Jewellery box restoration - from charity to antique

I spotted an old jewellery box in a charity shop and couldn't resist it. The hinges were damaged, the veneer was poor and the whole box was dirty and grimy with neglect. But someone had loved it and it deserved better than to be in this dreadful state. A few hours of attention and a lot of sanding and finishing and it could be loved again.

[@rubberdc]

I have a jewellery box made of the same wood but mine is oblong and has a tray inside . The only difference with mine to yours is that the diamond inlay in the lid is different coloured woods and the edges are not as rounded . the strips that band the entire box in zigzags is on mine .

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Sounds really interesting. If you search for Tunbridge Ware you will see lots of different examples. The inlay was their trade mark for this type of box.

[@retroclickmedia4422]

@@benjaqsonworkshop9974 This is a bit of a miss name. Tunbridgeware was made in Tunbridge, Kent, UK up untill the late 19th century, the inlay was much finer than on these boxes and usually a parquetry (as opposed to marquetry) on end grain sometimes dispicting a castle, stately home etc. Tunbridge is very expencive. These boxes were made in the city of London until the break of the first world war, probably in Curtain Street. The inlays were made in blocks and then parred through as was Tonbridge. As only the rich had jewellery these were work or sewing boxes, 20 years ago these would have retailed for £140 - £160, now you can pick a good one up for £40.00

[@Milliwheats5621]

Great work! I love to see such craftsmanship and care go into a piece. It's equally impressive to see such polite responses to the negative comments. Even if someone doesn't like the style, they can still learn many techniques, at the end of the day feel free to go find your own woodwork to restore if ya don't like it! (But they won't)

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

@@Milliwheats5621 Thank you for your generous comments. Some pieces really do deserve the time and effort whilst, sadly, some people deserve rather less but kindness often diffuses comments I've found.

[@denisebennett3144]

Beautiful work.

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Thank you very much Denise. So kind of you to comment.

[@surinderparkash1135]

Nice restoration, well done. Music was annoying though. Nothing like the natural sounds of a skilled wood worker.

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Thank you. Yes, it's difficult selecting music that isn't annoying but when the video is sped up you lose the original sound. Some of my videos have the original audio. It's always a dilemma but I hope you can enjoy some of my work.

[@alangriffiths2100]

Rather enjoyed this music. “ you can please some of the people………..etc.”

[@GEM.Official]

Thanks for sharing your expertise with this video. I'm about to undertake a similar restoration on a late 40s jewelry box though mine is 3' tall with 12 drawers, within double cabinet doors. My issue is finding replacement brass accents/decorations. That pan of your apothecary drawers with your brass card titles had me so envious. I must have been an old man clock maker/tinkerer, in a past life, with a workshop filled with hundreds of teeny parts drawers of wide assortment (most likely in a dark and creepy hidden away basement)...I would absolutely run you over and thieve your cabinet just so i could rummage through it all and 'discover' all the parts. Haha. Yep...def was a crochety recluse tinkerer in a past life. Any words of advice or tips for a restoration peon like me? Thanks again. This was a joy to watch.❤

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Hi GEM. I'm glad you enjoyed the restoration and virtually delved into my bits and pieces drawers - I must admit, they are a delight to rummage through. I would suggest you take your time and think carefully about each stage. My vid was very short but the process was much longer including waiting ages for things to dry in the finish. I watched your shorts and if you restore the way you write I think you'll do an amazing job. As for the brasswork, I spent a lot of time on Amazon hunting down drawer pulls and fittings that would work best. Sometimes I've found something I really liked but couldn't match so changed the pulls to ones I could find full sets of. I use bright shiny brass for small pieces and dull ones on larger pieces. However, I am planning to build a large piece - a Georgian campaign secretaire and am collecting bright brasswork for it. I have had some success in using Amazon to find companies that specialise in things and then gone to them direct for things they don't sell through Amazon. Good luck with it. (I've subscribed so maybe you could add a short of the cabinet one day?)

