An Unbelievable Find

lol. im not sure how you spell sticlkley in chineses but i dont think ive had your luck with the stuff ive picked up free ! great score !

Congratulation Dave. Nice bit of “dumpster diving”. :) This is a wonderful find and it was an honest gesture to offer payment for the pieces. It will be interesting to see pictures.

Any idea what type of wood they are?

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

This is unreal. A burglar took a set just as you described from me. Please post the pictures and I will let you know if they are mine. :))

Kidding of course, nice find Dave and I’m really happy that they are now with someone who will really appreciate them.

-- There is no such thing as scrap wood!, http://www.saltrivergallery.com

Just goes to prove not everyone watches “Antique Roadshow” nor have any idea what they have in their own home. They probably just thought it was some old peice of junk and left it behind on their way to go get a new set at Ikea.

-- Greg - Charles Town, WV

This proves that those who operate with good intentions are rewarded with good karma. Nice story!

Dalec

To most people, Craftsman is just the name for tools sold by Sears. Great find Dave. If the set you tossed for the Stickley were designed by Walter Gropious or Mies van der Rohe, give me a call. (G)

Tom

-- Anybody can become a woodworker, but only a Craftsman can hide his mistakes.

WOW!! I can’t wait to see the pictures.

-- "A goal without a plan is a wish."

Scoooore!

-- "Bordnerizing" perfectly good lumber for over a decade.

As promised, I have added pictures below. I apologize for the lousy photography…..one more skill I have yet to master.
As you can see from the pics, this set is well used. There are a couple of stains on the table top. All but one of the chairs are still tight with no wobbles. The legs on the last chair are loose at the joints. The leather seats on the chairs are showing some wear, but have no tears in them. At some point in it’s life someone has put cheap plastic casters under the table legs. Amazingly enough as old as the table is the extension slides still work smoothly. These are certainly not the best specimens, as they have obviously seen some use over the past 100 or so years.
I need to do something with the finish which is in a terrible state of neglect. If anyone has a suggestion as to what to do with it, I certainly would appreciate your input. I have no idea, nor for that matter concern as to what these are worth. To me they are priceless in that I could likely not reproduce them. They have seen a lot of years and thus have earned the right to see many more.
As I look at the craftsmanship that went into these chairs I can not help but wonder what type of man built such things. In reading the label on the bottom of the chairs it states:
“This paster together with my device and signature (branded) on a piece of furniture stands as my guarantee to the purchaser that the piece is made with the same care and earnestness that has characterized all of my efforts from the beginning, and is meant to imply that I hold myself responsible for any defects in material, workmanship or finish that may be discovered by the purchaser even after the piece has been in use for a reasonable length of time, and that I will either make good any defects or take back the piece and refund the purchase price. This piece was made in my cabinet shops at Eastwood, N.Y……Gustov Stickley”
No predetermined time limits on the warranty….no disclaimers…no warning labels…..just an honest man making a good quality product and staking his own reputation on it’s value.

-- Evil can only thrive when good men do nothing.......E. Burke

You lucky dog!

-- Gary, East TX -- The longest journey begins with a single step.

Scott;

They appear to be made from quarter-sawn oak.

-- Evil can only thrive when good men do nothing.......E. Burke

Greg;

The funny thing is….....two months ago, before I joined Lumberjocks….I would not have even known what Stickley furniture was.

Gary;

I know!.....just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I truly feel fortunate to have come across the entire set all at once. One of the chairs is falling apart…all the joints are very loose. I may just have to go ahead and carefully dissassemble it to see how it was made. Who knows….as long as it is apart I may even make some templates of the pieces.

-- Evil can only thrive when good men do nothing.......E. Burke

Dave,

They would have been constructed with quarter sawn white oak and then more than likely fumed with ammonia. I would not refinish them, it will ruin there value. I would try and clean them with a mild soap and water and then wipe them down with small amounts of mineral spirits to remove any oily residue that the soap and water did not remove. Then wax them with a good paste wax.

What a GREAT FIND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-- Max "Desperado", Salt Lake City, UT

Go to this link and scroll down to round table. $5,750.00….. not bad.

-- There is no such thing as scrap wood!, http://www.saltrivergallery.com

What a wonderful story. Long may you enjoy the furniture.

-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business.

Thanks, I think this might help my wife’s opinion of my “dumpster diving”, great find.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

Great looking set. A rare find if I must say.

-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com

Wow;

Great find! Unbelievable!

Lee

-- by Lee A. Jesberger http://www.prowoodworkingtips.com http://www.ezee-feed.com