How heavy are these cupboards?

Solid oak carries serious weight. A large seventeenth-century press cupboard easily requires three or four strong people to move it safely. They rarely dismantle into smaller sections. The joiners pegged the frames permanently. Always check your access routes before buying one.

I live in a house with central heating that gets quite warm in winter, will this cause the wood on an early piece to split?

Changes in humidity pose a bigger threat than temperature alone. Central heating dries the air, causing old wood to shrink. Panelled construction handles this well. The joiners designed the panels to float loosely in their grooves exactly for this reason. You might see wider gaps at the panel edges during winter. They close up again in summer. Just don't push the piece right against a hot radiator.

Can you clean dark oak?

Avoid aggressive stripping. That dark surface is centuries of accumulated wax and natural oxidation. Wipe it down with a damp cloth and apply a coat of good beeswax once a year.

The one I am looking at has quite a few old woodworm holes clustered around the backboards and the feet, should I worry about them spreading?

Flight holes indicate where beetles left the wood, not where they're currently active. Most historic oak furniture has some worm damage in the softer sapwood. Check if the dust inside the holes looks bright and fresh. If it looks dark and matches the surrounding wood, the infestation is long dead. The hard heartwood used for the main carcase rarely suffers serious structural damage.

Home > Cupboards > Oak Cupboards > Page 25

Antique Oak Cupboards

← Page 25 of 25 →

Solid oak storage furniture built with pegged mortise and tenon joints, originally used in wealthy households to securely store food and domestic goods.