Completed Eastlake Desk (ca.1890)

I recently completed the restoration of a Walnut Eastlake secretary desk dating to around 1890. The finish on this piece was restored after a vigorous cleaning. Whenever it is possible, I like to leave the original finish intact and on this piece I was glad that this was possible. Below are a few photos of the final phases of the restoration process followed by several photos of the completed desk. If you are interested in looking at the repairs of this desk as well some photos of it in the condition that it came to me, you can follow the link below:

http://johnmarkpower.blogspot.com/2011/05/walnut-eastlake-cylinder-desk-ca-1890.html

Here is a photo of the desk after the finish had been cleaned and new finish had been amalgamated with the old. The back, cubbies, and desk lid had been removed initially for repairs and they were left out to make the finishing process easier.

Here is a photo of the cubbies, desk lid, and lower doors during the finishing process.
One thing I often do when restoring a piece is to replace missing or broken hardware. In this case, the casters that were on the desk were broken and needed to be replaced. Below is a photograph of the new casters in place followed by a close up showing the a caster. I usually go with casters that have an oxidized finish because they look more appropriate.

This photo shows the two original handles for the long drawer. The one on the left has been cleaned. To do this I use nothing but a little elbow grease and #000 steel wool.
Here are several photos of the desk completed with the lid closed and then open. The glass knob on the inside drawer was probably a replacement but has been with the piece for long enough that I decided to leave it.