How to spruce up this vitrine display table ?

I picked up this vitrine display table at a local TS for $16.00. I can't wait to get my Victorian jewelry into it but I want to clean it up a bit first.
The ormolu has dried polishing gunk in the crevices and I was wondering what I should use on the wood to maybe bring out the floral painted decoration.
It's not decals, I think it's stenciled with some freehand.
What do you guys recommend to clean the wood ?
Is lemon juice OK for the ormolu ?[

 

I believe you, Calico, but it is hard to believe that you were able to buy that vitrine for only $16. It is lovely.

Sorry I can't help with how to clean it. If it were in my house it would have to be cleaned constantly because it would be months if not years before I finished drooling over it.

 

It's true, well...it actually had a price sticker of $20.00 but it was Senior Tuesday with 20% off.

 

What a find! Congratulations...

 

No, I would not use lemon juice to clean the ormolu.
I would use mineral oil with a toothbrush. If the mineral oil gets on the wood, it won't hurt it.

I would also use mineral oil on the wood to clean. Should not hurt the flowers, but test in small area first.
Only my opinion and how I would clean.

I edited this and took out the Howard's as I forgot about the flower decoration.

 

Thank you Fig. Cluttered, I used a small amount of lemon juice to test the ormolu but I will stop. None got on the wood. Thank you for the advice, I appreciate it.

 

Wouldn't mineral oil disturb the painting?

 

Hi Cali,
Besure to finish it up with a really good wax job to protect the paint and make it shine. I use clear Butcher's wax and shoe shine wax. The best wax to use is a can of shoe shine wax, NOT the liquid stuff, the old fashioned can stuff. The shoe shine wax has carnauba wax. I use different colors for different colored wood. Clear for light or fruit wood which I think yours might be. Burgandy for mahogany, brown for oak and black for ebony etc. Some times when the finish is missing in spots,
I use a darker color.
If the metal does not come clean with the mineral oil, I would do the cleaning and waxing of the wood and then try warm water and mild soap with a toothbrush. Try to avoid the wood.
greg

 

I can't see it very clearly but they seem to have been going for the Vernis Martin effect with the decoration to match the French style of the piece.

 

OK, so mineral oil and then apply a wax to protect ?

 

Mineral oil as in oil change for the car oil?

 

Hi AF,
NO that is auto oil. This is the stuff for human ingestion. Take a couple of tablespoons to cleanse your gut. It comes in light or heavy find it at your local chemist. It does not go rancid like olive or veggie oil.
greg

 

Greg, funny you should mention Butcher's as there is a signature on the underside of Chas. Brutcher. Probably the owner I would think.

 

That is what we call in Britain 'liquid paraffin'. As a child I was dosed with it occasionally, possibly just on general principles. I have never heard of applying it to furniture but as far as I know it did me no great harm.

I found the name puzzling (like so much else) because we used paraffin in a heater and Primus stoves and blow lamps and it did not smell the same at all. Generally that paraffin was not considered drinkable or medicinal.

 

Hi,
When we "canned" jelly we poured paraffin which to us is wax to seal the top of the jars. We had big lips and other candy toys made of paraffin which was safe to chew and eat. It was called petroleum wax. We used waxy kerosene in our heaters, stoves and lamps. I guess it is just semantics.
I could never understand why we park on a driveway but drive on a parkway.
greg

 

My mom used paraffin wax on her canned jelly. Remember the bottles of wax filled with Koolaid ? I would chew on the bottles after the juice was gone.

 

Gregsglass, your "and other candy toys" above caught my eye.

Do any others remember those little "paper/cardboard" soft drink carriers which contained about 4 wax "bottles" of sugar syrup in different colors/flavors (cherry, lime, orange, grape)? You would bite the head off the wax "bottle," drink the tiny bit of fluid inside, and then chew the wax bottle to get the last of the flavor.

They were my favorite thing to get with my "allowance" of 25 cents each week.

 

Gorgeous,lovely,WOW,and all the other words that go with beautiful. What a bargain and what a wonderful find.

 

Calico, I remember (as witnessed by the above). Sorry, I didn't see yours when I was composing my response.

 

LOL...those bottles stuck with me.
Well, the mineral oil has already done a wonderful job on the ormolu, as seen below.
Already a big improvement.