Writing slope

[Lurker]

I have just acquired this for a restoration project.
I will be asking lots of questions as I am well out of my depth.

 

[Pete Maddex]

That warp looks like it’s going to be tricky, is it solid or veneered?


Pete

 

[Lurker]

Veneered.

I can pull it down with my hand but it’s too tight just to do that and glue as I am sure it would pop up again, somehow I am going to have to ease the width.

Edit: the top and bottom are veneered oak, everything else looks solid, is it mahogany or a look alike, do you think?

 

[AndyT]

That looks like an interesting challenge.

There's a few sellers on eBay who generally have spare fittings on offer. That presumably means there's a special category of Sod's Law that says they'll only have the bits you don't need...

 

[Pete Maddex]

Leave it to stabilise indoors for a few weeks, it might flatten a bit.

Pete

 

[Lurker]

I have now started to dismantle.
There is a divider missing above the drawer, you can see the rebate that runs above the drawer.
I have resawn some cedar to slot into the rebate and then lock these in with a narrow piece.
There should be dividers sat on this , you can see the one broken one that remains, I will replace these with cedar and use the original for making bits of veneer to repair the various damage.

 

[Lurker]

I am thinking of using titebond liquid hide.
I have no experience with the stuff, any advice?

 

[Lurker]

That looks like an interesting challenge.

There's a few sellers on eBay who generally have spare fittings on offer. That presumably means there's a special category of Sod's Law that says they'll only have the bits you don't need...

I think that I am only going to need four tiny brass hinges and some tiny brass screws.
I think I have sufficient screws and might have the hinges (if I can remember where I put them!).

 

[Woodbloke]

Veneered.

I can pull it down with my hand but it’s too tight just to do that and glue as I am sure it would pop up again, somehow I am going to have to ease the width.

Edit: the top and bottom are veneered oak, everything else looks solid, is it mahogany or a look alike, do you think?

Looks a pretty oldish sort of piece L, so I'd guess that if it's from the Victorian era, it's going to be genuine, proper, 'old skool' mahogany, possibly Cuban if you're very lucky. The Cuban variety looks like very dark, plain choccy in it's colouration with some white chalky flecks - Rob

 

[Pete Maddex]

I have loads on brass screws from tiny to ‘kin hell.

Give me a shout in you need some.

Pete

 

[AndyT]

I am thinking of using titebond liquid hide.
I have no experience with the stuff, any advice?

It's brilliant stuff. I use it on almost everything unless I'm in a hurry. Advantages include:

Easy to apply
Easy to wipe off with a damp rag
Long open time for unrushed glue-up
Hardened excess is easy to remove with a chisel
If you wipe off excess with a cloth, the residue doesn't spoil any later finish. (PVA can leave pale marks near the joints.)
It's properly strong - I used it on my bed build.
If you do need to reverse anything, you can. I once glued up a drawer, not realising that I'd got it crooked. Several minutes with a steam iron on full softened the glue enough to pull the corners square.

 

[Sheffield Tony]

Agree with Andy, plus it is kind of slippery, so joints seem to slide together more easily than with TB3.

 

[Lurker]

I have loads on brass screws from tiny to ‘kin hell.

Give me a shout in you need some.

Pete

:text-thankyouyellow:

 

[Lurker]

Thanks Andy/Tony

I was aware it was “reversible “ hence my interest.

Edit: what’s it’s shelf life like?
I think a 4oz bottle should be enough.

 

[AndyT]

I'm just finishing a bottle I bought in Jan 2018 and it's fine. Admittedly, it's been stored in a cool, dark place and that's probably longer than the makers recommend.

 

[Lurker]

The slope cost me £25, it was sold as requiring restoration, now I have spent an hour on it, I think that most fixes seem to be within my competence.
The seller also offered me a wastebasket full of tools for £10, I nearly said no as it looked mainly scrap metal, but I spotted two unused hammer shafts and a garryflex pad.
On getting this home I found three unused Gary flex pads and a few other interesting bits so I was well pleased with the foray

 

[Cabinetman]

I have been wanting to make a slope like yours for far too many years now, don’t think I would ever have need of one but I find them very attractive, also like that they are made with very fine sections of timber.
I have some reclaimed Victorian Mahogany (with white flecks) if you would like it, you will need to be quick though as I depart for America again on Tuesday. Pm me Ian

 

[Alf]

I imagine Michael - my63 - would be the man for advice on this sort of thing. iirc he's rehabilitated a few.

 

[Lurker]

I need some thin strips to make dividers, I found in my stash a lump of mahogany lookalike.
So I took it to the table saw to rip down, immediately I could smell an absolutely horrible stink and I was close to being sick.
But it looked perfect so I set up two lots of extractors and a face mask and ripped off four perfect strips.

I then cleaned up the dust before going for a walk.
Couple of hours later I went back in the workshop and after a bit of fiddling around, I could smell the stink again, so I have abandoned that wood and will look for something else.
Anyone any ideas as to what it is?

As I said earlier, I needed to replace an internal level and chose cedar as I hope it will impart a pleasant smell to the interior. I spent quite a while fettling the cedar lathes and I think I am on the home straight with that task.

 

[Windows]

I've read that elm can smell pretty bad. What did it smell like?

 

[Woodbloke]

I've read that elm can smell pretty bad. What did it smell like?

Elm can have a distinctive pong, but it doesn't look anything like 'mahogany' (of which there are hundreds of look alike varieties) - Rob

 

[Lurker]

it’s definitely a chocolate colour so not elm.