[@marionmeyer326]

❤ Bewundere deine Arbeit, Respekt 😊

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Danke. I appreciate your comment.

[@Mad9977]

i like these wooden boxes, what a beautiful result 👍

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Thank you. I wish I had the skill to make one like it but I'll make do with giving them a bit of a lift.

[@Mad9977]

@@benjaqsonworkshop9974 yes it's quite complicated to build one of these =)

[@carabiner7999]

0:14. I have one that's almost exactly the same! It needs some TLC, but is not in bad shape, per se. The wood base of the removable shelf split and needs to be replaced, and the old paper is super faded, but that's it. I'm an artist and have done restoration work, so thanks for reminding me to take care of my box, as well as how to! New sub. Cheers.

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

It's surprising how much joy we can get from beautifully made things isn't it. You might be able to cut out a tiny strip and then insert a thin piece to the base? Welcome to the channel.

[@carabiner7999]

@@benjaqsonworkshop9974 Thank you so much! Actually, one half has completely warped, so I'll just replace the whole piece eventually. My box was my Grandparents' and we're from the UK. I'm in my 50s. The warp happened at some point after I came to Philadelphia PA for Uni. Humidity changes will do that, eh? My box has a square top, unlike yours, but the basic pattern of the design is remarkably similar. I had considered steaming it flat, but obviously the "sensitive restoration" approach of simply replacing it makes more sense. This has more of a sentimental value, so unlike a book I have from the 1700s, or a 1950s Paoli swing chair....which need a more studious and respectful approach. Now Im going to end up in an ADHD rabbit hole researching them at some point. If I do, I'll share anything I learn. Best wishes to you and yours.

[@robervar1097]

Fun-tastic ! I have over 200 wood boxes of which maybe 10 of this age and character/ inlay .When bored go to brass hinges and slotted screws and thinner quaint box . Niiccee !

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

You're absolutely right. Each of those would be real improvements. When I did this I mostly wanted to know if I could improve the outer finish. I'm keeping an eye out for old hinges. Thanks.

[@Welagedara]

THIS IS NICE CREATION.KEEP IT UP.

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Thank you.

[@ddog5858]

Great job!

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Thank you. It's good of you to say so, I appreciate it.

[@swansong1851]

Nice Tunbridge ware. It's a pity you slit the veneer to get glue underneath. One can reattach hide glued veneer by ironing with damp paper.

[@TheBradinator214]

Came for the restoration, stayed for the sweet sweet tunes!

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Glad you liked them both!

[@gundolfgehrke2856]

die musik ist sooo schitt

[@TheBradinator214]

@@gundolfgehrke2856 Bro chill

[@geoffb108]

Nice job. The finish would be be better if you applied many multiple coats with a pad with just a small amount of thinned shellac as with french polishing

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Thank you and you are probably right, yes. I started with 50% shellac and 50% alcohol but it was still difficult getting it to take very well. I think there were possibly still some traces of wax or (even worse) furniture polish. I have considered going back to it when I have more time.

[@Starbuck133]

Nice video and good result! What kind of pencils are you using to match the color of the veneer patch?

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Thank you. I tested a few but the closest match was actually a brown felt tip permanent colouring pen. It sat nicely on the first coat of shellac.

[@privatechannel8462]

I have this exact box...

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

That's great. I hope you enjoyed seeing this one.

[@privatechannel8462]

Yes.

[@jonathanjackson4983]

Music is too fast for such a relaxing video to watch and enjoy - thanks for sharing. Great job

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Hi. I'm glad you liked the work. The music is always a dilemma and I cut out so much of the footage it kind of felt like it had been hurried, hence the music. Some of my other work has a much slower feel to it.

[@andrewclarkehomeimprovement]

Thank you for this, how KZbin knows eh? I just acquired a box with the exact same diamond in the top. It is in somewhat worse condition than yours. The inside is paper lined with a gold diamond weave pattern. Any ideas where I can get such lining papers?

