Cleaning musty smell

[Cal]

Looking very very nice Gerald.

[Gerald]

Got the wheels on and put drawers in. Decided to try to refinish just one drawer face. Ok I know I was not going to do that yetbut could not resist. Started trying to sand and not good results on lacquer. So tried a cabinet scraper and WOW what results.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I started taking brass off and polishing. Note brasses are the same but there are phillips and straight screws. Then the colors on faces leads me to believe the drawers are from at least three and maybe four card files. 

Edited April 14, 2021 by Gerald

[Gerald]

Half way thru the drawer faces and all brass is off. Polishing tiny screws is not one of my favorite pass time.

 

The fabreeze and shellac seem to have cleared a lot of the odor. Today I it some charcoal in. 

[Gunny]

I have a trick for screws both to paint or to polish.  Use some 1/2 or 3/4 foam board or any Styrofoam from a packing box and insert screws into it.  To paint leave some standing above the surface.  To polish let touch the surface.  Then come back with a dremel tool that has a polishing end on it.  Keeps you from having to hold those small screws.  

[Gene Howe]

9 hours ago, Gunny said:

I have a trick for screws both to paint or to polish.  Use some 1/2 or 3/4 foam board or any Styrofoam from a packing box and insert screws into it.  To paint leave some standing above the surface.  To polish let touch the surface.  Then come back with a dremel tool that has a polishing end on it.  Keeps you from having to hold those small screws.  

Great idea, Gunny! And, Gerald, that's a great looking restoration.

[DuckSoup]

 Gerald that is cleaning up real nice!

[Danl]

I know that I am very late in responding but I recently inherited a ~120 yr old wooden bakery box which originated from the Netherlands.  It had a very musky smell (stored in a damp garage) and wanting to not alter the appearance, my wife used Listerine, vinegar, charcoal, and natural sun light.  All four working together did the trick.

 

Gerald, great restoration.

Danl

[Gerald]

Well the end to this story has arrived. Got the brasses all lacquered and put back on drawers today. 
By the way @Gunny lacquer will melt styrofoam so I cut slots in a scrap piece to set the screws up to lacquer. 

[HandyDan]

Looks new!!!   Very nice.

[forty_caliber]

Wow!  What a remarkable improvement.

 

.40

[Gunny]

Beautiful work.  Interesting about the lacquer. 

[Fred W. Hargis Jr]

Love it!

[DuckSoup]

That cleaned up real nice. 

[Gene Howe]

That's really sweet, Gerald. Nice work!

[Gerald]

Today I got the drawers in use labeled. Don’t know how I would find anything in this card file without the labels. Also did new labels on tool drawers using magnets. 

 

 

[HARO50]

PIZZA?????

[Gunny]

Looks good Gerald.  Kinda wonder about the things you put together in each drawer.  Putty knife with a dial indicator and sockets???  

[Gerald]

29 minutes ago, HARO50 said:

PIZZA?????

Hey it's kits. Didn't have room to spell pizza cutter kit.

25 minutes ago, Gunny said:

Looks good Gerald.  Kinda wonder about the things you put together in each drawer.  Putty knife with a dial indicator and sockets???  

Unfortunately I don't have  a drawer full of everything and that is just where it fell. Would not have the sockets there but it was a set I bought at an estate sale for $4 and could not pass that up. Wanted to do colors like you did but did not have the parameters you do so opted for alternating colors.

[Gunny]

26 minutes ago, Gerald said:

 

Unfortunately I don't have  a drawer full of everything and that is just where it fell. Would not have the sockets there but it was a set I bought at an estate sale for $4 and could not pass that up. Wanted to do colors like you did but did not have the parameters you do so opted for alternating colors.

 

You work with what you have.  For a hobbyist its fine.  If it works all is good.  

[HARO50]

11 hours ago, Gerald said:

Hey it's kits. Didn't have room to spell pizza cutter kit.

Well, all right then! I thought maybe you had some left over from a snack and......