Project Information
This is a 1940s Union Machinist's Chest on which I have done a complete restoration. It is made from flat sawn oak (red oak, I think). I removed the old finish by scraping it off and followed that up with sanding. I made repairs where I deemed it necessary, seeking to retain as much of the original as possible. For example, a crack at the edge of the raised panel of the door was irreparable. Rather than make a whole new panel, I removed only as much as necessary and spliced in a replacement piece.
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I stained the wood Golden Oak and finished it with 3 coats of varnish and a coat of wax.
I de-rusted all hardware, buffed it with a wire wheel and topped it off with a protective sealant. With the exception of rivets and a few screws, the bulk of the hardware is original to the chest as received by me. The worn but legible "Union Steel Chest Corp." decal remains on one of the drawers. I am quite certain the door pull is not original to the case as it is rectangular, not circular. Also, the mirror frame is original but the mirror itself is new and, as there was no chain, I installed one. There was no key but I managed to secure one that, after some adjusting, is functional. I replaced the old leather from the handle and hand-stitched it.
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The old green felt has been replaced with new. I added feet to the bottom of the chest to protect both the chest and any surface on which it may be placed. Photo #6 is a before and after shot.
The provenance of the chest is as follows. The original owner was an engineer for the General Electric Company. He used the chest for work. The second owner inherited the chest from the wife of the first owner who had died. He intended to restore it but never got around to it and so decided to sell it. I purchased the chest from him. Cleaned up and fixed up, this antique chest is ready for years of continued use.
I stained the wood Golden Oak and finished it with 3 coats of varnish and a coat of wax.
I de-rusted all hardware, buffed it with a wire wheel and topped it off with a protective sealant. With the exception of rivets and a few screws, the bulk of the hardware is original to the chest as received by me. The worn but legible "Union Steel Chest Corp." decal remains on one of the drawers. I am quite certain the door pull is not original to the case as it is rectangular, not circular. Also, the mirror frame is original but the mirror itself is new and, as there was no chain, I installed one. There was no key but I managed to secure one that, after some adjusting, is functional. I replaced the old leather from the handle and hand-stitched it.
The old green felt has been replaced with new. I added feet to the bottom of the chest to protect both the chest and any surface on which it may be placed. Photo #6 is a before and after shot.
The provenance of the chest is as follows. The original owner was an engineer for the General Electric Company. He used the chest for work. The second owner inherited the chest from the wife of the first owner who had died. He intended to restore it but never got around to it and so decided to sell it. I purchased the chest from him. Cleaned up and fixed up, this antique chest is ready for years of continued use.
