Garage sale find

[Club Gun Fan]

Call a major museum in your area, or a state history commission. They should be able to point you to "best practices" websites or perhaps offer advice directly.

Just heading out to clean / protect without some research can make for a good-looking box with no collector value because it was cleaned. True for any older item. Sometimes the dirt goes with the story.

Your correct, so far I vacuumed the dirt out of the inside and a light wipe with a damp cloth on the outside.

 

[Old TexMex]

Fantastic find, and I know your a collector, so if you already know all this, humor me, I love restoring old varnish work on boats, my wife has a very successful business doin' it.

"IF" it's a paper label/ sign (decoupage) surfaced with varnish,or shellac you can wipe it down with mild soap & water (Murphys Oil Soap) and dry it completely. A crazed finish ( fine spiderweb looking cracking from UV exposure) will be made more apparent if it is waxed. The wax gets in the cracks and dries white.
If it has great financial value as a rare item that must be left "as is", you may want a skilled varnish person to look at it.
With enough existing topcoat, it may be taken down and revarnished ( if it is spar varnish) to restore the clarity.
If it isn't crazed, the Ren wax polished out with microfibre, could be your best bet.

Then again, once it's waxed, clear coating is much more difficult.

I like the boxed and glass table top idea, myself.

 

[Comrad]

You don't understand, my wife collects Savage and Stevens, so gun related items aren't a problem. We have Smith & Wesson, Savage and Stevens posters, Flyers, calendars and envelopes framed and hanging in every room in our house.
I like the idea of a box built around the top.

Wow, great score, the box is nice too.

Does she have a sister that likes old guys?

 

[olcop]

garage sale

Word to the wise:
ANY time your wife is in favor of putting a firearm related object in the living room GO ALONG WITH IT!
Jim

I agree-----win--win situation,
And, you should conserve it to preserve it too
olcop

 

[Club Gun Fan]

All good advice everyone, but, I think for the time being, I'll leave it alone.