oopsgotago

I got this old wood tool box that had been stored in a dilapidated garage. The hinges are a bit rusty but work fine. The finish on the other hand has a bumpy texture like an orange all over the front. The lid of the box has vertical cracks in it that appear to go down to the wood. I was told by a non-woodworker that I just needed to use some orange oil on it to clean it up. I really like this though and do not want to ruin it. Can I get some advice on how to fix it up please?

Attached Thumbnails

 

cabinetman

The face of the lid looks like a veneered face that failed. It appears to have been applied with the grain being vertical. It can't be salvaged. You can remove the face veneer with a chisel, bevel down, and just pare off the loose veneer. Or, you may have to use a mallet. Try not to score into the veneer edge on top of the lid. When it's all off, use a block sander and flatten the face. Then straightedge one long edge of a new piece of veneer, and glue it to the face, fitting the top edge to the underside of the veneer on the top. You could use a paper backed veneer and contact cement, or an all wood veneer and use TBII or TB III, using a piece of wood on the face clamping the veneer to the face of the lid. Use waxed paper between the blocking and the veneer. Use a smooth thin layer of glue on both the veneer and the lid.

oopsgotago

Cool, thank you for the suggestions. The whole top is the most damaged part, that cracking is pretty much all over it. Maybe it would be easier to just make a new one. Any ideas how to get rid of the orange peal like texture that has popped up all over the front?

Gerry KIERNAN

You should be able to remove the old mottled finish with a chemical stripper. I agree with Cabinetman about the top. Probably best to replace the veneer there. Just a thought on the old hardware: If you have any one who does glass bead blasting in your area you could have them blasted and either paint them or have them replated.

Gerry