Auction Treasures

We went to an auction this weekend - here's some pictures of the treasures we found:

Router Plane - in the original box - never been used - Stanley No. 71

Wooden Tricycle (missing back wheels)

Rocking Baby Doll Cradle

Baby Doll Crib

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Project - WASH BASIN

8-15-09: We found this old Wash Basin at an auction in Hot Springs, SD, on Aug 14, 2009. It was painted with about three coats of brown and tan paint. We didn't know much about it until we started taking the top apart to repair and re-glue the three boards that made up the top. The legs and sides were doweled together and came apart easily, but then we found the nails. At first I thought it had been repaired at one time with nails instead of disassembling and re-gluing. However, the further we went, the more it looks like it was put together with nails and dowels from the get-go. The nails were iron, square-cut, and about 1 3/8" to 2" long with a square tip. At this point, we suspected this was probably a pretty old piece.

So we did a little research on square nails and discovered that this same type of nail used to be hand-forged; later, in the early 1800's, they were manufactured in nail mills in the northeastern US. Round, or wire nails, didn't appear on the scene until the 1900's. Finding square-cut nails in the furniture piece proved that the item was at least older than us or either of our parents.

Other information we dug up: "Square-cut nails" are also called "steel-cut nails", or sometimes just "square nails". Hand-forged nails were the first manufactured nails, and they date back to Biblical times. As people first used hewn beams, timbers, planks, and whole logs to build with, the early hand-made nails were spikes. With the development of the split wood shingle, nails of about 1" long came into use. When sawyers, and then sawmills, began cutting dimension lumber, the sizes and varieties of nails greatly expanded. Over time, nails developed in different sizes, shapes, and used different heads to fasten lumber and wood.

Nails have always been in demand. Some blacksmiths made only nails and they were called "Nailers." We learned that nails were so scarce (and expensive) in pre-1850 America, that people would burn dilapidated buildings just to sift the ashes for nails. They did so because pulling the nails would have damaged most of them. After the nails were recovered, a blacksmith could easily straighten any nails that had been bent during construction. The cut nail made its appearance in the mid-1700's. It would not be until the middle-1800's that cut nails began common and dominated the marketplace. Cut nails are not actually "cut"--they are sheared from steel plate that is the thickness of the nail shank. Although most often referred to as "square nails", the cutting machine tapers the nail shank as it is sheared from the steel plate. A second machine forms the head of a cut nail. The square nails we found in the wash basin were probably made in this manner.

With the hand-forged nail, all four sides are tapered. With the cut nail, two sides are parallel because they represent the thickness of the plate they were sheared from. Cut nails had their heyday from about 1820 (development of the Type B nail) to 1910, the advent of the wire nail that we use today. Wire nails are round. Steel wire is fed into a machine that grips the wire, cuts it, makes the head, and chisels the point, all in one operation.

As we began to strip the paint, we found some writing on the back of the drawer:

"1882 to O.P.P. Sie"

We interpreted this to mean the furniture was either built in 1882 or at least given in 1882 to someone with the initials of O.P.P., which is definitely in the right time frame (between mid 1800s and 1910)that was called out in our research on nails. (Not sure what Sie means.) With this info, we are assuming that the wash basin is at least 117 years old.

9-3-09: We now have the item pretty much stripped of paint, and most of the repairs made. The wood is similar in grain and color to ALDER. The square head of the nails did a number on the wood surface when we pulled out the nails. Some repair to the top will be required to fill in the surface where each nail was pulled out when we disassembled the wide top piece. The item definitely has potential for being a super conversation piece.

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July and August 2009 Restoration Projects

Here's a collection and work-in-progress description of several of the restoration projects undertaken mostly during the months of July and August 2009.

Vanity - originally belonging to Grandma Wermers - given to Kathie from Celi Albrecht
(actually restored Oct - Nov 2008)

Library Table - purchased at Auction in Estelline, SD - Oct 2008

(Had been converted to a paint storage cabinet with plywood doors and sides. The grain of the plywood for one door was vertical, the other door was horizontal. Doors had to go!)

Took this restoration opportunity to add a few extra rails to the sides and front, and re-glue the top; then added supports below the side shelves.

Ready for reading!

"Treasure Chest" - purchased at Auction near Sioux Falls, SD

Chest was very mildewed, but had several old tools inside, very rusty, but old. It stayed in Trent, SD, for 7 months to dry out before transported to Rapid City, SD for restoration.

Puzzle - from auction at the Civic Center in Rapid City, SD

Actually referred to at the auction as a Double Secretary Desk - its a drop leaf table with drawers on both sides - presented at auction as a puzzle with many pieces missing.

All drawer rails and stiles were missing; major breaks in the bottom side rails and table top.
Getting closer - all the missing parts have been rebuilt - the center drawer unit is now glued together and all the drawers fit!

Kathie is refinishing the 3-piece oak top this week.

Bird's Eye Maple Dresser - from auction in Hill City, SD

Dresser was painted with at least three layers of paint including one fluorscent green layer.

Veneer on top had water damage ripples - we had to cut slits and put glue under the veneer and clamp it to get it flat!

Most drawers needed strengthening and drawer supports needed repairs.

IT'S DONE!!!!

Wardrobe - from auction in Hill City, SD

It's in use now, as a fat quarter holder and quilt-cover-done in-process quilt holder.

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Baby BAMBI, Thumpers, Bluebird

Bambi and Blue Bird were here in early spring - before the snow went away.

June 22, 2009

I was riding the garden tractor around the fence line looking for fence post holes to fill, when I almost ran over this baby BAMBI hiding in the grass near the far west end of our property. The grass wasn't very tall, but the baby was hidden from view very well, except from above. I stopped just five or six feet from the critter. He didn't try to get up and run, but just layed still, except for an occasional ear wiggle.

Here in both photos - you are looking straight at the baby. But you can't see much until you get even closer. Click on the picture to see if you can see anything more.

Here's the baby fawn - not very old, but obeying his mom to stay laying down no matter what.

Kathie and her friend had time to come down from the house and take a look too!

We saw the mama deer later in the day nearby at the neighbor's house, but didn't see the baby with her. Kathie asked the other day - where do the baby deer go in the daytime - so here's one answer - they hide right under your nose!

Update: We talked to the neighbors later in the week - the neighbors saw a baby and mama deer lying down in their back yard the day before we found the fawn in the grass, so we assume this was the same fawn and was born in their back yard - so a very new baby indeed! We checked the area for the fawn the next morning and it was gone.

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