Ed Roos Cedar Blanket Chest Model # 5205 (Ca. 1930)

Sometimes a little detective work really pays off. I recently restored a blanket chest for a customer. The chest looked to be an early 1930's chest in a Jacobean style ( this style, especially with turned feet, was popular in the early to mid 1930's). The chest was void of any stamps or makers marks and I assumed it was probably a Lane chest form Altavista, Virginia. While working on the chest I discovered on the bottom of the chest the numbers "5205". I entered this number and cedar chest into Google and found out that this chest was a chest made by the Ed Roos Cedar Chest Company of Forest Park, Illinois. For more on the history of this company and to view some other examples, follow this link:

http://chicagoantiquesguide.com/archives/20110116111655.php

Here are links to some photos of the Ed Roos Factory:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drewangle/2932302176/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27480139@N05/5866461675/

The chest I was working was made from cedar, with poplar as a secondary wood and walnut veneer. It had some structural issues as well as finish issues. The legs were loose and one fell off entirely in the shop. The chest was also missing its front rail between the front legs. The finish was damaged in several areas and because of this (and the customers desire to have the piece a different color) we decided to strip the finish off. Below are several photos of the work and the finished product.

Here is a photo of the chest when it entered my shop.
This detail shot shows some damage to the finish on the top.

Here is a photo of the broken leg!

This next photo shows the base of the chest being glued in place.

A detail shot of the foot being glued back in place.

In this photo, you can see the new front rail being attached to the chest, as well as the gluing of some more loose joinery.

This photo shows the chest stripped and sanded, ready for stain and finishing.

The color of the stain chosen was based on a sample given by the customer. This photo shows the chest after staining.

The next three photos show the chest during the finishing process. This is followed by four more photos of the chest completed.

Completed Lane Chest (ca. 1950)

Here are some photos of the Lane Cedar chest with Walnut veneer that I have been working on. The color of Walnut as it ages is beautiful and the veneers, especially on the front of the chest were quite nice. here is a link to the first entry on the chest:

http://johnmarkpower.blogspot.com/2010/07/lane-cedar-chest-with-walnut-veneer.html

Lane Cedar Chest with Walnut Veneer (ca.1950)

One of the pieces I am currently working on is a Cedar blanket chest with Walnut veneer. This chest was made by the Lane Furniture Company in Altavista, Virginia. I have worked on many of these chests in the past and they came in many different shapes and sizes. I think that all of the chests had Walnut veneer. Lane is still in business and I read on their website that between 1912 and 1987, Lane manufactured and sold an estimated 12 million cedar chests. For a look at the Lane furniture company history, follow the link below. I also found a link to a recall for the Lane locks. If you have small children and one of these chests you might want to follow the link below the history link:

http://www.lanefurniture.com/AboutUs/CompanyHistory.aspx

http://www.lanefurniture.com/customer_care/newlockrequest.asp?LHF=

The chest I received had a lot of veneer damage and the finish needed to be removed and replaced. below are several photos of the work with descriptions of the process.

Here are two photos of the chest as it came to me. I had already started removing the finish from the top when I took these photos,so the top looks a little glossy.

Here is a photo of the chest with the finish removed.
The top had lost a lot of its veneer and several patches were necessary. the photo below shows one of the damaged areas.
In order to cut a patch to size I sometimes make a rubbing of the damaged area on paper and tape the paper to the veneer. I then cut out the patch along the edges of the paper. below is a photo of the rubbing above the damaged area.
The next step is to place the patch over the damaged area and cut scribe the edges and remove the excess veneer so that the patch will fit into the space.
The last step before gluing is to scape any dirt and old glue out of the damaged area. In this photo I have added a little space for a second patch on the right side.
Here is a photo of all of the patches and loose veneer being glued down on the top of the chest.
Here is the patch described above in place. the excess over hanging the edge of the top will be cut off flush.
The next three photos show several other patches glued in place around the top.


Once the patches were sanded flush and the excess was trimmed off. the patches were stained to blend in with the top. the next two photos show this.

This photo shows loose trim which was glued back in place.
On one side of the chest, the feet were missing the veneer completely. the next few photos show the veneer being replaced

Here is a photo of the veneer being glued on the back foot.
This photo shows the veneer glued in place. the excess was trimmed off and the veneer was stained to match the chest.
The next two shots show the chest with a few coats of finish on it.

Sometimes when I get patches laid out well, I stain them to blend them into the existing wood rather than using touch up powder to Faux the grain. This is not always possible, but I like the results when it works. The patches are still visible upon close inspection, but they look very natural. Below are three photos of the patches during the finishing process.


The last three photos show the chest about two thirds through the finishing process. I will post some photos of the chest when it is completed