 

[Phil]

That looks a very nice/interesting restoration job (no I am not envious :mrgreen: )

 

[Lurker]

The cedar level is done, it took lots of fiddling and bending to slot it into the rebate.

Yesterday, usual for me, I looked at some u tubes about restoration, one person replaced the writing surface with some leather that was sold for the task and it reminded me that I had a mega roll of leatherette in the loft.
I plan to cover the level with this and most likely the writing surface too, still thinking about it.
Also I found some hinges, these are longer and 3mm wider than the original ones, I think they might be better.

The orangy strip of wood is the beginning of an experiment to see if I can match the chocolate colour of the original piece.

 

[Lurker]

The intention was to give the slope to DiL, she is heavily into sewing and knitting, so my son has just suggested repurposing it into a sewing box.
So the writing surface is not going to get used, but I will make more internal dividers.
I thought that I would add some accessories like a pin cushion and a darning mushroom.

Does anyone have experience of making similar bits?
Has anyone got a better half who sews or knits who might have suggestions?

 

[Lurker]

Does anyone have a recipe for a wood cleaner?
I know of the wood revivers but I don’t want any contamination at this stage.

I have
meths, both blue and clear.
White spirit
Turps substitute, but I won’t use this as it can be anything the manufacturer wants to chuck in.
Real turps (blimey pricey innit!)
Ammonia

 

[Lurker]

The warped top is giving me trouble (photo 3)
I have cleaned up this morning and I conclude that the top was made by cutting a bit of oak to loose fit into a rebate.
I think what they did was then stick the veneer to the oak with a decent overhang all round, then apply glue to just the veneer and drop this into the rebate. The oak doesn’t appear to have any glue on it at all, just the veneer is stuck. Maybe this is a technique for avoiding warping.

 

[MY63]

I dont know how I missed this, great project, I have a few writing slopes from different eras. I think yours is a campagin style with the brass edge bands.Writing slopes can often be dated by size yours is possibly from around 1890. It would have had a number of secret compartments under the pen and ink trays. Hidden by a sprung door, this would have been released by the brass pin that would have secured the drawer via the hole above it.
If the writing surface was original it would usually have been heat embossed around the edges, with small ribbons passing throught the wood to allow for easy opening.
Some pictures of one of mine of a similar size with the secret compartments. One of which contained the document.

IMG_4783 by my0771, on Flickr

IMG_4786 by my0771, on Flickr

IMG_4788 by my0771, on Flickr

 

[Lurker]

Thanks, yes that seems to have several similar features to mine.
The warped top is giving me a headache, I have put the slope in a warmish bedroom for a few weeks to see if that helps, if anything, it’s got worse :eusa-shifty:

 

[MY63]

Splits are quite common on this age of slope, this is the top of mine.

DSC_0914[1] by my0771, on Flickr

Warping is much more difficult to fix, I read an article years ago where someone was steaming a slope lid to remove a warp. I can't find the article now unfortunately.
I ignore the cracks unless there is a structural issue.

 

[Lurker]

I’m pretty convinced that the warp on the lid is due to the oak backing stuck to the mahogany veneer expanding and contracting at different rates.

 

[Pete Maddex]

I’m pretty convinced that the warp on the lid is due to the oak backing stuck to the mahogany veneer expanding and contracting at different rates.

A you get the veneer off and replace the oak with some birch ply, or mdf?

Pete

 

[Lurker]

I’m pretty convinced that the warp on the lid is due to the oak backing stuck to the mahogany veneer expanding and contracting at different rates.

A you get the veneer off and replace the oak with some birch ply, or mdf?

Pete

I doubt it would come off and then I am ruining it’s history.

 

[Lurker]

I cut these tramlines to try to ease the warp, I think I have made things worse :eusa-doh:
I know that it looks a mess but it’s going to get a fabric overlay.
I have changed my mind about the wood being oak as it is easy to cut.

 

[Pete Maddex]

I would have thought it has been glued with hot hide glue so hot iron should release it.

Pete

 

[AJB Temple]

You said you can press the top down but it springs up again.

As your solutions to date have not worked here are two thoughts:

1 Cut a narrow (no more than 1mm) relief groove in the top, so that when it is pressed down the top has somewhere to go. This will also provide a glue insertion point. Or:

2 Cut a wider groove all the way around the top to release it fully. Take it out and flatten ready for re-glue. The release groove can then be filled with either brass wire similar to the existing fittings, or a boxwood (for example) contrasting inlay (readily available from luthiery suppliers).

As a last resort, remove all brass fittings and disassemble the box using heat (or at least enough to get the top out). If the joints won't release, cut the top off with a fine toothed saw and guide (or band saw) and then deal with the problem area.

Personally I think the grooves you have cut so far will do nothing useful.

Good luck.

 

[Lurker]

I have pretty much come to the same conclusion, I think it’s going to be 1.
I really wanted to avoid this as the top has a lovely patina.

 

[Lurker]

Back on this project again…….

I have bought some green felt to line the inside, I was thinking about sticking it down with carpet tape mainly as it’s less permanent if I have a visit from the CUF.
What do you think?

 

[Stuart]

I always use copydex, - don't use too much or it can squeeze thought the felt. Alternatively, stick it to a piece of card and then use tape for the card to box fixing.

Copydex is 'undoable' but difficult, but then carpet tape is a b'stard with felt as well!

 

[Lurker]

Thanks,
the card idea it is then!
Never crossed mind.