18th Century Dresser and Rack

Hi everyone
I'm looking for some advise and or opinions here, if OK.
I have been restoring furniture for a while now as a hobby.
Mainly of late chabby chic as my wife likes it and good way of furnishing our house in a budget.
I have acquired what looks like an 18th Century dresser and top rack made from red oak.
I'm trying to find a key to fit the old locks and properly date the piece.
I am also wondering if I should refinish it in shellac as top a bit worn or leave as is, in original patina?
Kind regards
Steve

 

Seems very difficult to post photo or video on here... pics now on thank you

 

Pictures are easy, I have never tried a video, but they do need to be less than a megabyte file size, so resize, crop and edit before uploading using the upload image tab at the bottom of a post you are writing, and select 'full image', the default is an annoying thumbnail size.

Most amateur videos are rubbish anyway, so sticking to well lit, well focussed photos is best.

 

Hello UKSteve, welcome.
Here is a mini tutorial on uploading pictures:
https://www.antiquers.com/threads/posting-a-thread-and-uploading-pictures.15990/

 

Looks like pine to me. I am not well enough versed on non-American furniture to help with dating. If really 18th century, I would probably just coat it with paste wax and call it a day.

 

Feels more like 20th century to me. Just sayin'

 

WBS!

 

Are those full length bar hinges on the doors, or just decorative?

 

Full length hinges and the locks look ancient nailed on

 

What does WBS mean sorry no good at acronyms

 

I'm thinking 1920s. Several design features including the feet are wrong for 18th C.
I cannot make much sense of the top part, it looks if anything like office furniture with all the little pigeon holes.

 

Maybe those rails on the top part were added later ? I also get a later feel,but Im often wrong.

 

I thought it was a plate rail with supports.

 

WBS means What Brad Said. And I also thought it was a plate rack. My knee jerk reaction was Welsh Cupboard.

 

I will put it together and take better photo when a friend comes as it weighs a ton

 

I don't see any pigeon holes. I see 3 levels of plate rail.

 

There are 6 drawers below the 3 racks

 

I can't help but in the 6th pic down, the hex head screw/bolt.....can't that help date? Just talking to some of the members who are familiar with these, and trying to learn too.

 

That's what I thought it's a hex screw and there Are 8 of them but look 100 years younger than the lock as it's stamped with numbers