Dating Advice

[Jason Solodow]

Okay- Before everyone says it, I know that this is not a relationship advice board. I'm referring to figuring the age of a piece of furniture. I'm refinishing a dresser for the LOML. According to her, it was purchased by her great-grandmother so she thinks it's about a hundred years old. I don't think so though.. It is shaker style, and the general framing is made of poplar. However, the drawer fronts, dresser top and sides appear to made of mahogany veneered particle board. So my question is, when did they start using particle board? I already inspected the piece completely and was not able to find any maker marks or dates on it. After I'm done stripping and sanding it, I'll post pictures of it. And no, there was no way I could get away from a complete strip down on it, there were some chemicals spilled on it at some point which ate all the way through the finish, plus a couple of burn marks, fingernail polish, etc., etc.

Oh, the drawer joints are box joints, and the slide is a piece of apparently dadoed poplar with a similiar piece fixed to the bottom of the drawer. Any thoughts???

[Michael Schwartz]

There is a an off topic forum


Anyway, From what I have heard, Partical board started to appear in the 30's and 40's.

[Brad Townsend]

Somebody call the Keno twins.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I think that if you take this piece out on a date that people will stare. You won't be able to get through dinner.

Post some pics and maybe some one will have an idea

[Steve Schoene]

I don't think particle board appeared until after WWII, and apparently was a high end material in the early 50's. Pretty certain was not available 100 years ago.

Be careful stripping since particle board is sensitive to moisture, swelling badly if it gets wet. Check the veneer thickness since unless you have relatively thick veneer sanding out burn marks and the like could be impossible. If you sand through the veneer you are done for since making particle board look like mahogany is well neigh impossible so be careful.

[Tim Morton]

google says that it was first used in germany during WW2...so that would be 1940 at the earliest.

[Ken Gartin]

google says that it was first used in germany during WW2...so that would be 1940 at the earliest.

But used for what? I can't imagine furniture being built even in the 40's from PB. It's probably newer but I'm FAR from an expert on this subject.

Now MDF...that's ANOTHER story!

(If you sand through the laminate, you may get lucky and find that the PB is figured!)

[Matt Meiser]

I don't mean to insult your intelligence, but are you sure its particleboard? You aren't assuming there's particleboard because its veneered, are you?

[Ben Grunow]

Whenever I am trying to find a date, I usually start with a complete stripdown too.

[Matt Meiser]

Do you spill chemicals on her so that there's "no choice but a complete strip down"

(Sorry Jason, but you opened the door )

[Steve Schoene]

Some further digging confirms a 40's origin for particle board (developed in Germany during the war, likely to cope with materials shortages) and was used in post war Europe for many things including panels. In the US, it was apparently used in high end kitchens in the 50's. Afterall, if you keep it dry it does work well for cabinetry.

MDF doesn't make an appearance until the mid 60's and was developed in the US.