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Hi there. I'm glad it found you. If it has that inset and patterned inlay it is probably Tunbridge ware which has a lot of internet entries. I had a quick look and found that putting 'gold diamond weave pattern paper' into Google produced a lot of possibilities. Hope you find the one you're looking for. By the way, if yours is in really bad shape I found the veneer on top was pretty thick and would take quite a bit of sanding at 120 grit - the sides were a lot more fragile. Good luck with the restoration. Ben.

[@andrewclarkehomeimprovement]

@@benjaqsonworkshop9974 thanks Ben, really appreciate your reply. 👍

[@redtarka]

Whoever made the original didn't even centre the handle!

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

I know but I have since learnt that this may be a cheaper version of an original design which may explain the handle position. It's so hard to tell with some of these pieces - the hinges had been changed several times too.

[@robervar1097]

That was an after thought possibly from a jewelry / glove box at home ,to travel /or more mobile . Esthetically artist would never cover that inlay diamond 💎

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

@@robervar1097 I suspect you're right. The holes were pretty roughly drilled, which didn't match the carefully installed inlay. Something I liked so much about this box was how much history it had. Perhaps I should have been more sympathetic.

[@woodybeck8966]

Nice❤

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Thank you.

[@bngr_bngr]

What did you use to initially clean the box? I have an older box that I don’t want to remove the old finish but maybe clean it up a bit.

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Hi. It was pretty filthy so I used a degreaser gently at first, then white spirit (mineral spirits in the US). That removed most of the oil and accumulated dirt. Then I sanded down through the layers of finish which also removed most of the rest of any contaminants. Sanding was careful with 120 grit then 240 grit because the veneer was reasonably thick but there's always the danger of going though to the substrate. You could use soap and a little water first. Hope that helps. @thomas johnson antique furniture restoration has a wealth of advice and examples. Ben.

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

You might have some degreaser in the kitchen already and white spirit is cheap but wear gloves. The finish on my box had ingrained dirt but if you're hoping to keep the finish in tact please test a small area at the back first because some finishes won't like the white spirit at all! There tend to be 3 finishes, shellac, wax and varnish/lacquer which all respond differently so testing is important. You could start with a q-tip small point of cotton wool. Good luck.

[@nomikopp387]

What did the finished inside & tray look like? And did you felt it?

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Hi. I left the insides pretty basic with one thin coat of finish. I didn't add felt as the originals had a lining paper.

[@matthewhiggins3555]

Gave up on this once I saw him fitting cheap-ass hinges with Philips screws.

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

It's a shame for one fairly minor aspect. It's difficult to get old hinges the right size and they'd been changed so many times that using the traditional nailing method might have done even more damage. Have you watched the work Thomas Johnson does? Worth seeing if you're more of a purist.

[@bhajansbyguptani8114]

NICE

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Thank you. I am happy you like it.

[@l33bou45]

Over restored and too shiny Steel hinges...No Should be brass with slot head brass screws Interior tray far to bulky Should use much thinner wood for construction

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Maybe I'll have another look at this one... come back in a few months.

[@suegreen8214]

Too shiny, spoilt the finish I have one very similar and it’s finish is a well rubbed wax shine and music was off putting

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Well, thanks for letting me know.

[@ivanwoodhouse1958]

great except for the musak

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

@@ivanwoodhouse1958 Yes, it certainly divided opinion but I'm glad you enjoyed the woodworking. Thanks for the comment Ivan.

[@walkertongdee]

Too much shellack.

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Yes, it's always a dilemma when to stop but the finish was poor and too delicate to sand back any further.

[@danielhughes441]

UGH! I had to watch this with the volume turned off. That music was an AWFUL pairing with this video. After about five minutes, I just skipped to the end

[@benjaqsonworkshop9974]

Yes, it divided opinions. You could try some of my other make videos with much more slow paced music if you prefer.