Singer Sewing Machine with Walnut Case (1935)

One of my current projects is a singer Sewing Machine Model Number 15. Singer has records of when the machines were made so I was able to find out that the machine was built in 1935 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. The case construction was probably contracted out to a woodworking company. Here is a link to a PDF of the Manual for this sewing machine:

http://parts.singerco.com/IPinstManuals/15-91.pdf

The machine itself is in great condition and was protected very well from the elements by its walnut case. The case on the other hand has seen better days. Water damage on the top surface and back has caused a loss of the original finish and has also loosened a lot of the veneer. Luckily, the damage was all reversible. Whoever built the case used some nice veneer for the case which will show off beautifully when restored.

below are some photos of the repairs and preparation for finishing on the sewing machine. I will post some photos of the finished product when it is done!

the first four photos show the machine as it came to me. In the first photo there is some blue tape in the upper right hand corner which is holding on a piece of veneer which had fallen off.
You can also see the water damage to the top surfaces.



Here is a photo of the case deconstructed and with the finish removed.
This photo shows the veneer mentioned earlier next to the place that it goes.
This photo shows some missing veneer which needed to be patched.
Gluing the loose veneer on the top down.The 4 x 4 on the back of the top is to counter balance the weight of all of those clamps!
The back of the case also had some loose veneer which is being glued in place in the photo below.
The last two photos show the parts laid out for finishing. I applied a little stain to even out the color a bit after sanding. It is very light so it will be close to the natural color of the wood.In the last photo you can see the top surface repaired.

Eastlake Style Rocker (ca. 1900)

I received a rocker recently from a customer who wanted it reupholstered. The finish was in good shape, so when it returned from the upholsterer I simply cleaned and waxed the chair. Unfortunately, I forgot to take some "before photos, but here are the photos of the chair with the new upholstery. the old springs were salvaged, but new webbing and stuffing was put inside to make a very comfortable seat!

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

Parson's Pleasure

My friend Steve recently loaned me a book of short stories by Roald Dahl entitled "Lambs to the Slaughter". One of the stories in the collection was called "Parson's Pleasure". The story deals with and Antiques Dealer and a Chippendale Commode. I included a page from "The Gentleman and Cabinet-maker's Director" by Thomas Chippendale above. It is an illustration he made of a commode.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and thought it might be nice to share it with all of you. I found a link to a Word document on the internet of the entire story, but was unable to put it into this post. If you Google "Roald Dahl Parsons Pleasure" you should find the document, or you can look for the story elsewhere.

I hope you enjoy the story and I'd love to hear what you think!

Roald Dahl

Completed Buckstaff Ladderback Writing Chair (ca. 1940)

"In dealing with the subject of furniture there is a strong temptation (and one which few writers withstand) to make positive statements which are only approximately true."

-Herbert Cescinsky

I came across this statement in a book entitled "English and American Furniture" by Herbert Cescinsky and George Leland Hunter. I read this the night after receiving some information from the Buckstaff Furniture Company concerning the Writing Chair I have been working on. My judgment of the piece erred slightly in that I go the date of manufacture wrong by a couple of decades and I alos got the slogan of the company wrong in the previous post. While these are slight mistakes, I thought the quotation was appropriate.

Mr. Tom Mugerauer from Buckstaff sent me some great information about the chair which I have posted below. The images are from an Office and School furniture Catalog from November of 1955. Not only is the chair listed, but there is also a drawing of the chair. Thanks goes out to he Buckstaff Furniture Co. for giving permission to reproduce these images. They are followed by a "before" shot of the chair and some photos of the completed chair.
this first image is of the chair. It also lists that it was available in different colors. I know that the color of the chair I restored was originally Harvest Wheat because the word Wheat was stamped on the underside of the chair.

This next image shows the listing for the chair in the catalog. It originally sold for twenty four dollars and twenty two cents.

Here is the Buckstaff logo from the catalog.
The last image is of the logo which I found under the paint. the logo reads "the Buckstaff Co.-The Quality Kind- Oshkosh,Wis." You can see what I had to work with in the following photo!

Here is the "before" photo of the chair.
These last images show the chair restored. Maple takes on a really nice shine when French Polished!

FOR SALE: Renaissance Revival Walnut Chair (ca.1880)

The Chair pictured below is for sale. It is a Walnut chair with leather upholstery that was made during the Renaissance Revival period of the Victorian Era circa 1880.

The chair is overall in good shape. If desired the finish could be improved and new upholstery put on, but the chair could also be used "as-is". You can click on the images to view them in larger dimensions. I have listed the sale price below as well as an estimated restoration cost. If you are interested in purchasing this chair please contact me at (703) 727-5691 0r at info@johnmarkpower.com.

AS-IS Price: $350.00
Restoration Estimate (if desired): $275.00 (Restoration of finish), $125.00 (Clean and Wax)

FOR SALE: Shennandoah Valley Walnut Writing Desk (ca. 1820)

Sold

The writing desk pictured below is currently for sale. The piece is a slant front writing desk made form Walnut with Poplar and Pine as secondary woods. The desk dates to around 1820 and comes from a house in Bunker Hill, Virginia, where it is believed to have spent most of its life. The desk has a solid Black Walnut writing surface which opens and is supported by tow pull ot desk supports. inside are four cubbie drawers with brass pulls and corresponding holes below. Below the writing surface is one large drawer with wooden pulls. All of this sits on tapered legs.

This is a fine local piece. It is in need of restoration but restored would have real value, especially locally. You can click on the image to view it in larger dimensions. If you are interested in purchasing this desk please contact me at (703) 727-5691 0r at info@johnmarkpower.com.