Any of you familiar with restoring antiques?

[moriah]

I decided what I wanted to get my man for Christmas. He has said several times that he misses having personalized stationery, but that Crane's stopped making the paper he preferred.

Apparently they have started making it again, I found it on finestationery.com.

However, I'm one of those who likes the wrapping for a gift to be just as useful as what's inside, and we both have a fondness for antiques. My thought was to try to get an old-fashioned lapdesk -- sometimes called a writing slope. Unfortunately, the ones that are already restored are SCARY expensive, and I really can't afford it.

I've seen several on EBay that need restoration. They also sell the new liners for the writing surface of the slope -- leather, felt, or velvet. And they have instructions on how to apply the new writing surface -- but very little on the safest way to remove the old surface.

Has anyone on here taken on a project like this?

Here are a few examples:

Needs liner and likely lock/key, no secret drawers, $30.00

Needs liner and key, no mention of secret drawers but may have them, $47.00

Needs liner, key, maybe some work on inside finish, appears worse than it is because the writing surface has completely detatched, less than $10.00

Needs liners, some TLC... now only at $2.00

To show what a few of these are sold for when they're fully restored...


Fully Restored Writing Slope -- $216.00

Very nice, but over $360.00.

Beautiful, over $470.00!!!

Just wondering if any of you have taken on a project like this and have any ideas...

Thanks!

[yy4me]

1. Hi Moriah, I have worked with these writing desks many times

and, BTW, most are English. I checked out your links. Let me suggest you forget the one with the missing lock, you'll never find a replacement. Also leave the one with the missing plate on the top. Same reason. Replacing the felt is easy and I could walk you through that as well as the refinishing. The most important thing you should do is make sure the structure is complete, not missing any of the brass or major wood parts. No large cracks, intact and original hinges. The shipping will be costly and sending it back is not an option.

Refinishing small items is time consuming because you have so many little corners, confined spaces. Removing the old finish will take off the discolored varnish that makes the brass look so awful.

There are refinishing steps that should be taken in sequence. The lack if inkwells is common, most have long since lost them. The pieces of mahogany that are dividers or tray bottoms can be easily replaced. If the wood is split from age, I'd pass. It is common but not attractive and may, because of the opened space, cause the lock to mis-align, keeping the lid from properly closing. The triple one is nice but needs more than a beginner can do. I'd be concerned by what they mean by wear on the wood. Plus a beginner will never be able to do the leather pocket. Missing drawer not good either.

I'd keep looking. If my other half was still with me, he would love the triple since he restored furniture for years. I think I could easily do the rest except the leather. PM me or post your progress and we can all see what you are looking at and give you our thoughts.

[moriah]

4. You are a godsend!

I was really hoping to find someone who'd worked with these before. I've refinished larger pieces of furniture, but I'd not done much with small items, and being in the US and most of these being in the UK, I didn't want to spend a ton on shipping just to get something that wouldn't work.

I've got almost three months.... and if I can't find/restore the right piece before Christmas, his birthday is in May. I'm pretty patient when it comes to Ebay -- I had been looking for a star sapphire ring very similar to the one my paternal grandmother gave me, and after checking every few days for about six months, an *exact* duplicate of it was there. If you're patient enough, what you want will eventually show up :) (I spent two years looking for the car I purchased last year -- I knew what I wanted, and just kept watching the searches, eventually the car I wanted got traded in nearby, and I got it for 4k under Blue Book.)

[Whoa_Nelly]

2. I know you want antique, but how about a repro?

http://www.ushist.com/props/writing-equipment_desks.htm

and here's some authentic ones from the UK eBay:
http://www.antique-auctions.caldeals.com/Woodenware/Writing-Slopes


And here's one that's not terribly expensive, has the key and is good condition:
http://cgi.ebay.ie/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310076651433&indexURL=

[moriah]

3. Thanks! :)

I've been looking at those pages, and that one you mentioned from Ebay was one of the ones I'd looked at for something midrange.

The only concern I have with the reproduction you mentioned is that I'm not sure if the compartment will hold monarch sheets -- which is the size my man prefers. :) I've been Googling these all day...

Another one I'd looked at was this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Mahogany-ladies-writing-slope-lap-desk_W0QQitemZ350105172612QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item350105172612&_trkparms=72%3A1205|39%3A1|66%3A2|65%3A12|240%3A1318&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14

It's missing the key, but otherwise it's beautiful, reasonably priced, and it looks like they'd already replaced the leather on it. It is a touch small though, as the guy said it was probably designed for letter sheets instead of monarch sheets, or would fit letter sheets better. I might just have to get it for myself.... *grin*

Thank you for the help! :)