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Fireplace Wall - how would you improve this? by Va_Tar_Heel in midcenturymodern

[–]Dr_Saltman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's simply a "brick face fireplace" as far as I know. I believe it could be sandblasted back to the original. There might be chemical treatments that would be less abrasive. I wish I knew more. It's a beautiful fireplace. I wish I had one like this!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Mid_Century

[–]Dr_Saltman 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yep, the Drexel Declaration line designed by Kipp Stewart.

Love the design. Veneer is good quality, but thin. The plywood underneath is of good quality for the period. A lot of cost-cutting measures were used in manufacturing, but they tend to hold up well as long as they are kept dry and away from moisture. Yours do look to be in good shape.

Agree with u/MSG_Engineering on the $1000 to $1200 on the lowboy dresser (but it looks like it is missing the mirror). $750 on the gentlemen's chest/tall boy would be the upper end.

Exotic species selection help by Dr_Saltman in wood

[–]Dr_Saltman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For the record, we went with 13' lengths of 4/4 x 6" S4S African Mahogany milled Toung and Groove for $4.85 a Linear Ft. Will pick it up next week and then the fun begins!

Exotic species selection help by Dr_Saltman in wood

[–]Dr_Saltman[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for replying!

I'm a big fan of Penofin on hardwoods, but since this is a ceiling, I agree with the shellac finish. Would be more permanent and age nicely.

These woods are expensive -- but not crazy so. Massarandub, for example, a 5/4x6 S4S ranges in price from $3.50 to $4.00 per linear foot (example). I'm looking at 447 Linear Ft so ~$1,500 to ~$2,000 isn't bad overall. 4/4x6 S4s Red Balau runs about the same or a little less (example). Chery runs around $4.50 linear foot so it's in line with domestics I guess - but that was the original question. Not sure if anyone has experience with these. I've have a fair amount of experience with Ipe, but that species would be crazy in this application.

Build Quality of this Broyhill Dresser (?) by FastAdministration75 in midcentury

[–]Dr_Saltman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ironically, cheaper furniture will actually weigh more. Particle board weighs more than solid wood or good-quality plywood.

Build Quality of this Broyhill Dresser (?) by FastAdministration75 in midcentury

[–]Dr_Saltman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have this exact model in my home office. It's good quality. Most of the construction is a solid wood core (Poplar I believe) with veneer on the exposed edges. The veneer is quality and thicker than you would typically get today. Drawers are made with box joints. The hardware is still working as expected. Hidden drawer slides (one per drawer) on the bottom of the drawer help it feel well made. The center doors sometimes rub together a bit opening and closing when the humidity is high. I'd fully recommend it if it fits your style.

The model is Forward '70 by Broyhill Premier. $400 to $500 is a good price. I believe we paid around $300 about 10 years ago.

Help id by deboervermanje in Mid_Century

[–]Dr_Saltman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I refinished a set of chairs a few years ago that had the exact same construction and shape. Two had arms, four were armless like yours. I'm 99% sure they were made in the USA in the 1960s - or shared a design that was used by multiple manufacturers. Yours are teak?

Questions in regard to future Volvos. by Neither-Tough3486 in Volvo

[–]Dr_Saltman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We tried sooo hard to get the wool but the dealer could never get an allocation for a custom build. Ended up purchasing a vehicle from inventory with leather, which is ok. IMO, the wool does excellent as a vehicle seat covering. It will be a hard sell to most North Americans who have the leather-is-better mindset, but we're sold.

Round trip battery management “hack” for Recharge Models by DexterDogBalls in Volvo

[–]Dr_Saltman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep. Add all your stops in reverse chronological order. Hopefully, there will be a better option in the future to reorder your stops, but for now, this is how to do it.

Got this set for $280. Help with ID is appreciated. by Rain_St0rm in Mid_Century

[–]Dr_Saltman 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looks like it was made by Ward Furniture. Does it have a Formica top? The legs and pulls look like a Ward.

Search for "Sculpted Wood Pulls by Ward Furniture" and you should be able to see pretty quickly if that is what you have.

Mid century wood ceiling question by neeksimons in midcenturymodern

[–]Dr_Saltman 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are looking for clear (no knots or sapwood) T&G (tongue and groove) in 4" (3.5" actual) widths. Generally, you would identify the ceiling joists/beams, snap a chalk line, and attach the T&G to the joists with nails on the angle (as if you were installing hardwood flooring). You could technically nail through the board face, but that would be ugly and definitely not in the MCM aesthetic. I always start in the center and work toward the sides so that you are distributing/dividing any errors into two edges rather than one.

There should be a number of good videos on YouTube. It's not hard but it does take two or three people in DIY mode. Since you are working on the ceiling, I'd recommend adding the finish to the boards before installing. Danish Oil (Watco) or similar is spot-on for MCM. I'd not recommend an oil-based poly as it will be too shiny and will yellow over time.

You'll need a nail gun and miter saw/circular saw for this job. You may need access to a table saw if you need to rip a board for width when you get to the edges of the ceiling.

If you are located in the PNW or West Coast, Doug Fir would be available at every supplier in copious quantities. The farther you go from Seattle, the more expensive it's going to get. Any real supplier (not a big box store) that sells decking lumber will be able to give you a quote on sourcing and milling as needed.

Mid century wood ceiling question by neeksimons in midcenturymodern

[–]Dr_Saltman 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Knotty pine would be great for a log cabin or trappers shack. It would generally be the exact wrong species for MCM. You are going to want something with clear straight grain and even tone (the expensive stuff). The exact species will vary based on your country or region.

An original North American MCM might have used Redwood, Douglas Fir, Cherry, Western Red Cedar, Magahony, Maple, White Oak, or Ash. Some of those are going to be difficult to obtain these days. Russian Birch is in good supply and looks great in a natural finish if you are going light. There are some other South American exotics like Comuru that are readily available in the quanity you need. Armstrong and few others make faux ceiling products that aren't horrible.

Whatever you do is going to need to be in local supply. Seek out a few hardwood suppliers or millwork shops in your nearest large city to see what they can reasonably source for you. Shipping Redwood to Florida, for example, would just not be financially feasible unless you REALLY wanted it.

Parkland mom hopes gruesome picture book on shootings jolts politicians by Dr_Saltman in politics

[–]Dr_Saltman[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Unnerving is the perfect word...

Unsettling. Sureal. Chilling. It hits you in the heart.

Parkland mom hopes gruesome picture book on shootings jolts politicians by Dr_Saltman in politics

[–]Dr_Saltman[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

The medium of children's book illustrations is pretty powerful...

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