honest opinions,and I myself aren't short on opinions to some things. Anyway,..I wouldn't put any heat on said item or you may find yourself with additional problems. The most common cleaners used back in those days were kerosene/kerosene based products.These products had a good bug killing quality, ie, borer..silverfish..etc. Actually the first thing I do to a piece of old wooden furniture,is give it a good lashing of kero.This of course depends on the type of wood. The item you mentioned is a plastic,and lot's of products were made from it,..combs..buttons..brooches...etc. A replacement part may be found if you browse around goodwill shops and find a similar item. As I said ,with a screen shot,my help to you would be greatfully enhanced. Are you doing this cabinet up to keep or sell ? as that makes a difference also. Man talk about long winded replies. Cheers A. |
albatross (343) | ||
| 219154 | 2004-03-01 22:31:00 | Hi Billy, I have worked in the jewellery/restoration business. If the handle has faded right through you don't have many options to bring back the colour. A quick fix that might help is silicone spray... works great on bakerlite (similar to your handle), more permanent is if you can get hold of a small tin of marine varnish (not polyurethane!) and give it a coat, marine varnish has a nice soft shine unlike poly. and will match the other handle better. Of course this will wear off with use. Joe |
joe90ak (3042) | ||
| 219155 | 2004-03-02 01:03:00 | OK, Here's a photo. (www.sal.neoburn.net) The faded example is on the right of course. The photo shows them about as far apart as they are when installed. The darker strip down the middle of the faded example was covered by a chromed metal half-round bar that provides the handle strength. As you can see it is a deco style and the cabinet was made in NZ. The body is of mahogany and the doors have veneered mahogany on diamond format. It was part of a full bedroom suite of good but not top quality. The material is definitely casein based, I heated a panel pin to red heat and touched the rear of one mount. Smelled like a burning cow! Cheers Billy 8-{) |
Billy T (70) | ||
| 219156 | 2004-03-02 02:03:00 | First, catch yourself an artificial tortoise, then............:D | Winston001 (3612) | ||
| 219157 | 2004-03-02 03:41:00 | Thanks for that shot Billy, now that I've seen them,I'm sure I can get a replacement set for you.Just have a little patience while I track them down.I will post when I have them for some details on how to get them to you.Allow a few days,meantime,hang in there. Cheers. A. |
albatross (343) | ||
| 219158 | 2004-03-02 21:56:00 | Well, I am utterly gob-smacked albatross :O It is incredible to think that these items are even recognisable, let alone the possibility that replacements might be available . I forgot to lay a ruler alongside before taking the photo, so the dimensions are 5" x 5/8" for the strips, 1 . 5" dia x 1/4 thick for the large disks and 1 & 1/8" x 1/4 for the small disks . It doesn't matter if you can't find replacements, I am eternally grateful that you are even willing to try . Incidentally, I failed to mention that restoration is for keeping as a family heirloom . We only have two items left from what was a five piece bedroom set, the wardrobe, bed-ends and dressing table were all disposed of years ago by my parents before we realised the importance of such things . The only other item left is a small bedside table which one of my sisters still has . It was the label underneath that which told us it was NZ made . Cheers Billy 8-{) :) |
Billy T (70) | ||
| 219159 | 2004-03-02 22:30:00 | Just heading out shortly to check a couple out. Why I asked if it was for personal use or resale is, if it's for personal use ,you have time on your side. As a matter of interest,..it's far more desirable to have a faded original part, than a replacement part, this adds to the character of the piece. I don't restore for a living anymore,have reverted back to hobby status,yet I still get requests to do a job.A lot of my restorations sit in museums around the country,and overseas. If you have children,take them on regular visits to antique shops and let them get familiar with what they see.In no time at all,they will become quite expert at recognising antiques. About time I can be of help to someone at PF1, so it's my pleasure. Cheers, A. |
albatross (343) | ||
| 219160 | 2004-03-03 00:17:00 | Yes, I take the point on character, however this piece will be in daily use again and absolute originality is not critical . Our children have similar views on holding on to family pieces so it will be around for a fair while yet! The veneer on one door was damaged in transit between houses some years ago and the top had some bad dents, however I was able to steam the dents out almost completely and the veneer was so thick that I could sand the damaged area back enough to remove the worst of it . It was french-polished originally but now it is finished with a good quality satin polyurethane and looks tremendous . Although it may not be immediately apparent, the unfaded handle is in three pieces and I planned to epoxy it to the rear of the metal support . A replacement would be even better but I won't hold my breath . Thanks again, Cheers Billy 8-{) |
Billy T (70) | ||
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