Had a 112 yr old cigar box given to me that I want to turn into a CBG.
So... Its beat up some but the repairs will be simple, which leads me to ask how much cleanup on the box should I do??? Should I preserve it with a coat of lacquer (very light spray on) or leave it as is. Not sure how rare the box is or the value either which it might be better to not to mettle with, dunno, asking for suggestions there to.
I was thinking of making it mainly a wall hanger mostly. Minimal cutting on the box then building the neck and distressing it to look as old as possible. Open to ideas.... Thx in advance.
Left side
Lid top
Inside top lid
Right side
Bottom
Replies
I agree with Kigar, experiment with all these ideas on some scrap wood and see what results you get.
Great suggestions, many Thx.
I was going to use some wood that is really different, kinda speckled. I have no clue what it is and I only have a few sticks of it so will hang onto it for other builds. I do have a few bits of oak so I'm going to use that instead, sacrifice one stick to the cause... :) Might run a wire brush over it to bring out the grain a tad... The box is pretty beat up so I want to make the neck look as old.
Thx again guyz... appreciate the comments
I've looked about the countryside for an old oar or furniture bits but nothing around. So I've decided to build a neck and age it as best I can. Found the vinegar steel wool method people use and think I'll give it a try. I also gave the box a light coat of matte clearcoat to fix the paper to the box. Its darkened the wood slightly but looks better overall.
Any tips on 'aging' that might be good?
vinegar & steel wool can work great , but with oak . it can turn black on you . so depending what you use for the neck , and your soak time , will give you different results .
3 scoops of instant coffee in about a half cup of water makes s nice stain too .
paint ,. sandpaper , fire , etc all help .
Giving it a rusticated neck makes sense. The paddle idea would work, as would a broom handle. Or even a downed tree limb. Or an old fence post.
This is an awesome box! Reading the other comments, I agree with finding an old piece of wood - flooring or barnwood or broken old furniture for a neck would be perfect for this box. Also agree with you that a matte spray varnish would help keep things intact and not detract from the appearance. Only thing I would question is the wall hanger part, primitive but playable would be my personal choice.
Cool box ! I wouldn't lacquer it. I would go for the 100 year old CBG, found in a barn, look . Wipe some red paint on the neck (i'm sorry i'm guessing thats the color on the box) and wipe off the paint so it is just left in the grain. Distress the neck , maybe start with a weathered board. 100 year old tuners would be sweet. Bone or wood bridge , old key etc....... Bone nut. I would make it a player ,suitable for hanging on a wall. As I would have to find out what songs are in that box !
I love Anon's old cbg with the oar, thats awesome. But yeah its exactly what I was thinking, build the neck, distress it to look old or as close to the age of the box as possible. Aging bone for nut and bridge, don't have an old key or otherwise I would go that route.
I was thinking of a very light coat of lacquer just because the paper is very thin and brittle. Just handling it causes paper to fall away so I can't handle it much. Wall hanger or player?!?!? What else could be used to preserve the paper and still make it safe to handle??
OK, I'm one of those people who cringe when I see a real antique being modified. You can always make CBGs. You'll only get one of those.
Cheat! Take really good pictures of it. All sides. Make a box that size. Then paste the pictures to it. Now you can have your cake and eat it too! The box will be sturdy and still one of a kind.
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